veterinary medicine

A veterinary technician in Ethiopia shows the owner of an ailing donkey how to sanitize the site of infection. Veterinary medicine is the branch of medicine concerned with the prevention, management, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, disorder, and injury in non-human animals. Its scope is wide, covering all animal species, both domesticated and wild, with a wide range of conditions that can affect different species.

Veterinary medicine is practiced both with and without professional supervision. Professional care is most often led by a veterinary physician (also known as a veterinarian, veterinary surgeon, or "vet"), but also by paraveterinary workers, including veterinary nurses, veterinary technicians, and veterinary assistants. Other paraprofessionals may have specialized roles, such as animal physiotherapy or dentistry, and species-relevant roles such as farriers.