Veterinary medicine is the application of medical, diagnostic, and therapeutic values to companion, domestic, exotic, wildlife, and production animals. Veterinary science is essential to the study and protection of animal production practices, herd health and monitoring the spread of disease. It requires the gaining and application of scientific knowledge in multiple disciplines and uses technical skills directed at disease prevention in both domestic and wild animals.Veterinary science helps protect human health through the careful monitoring of livestock, companion animal and wildlife health. Emerging zoonotic diseases around the globe involve capabilities in epidemiology and infectious disease control that are particularly well-suited to veterinary science's "herd health" approach.

Veterinary medicine is casually as old as the human/animal bond but in recent years has expanded exponentially because of the availability of advanced diagnostic and therapeutic techniques for most species. Veterinary specialization has become more common in recent years. Currently 20 veterinary specialties are recognized by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), including anesthesiology, behavior, dermatology, emergency and critical care, internal medicine, cardiology, oncology, neurology, radiology and surgery. In order to become a specialist, a veterinarian must complete additional training after graduation from veterinary school in the form of an internship and residency and then pass a exact examination.