# Competences — specialised veterinarian

Source: ESCO v1.2.1 occupation-skill relations (http://data.europa.eu/esco/occupation/08984bec-31d8-4bb0-aa2f-d557761ff029).

## Essential

- **anatomy of animals** (knowledge)
- **animal behaviour** (knowledge)
- **animal production science** (knowledge)
- **animal welfare** (knowledge)
- **animal welfare legislation** (knowledge)
- **apply animal hygiene practices** (skill/competence)
- **apply safe work practices in a veterinary setting** (skill/competence)
- **apply specialised veterinary knowledge** (skill/competence)
- **apply veterinary epidemiology** (skill/competence)
- **assess animal behaviour** (skill/competence)
- **biosecurity related to animals** (knowledge)
- **certify the performance of veterinary procedures** (skill/competence)
- **collect samples from animals** (skill/competence)
- **communicate specialised veterinary information** (skill/competence)
- **conduct ante-mortem veterinary health inspection** (skill/competence)
- **conduct cancer screening tests** (skill/competence)
- **conduct veterinary consultation** (skill/competence)
- **environmental enrichment for animals** (knowledge)
- **evaluate information in the field of veterinary nursing** (skill/competence)
- **fundamental veterinary sciences** (knowledge)
- **handle veterinary emergencies** (skill/competence)
- **implant microchips in animals** (skill/competence)
- **issue certificates for animal products** (skill/competence)
- **maintain veterinary clinical records** (skill/competence)
- **manage animal biosecurity** (skill/competence)
- **manage animal welfare** (skill/competence)
- **manage the use of vaccines** (skill/competence)
- **monitor the welfare of animals** (skill/competence)
- **perform esophagoscopy** (skill/competence)
- **perform euthanasia on animals** (skill/competence)
- **perform gross post mortem examination on animals** (skill/competence)
- **perform intra-operative neuromonitoring** (skill/competence)
- **perform laboratory testing on samples of animals** (skill/competence)
- **perform surgical procedures on animals** (skill/competence)
- **perform veterinary diagnosis** (skill/competence)
- **physiology of animals** (knowledge)
- **practise veterinary professional codes of conduct** (skill/competence)
- **prescribe animal medications** (skill/competence)
- **prescribe physical therapy to animals** (skill/competence)
- **provide anaesthetics to animals** (skill/competence)
- **provide sedation to animals** (skill/competence)
- **safe work practices in a veterinary setting** (knowledge)
- **signs of animal illness** (knowledge)
- **veterinary clinical sciences** (knowledge)

## Optional

- administer appointments (skill/competence)
- advise on animal welfare (skill/competence)
- advise on livestock disease control (skill/competence)
- apply numeracy skills (skill/competence)
- assess animal nutrition (skill/competence)
- calculate rates per hours (skill/competence)
- check the health of livestock (skill/competence)
- collaborate with animal related professionals (skill/competence)
- communicate with customers (skill/competence)
- control animal movement (skill/competence)
- cope with challenging circumstances in the veterinary sector (skill/competence)
- deal with challenging people (skill/competence)
- develop an animal handling strategy (skill/competence)
- follow work schedule (skill/competence)
- implement veterinary clinical governance (skill/competence)
- interact safely with animals (skill/competence)
- interview animal owners on animals' conditions (skill/competence)
- maintain administrative records in the veterinary office (skill/competence)
- maintain relationships with animal welfare establishments (skill/competence)
- make decisions regarding the animal's welfare (skill/competence)
- manage a small-to-medium business (skill/competence)
- perform endoscopy (skill/competence)
- plan schedule (skill/competence)
- provide animal training (skill/competence)
- provide first aid to animals (skill/competence)
- take advantage of learning opportunities in veterinary science (skill/competence)
- understand the animal's situation (skill/competence)
- zoonotic diseases (knowledge)

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## Market evidence (job-ad analysis, 47 ads, as of 2026-07-19)

Share of analyzed job ads mentioning the item (threshold ≥ 20 %). Source: JSearch/Adzuna APIs.

### Hard skills

- internal medicine — **30 %**
- endoscopy — **19 %**

### Responsibilities

- patient care — **34 %**

<!-- market-evidence -->