Veterinary Care - Essay Example

This would change, however, as people realized that knowing how to care for animals could be a career for them. They began writing books, more of the guide sort, to sell to farmers. These writings eventually found its way outside of Europe. (Biere, 1955) The earliest mention of a practitioner in the United States is found in a 1625 case where a certain person by the name of William Carter was charged of not being able to cure a cow as he promised. The first ever veterinary surgeon of America was College of London graduate John Haslam.

(Dunlop, 1996) In the 19th century, several books and journals regarding veterinary medicine came into publication. There were the books entitled The American Cattle Doctor (1850) and The Modern Horse Doctor (1854) by George Dadd. The American Veterinary Journal was founded in 1851 by the same person as well., also of the same person, founded and edited the American Veterinary Journal. It was followed by Alexandre Liautard's American Veterinary Review in 1875 which was by Alexandre Liautard.

This became known as the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. (Schwabe, 1978; Smith, 1933) World War II had a big impact on animal medicine and food safety. New drugs developed for soldiers during the war such as penicillin and sulfa drugs were later used to treat livestock. The insecticide DDT was used during the war and later helped kill flies and other outdoor parasites that hurt farm animals. (Smith, 1976)During the war, the government thought Midwestern cattle operations might be targets for sabotage.

They were worried that cattle might be contaminated by foreign infections, threatening the food supply. Government veterinarians were hired and local vets were told to be on the alert. After the war, veterinarians began to use new drugs to treat diseases such as foot rot and shipping fever in cattle, as well as infections that killed baby chickens and turkeys. As new drugs came out of the research institutions, they were used against brucellosis, infectious anemia, worms, cholera, Newcastle disease, foot-and-mouth disease, and rabies.

(Lise, 2005)The Evolution of Veterinary CareVeterinary medicine evolved from skill and field based practice to a more structured education that began with the establishment of the school in Lyons, France. With the establishment of dedicate schools such as New York College of Veterinary Surgeons (1857-1899) and the American Veterinary College (New York, 1875-1898), the knowledge and the process became more scientific. (Smith, 1976; Smithcors, 1973)Developments in the field of medicine, science and technology paved the way for more complex tools of analysis and medication in the field of animal care.

Many technologies now exists today especially for the prevention and cure of diseases afflicting agriculturally important animals. Animals nowadays often receive advanced medical, dental, and surgical care including insulin injections, root canals, hip replacements, cataract extractions, and pacemakers. The field has also grown from caring for agriculture related animals, such as cows, chickens and horses, to animals that serve as pets and even extended to other kinds of animals which are not usually included in these two categories.

(Harrowsmith Country Life, 2007)Importance of Veterinary Care Of the many factors why veterinary care is essential, the most important lies in its capacity to eliminate, hamper and mitigate disease outbreaks