Veterinary medicine plays an extremely important role in keeping pets and livestock healthy and happy. Without the care of these medical professionals, we simply wouldn’t be able to ensure our furry friends the long, vibrant lives they deserve.

That’s why we all should take a day out of the year to celebrate them and what they do. Fortunately, there is such a day already on our calendars. This holiday is known as International Day of Veterinary Medicine, and it’s observed on the 9th of December every year.

This is a day for all pet owners to give a shout-out to their favorite vets and vet techs — either in person, through the mail, or on social media.

The History of the International Day of Veterinary Medicine

Veterinary medicine is a discipline that dates back over 2,000 years to ancient Babylonia and Egypt. Later, the practice would be termed veterinary, a word taken from the Latin phrase “veterinarius,” which means “as it pertains to beasts of burden.” Nowadays, vets and vet techs work in a variety of different organizations.

Not only do they work in private practice, but they also work in government service, the military, and various academic and corporate institutions. Unfortunately, at this time, we don’t know when the International Day of Veterinary Medicine was created, but we’ll continue to search for its origins.

Some Important Facts About Veterinary Medicine

Below are some quick facts about veterinary medicine that we would like to share with everyone. We gathered these facts from our extensive research and think that they are quite informative and entertaining.

• Only about a quarter of vets treat both small and wild animals. Most vets only deal with small animals.
• Many vet offices purchase used equipment to keep costs low.
• Like human doctors, veterinarians can have specialties such as internal medicine or infectious disease control.
• The average dog visit at a vet costs $243, while an average cat visit at a vet costs $179.
• Vets working in Houston, Texas, have some of the highest salaries in the U.S.

Observing the International Day of Veterinary Medicine

This day can be observed simply by giving thanks to a veterinarian or a vet tech. It’s that easy. This can be done by sending them a nice card, saying thank you in person, or giving a shout-out on social media using the hashtag #InternationalDayOfVeterinaryMedicine. People can also use this day to learn more about veterinary sciences and maybe even consider it as a career they might want to pursue.