Top 5 Veterinary Specializations

The top 5 veterinary specializations are currently the best specializations to go into based on the demand for their services, the popularity of degree programs that prepare you for the specialization, the scope of the field and other factors. Veterinary medicine used to be a very general subject-if you were a veterinarian, you were expected to be able to do any kind of work on almost any kind of animal in practically any situation. Now there are veterinary scientists who do research and quality control, zoologists who care for wild animals and animals in zoos, equine veterinarians who care for horses and many other specialized types of veterinarians.

Being specialized isn't necessarily required, but it will definitely help you find your niche and be more successful in your career. If you are thinking of going into the veterinary field in a specialized capacity the following top 5 veterinary specializations are worth considering:

Anesthesiology: These veterinary specialists have expertise with the same kinds of drugs and equipment used for anesthesia in human patients, but their focus is on the animal populations, which all have very different physiologies.

Behavior: More and more pet owners are concerned with their animals' behavioral problems, and there is a whole field that has grown around it. Just think about the success of "The Dog Whisperer."

Dermatology: Animals have some very particular skin issues that differ from humans, largely because of their feathers, fur and scales. Skin allergies are especially common in dogs and cats. The services of animal dermatologists are very much in demand at the moment.

Emergency and Critical Care: There are ERs for animals, just like for humans. When veterinary offices are closed or animals' injuries are too severe to take them to a regular vet, an emergency or critical care veterinarian is the one to run to.

Surgery: There are a number of surgeries that animals may need from time to time. Some are simple, like removing a cyst, and some are more complex, like amputating a leg or performing heart surgery.