What is a Small Animal Surgeon?

All veterinarians are trained in veterinary school to perform some basic surgical procedures. Some schools provide more training than others but learning how to perform a spay and neuter procedure is generally taught to all. Outside of these procedures, veterinarians learn by doing in general practice. Just like in human medicine, veterinarians can also specialize with additional training. After completing veterinary school and earning your degree, veterinarians may complete an internship for one year. This allows them to perform some additional training in a variety of specialties to gain more advanced knowledge. After completing the internship year, one may focus on one particular specialty and complete a three year residency program. In a surgery residency one performs exclusively surgery in a rigorous program. Following completion of the residency program, a board certification examination is completed to achieve diplomate status. This certification identifies to the general public that rigorous training has been completed and the individual may offer their services with the confidence the public is receiving the best they can expect for their pet. Having a surgery procedure on yourself is like having one on your pet. You demand a specialist whose area of expertise is focused on the surgery you need, and you can expect the same when you select a board certified veterinary surgeon to perform one on your pet! To determine if the surgeon you are using is a board certified veterinary surgeon, visit here  https://www.acvs.org/