Only a small number of vets are employed by zoos and aquariums.
VETERINARY SPECIALISTS
Just as medical doctors have areas of specialization, so do veterinarians. Although most go into general practice, others specialize in, for example, veterinary ophthalmology, cardiology, orthopedics, or specialized surgery.
Relief Veterinarians
Relief veterinarians function much as substitute teachers do. They work for different practices on an on-call basis, filling in for vacationing vets or during emergencies. They're usually paid for the day, with earnings varying from $150 to $300, depending on how much experience they have and the area of the country in which they practice.
Research and Food Safety Inspection
Veterinarians contribute to human as well as animal health. Some vets engage in research to prevent and treat diseases in humans. They also help prevent the outbreak of rabies or other diseases that can be transmitted to humans and may quarantine animals or perform autopsies when necessary.
Veterinarians who are meat inspectors examine slaughtering and processing plants, check live animals and carcasses for disease, and enforce government food purity and sanitation regulations.
SETTINGS FOR VETERINARIANS
Most vets work in animal clinics or hospitals, but some also work for zoos, the government, public health, universities, and racetracks. Relief veterinarians have a variety of offices for which they work, and vets also can choose to travel further afield, wherever their services are needed.
THE ZOO NURSERY
In addition to providing both preventative and emergency medical care to zoo animals, many vets and vet techs are involved with the zoo nursery.
With new special diets and more scientific care, many more baby animals are being born and raised in zoos than in the past. If a mother is unable to care for her newborn, or if the baby is not doing well, staff members may decide to move the baby and hand raise it in the nursery.
In many zoos, the nursery is a glass-walled room that allows visitors to observe the animal infants. After repeated visits, observers can note changes in the animals' growth and development. The nursery staff often posts records where visitors can see them. These charts document weight gain and the animal's medical history.
SALARIES FOR ZOO VETS
"Private practitioners have the capacity to earn much more money than zoo vets. But as Metro Zoo goes, I am paid much better than many other zoo veterinarians are. Many zoo veterinarians are paid relatively meager wages. I don't mean they are starving, but the salaries are not glamorous. Probably the average zoo veterinarian is making between $30,000 and $38,000 a year. When I started in Indianapolis, I was only making $19,000 a year. Now a new zoo vet might start in the mid to high twenties. Someone with ten years or so of experience can expect only in the high thirties. You don't go into the zoo business to make money. You really have to like what you're doing. If you want to make money as a vet, you have to go into private practice. And in some cases, you have to go into a high risk practice, working with horses or in neighborhoods where there is money to be spent. By high risk, I mean there's a higher risk of being sued," says a vet working at Metro Zoo.
A WORD OF ADVICE
You really have to want to be a vet even before you choose zoos as the setting in which you'll work. Again, you have to realize you're not going to get rich and that you'll put in long hours.
Plus, the field is very competitive, so you have to be persistent. There aren't a lot of jobs available out there.
At the same time, if you go for it, it is everything it's cracked up to be. It's a challenging and rewarding career. It is definitely a career, not a job, and it can be physically and mentally very stressful. But it's what I always wanted to do, and I am glad that I have.
A WORD OF ADVICE
There are only about sixty to ninety of us vet techs in the whole country, so the chances of getting into a job like this are pretty remote. It's a good idea to volunteer; then when an opening comes up, you'll be there.
Another tactic is to go the medical tech route. Quite a few of the larger zoos have medical technicians, technologists who were trained to work with people. But they can easily cross over to work with animals, so this could be one way to get in. The pay isn't as good, but they get the satisfaction of working with the animals.
There are good vet tech colleges, so I'd advise you get formal training. Also, make sure you have a background working with a variety of animals. You need to have good animal sense.
It is a fascinating job, and most in the field have no intention of leaving, so the job chances are pretty slim.
