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A groundbreaking operation -

Boki, a two-year-old brown bear, underwent a near six-hour operation after the animal was diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a buildup of fluid in the brain. Specialist wildlife veterinary surgeon Romain Pizzi led the delicate procedure to drain the fluid, the first of its kind in the UK. The fact that such an intricate and potentially dangerous operation can be contemplated in the first place is a testament to how far veterinary medicine has come since the 1700s.

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Urlugaledinna -

The story of veterinary medicine actually begins 3,000 years ago in Mesopotamia. A man named Urlugaledinna was described as being "an expert in healing animals." Urlugaledinna is sometimes given the title "father of veterinarians."

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The Kahun Papyrus -

The history of veterinary medicine continues with the creation of the Kahun Papyrus, c. 1825 BCE. Divided into 34 sections, the papyrus addresses gynecological health concerns, pregnancy, fertility, and various treatments, but also describes veterinary procedures.

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Code of Hammurabi -

The Code of Hammurabi, one of the earliest and most complete legal written codes, includes the setting out of veterinary fees and fines for malpractice. The entire text, composed during 1755–1750 BCE, is inscribed on a single massive basalt stele.

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Kitāb al-bayṭara -

During the medieval period, the practice of treating animals tended to focus on horses because of their economic significance. The Kitāb al-bayṭara is a 12th-century Arabic treatise on horse medicine.

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Veterinary practice in the Middle Ages -

The 14th-century Byzantine Hippiatrica features written and illustrated instructions on drenching a horse to induce diarrhea.

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Worshipful Company of Farriers -

In 1356 in London, the city's mayor, Sir Henry Picard, worried at the poor standard of care given to horses, requested that all farriers operating within a seven-mile (11-km) radius of the City of London form a fellowship to regulate and improve their practices. This eventually led to the establishment of the Worshipful Company of Farriers in 1674.

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First veterinary school -

In 1761, French veterinary surgeon Claude Bourgelat (1712–1779) founded the world's first veterinary school.

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A pioneer of veterinary medicine -

A pioneer of veterinary medicine, Bourgelat established the École nationale vétérinaire de Lyon, quickly followed by a second facility, the École nationale vétérinaire d'Alfort near Paris, in 1765.

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École nationale vétérinaire d'Alfort -

École nationale vétérinaire d'Alfort garnered immediate international recognition throughout the 18th century, and was especially famous for its collection of anatomical and natural history specimens.

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Royal Veterinary College -

Thomas Burgess (1756–1837), the Bishop of Salisbury and a founding member of the Odiham Agricultural Society, was also an early advocate of animal welfare and campaigned for the more humane treatment of sick animals. He helped establish the Royal Veterinary College in London.

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Long and noble history -

The Royal Veterinary College was founded in 1791 and is the oldest and largest veterinary school in the United Kingdom.

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Taking the exam -

Pictured is a certificate awarded to student veterinarian Frederick W. Day in 1878 after he successfully passed his final year exams.

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Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons -

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) was established in 1844 by royal charter. Also based in London, the RCVS is the regulatory body for veterinary surgeons in the United Kingdom.

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First veterinary schools in the US -

In the United States, the first veterinary schools were established in the early 19th century in Boston, New York City, and Philadelphia.

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The status of veterinary science -

Veterinary science came of age in the late 19th century, its value in the protection of animal and humans well established, as was its status relative to other professions.

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Veterinary Corp -

During the First World War the US Army actively recruited veterinarians for the Veterinary Corps. Again, the welfare of horses was paramount. At the outbreak of the conflict, Allied armies needed thousands of civilian horses to serve alongside its soldiers. Eight million horses and countless mules and donkeys subsequently died in the fighting. Fortunately, small regiments of veterinary surgeons were able to save the lives of many hundreds of thousands of these beasts of burden, with some fit enough to return to duty.

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Veterinary services take to the road -

While it was much more common for veterinarians to focus on farm animals in the early 20th century, by the 1930s home veterinary services began servicing local communities, the popularity of keeping pets such as dogs and cats creating a huge demand for the skills and experience of a veterinarian.

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Veterinary pioneers -

While Claude Bourgelat is justly famous for founding the first veterinary school, history's other prominent figures working in veterinarian medicine include Bernhard Lauritz Frederik Bang (1848–1932). A Danish vet, Frederick Bang discovered the type of bacteria that causes brucellosis, which can lead to miscarriages for cows and flu-like illness for humans.

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Louis J. Camuti -

For over 60 years, Louis J. Camuti (1893–1981) made house calls on cats and their owners in New York City. Camuti was the first veterinarian in the United States to devote his entire practice to felines.

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Pioneering women veterinarians -

Influential female veterinarians number several, including Florence Kimball, Elinor McGrath, Mary Knight Dunlap (who founded the Women's Veterinary Medical Association), and Patricia O’Connor, who became a full-time veterinarian at New York's Staten Island Zoo in 1942 and practiced for nearly 30 years. O'Connor also founded the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians (AAZV).

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James Herriot -

Veterinarian and author James Herriot (1916–1995) inspired many to join the professional after reading his book series, including 'All Creatures Great and Small.' Herriot's real name was James Alfred Wight, and some believe Dr. Wight's writing is responsible for advancing the veterinary profession.

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Noel Fitzpatrick -

Irish veterinarian Noel Fitzpatrick garnered worldwide attention when he became the first veterinary surgeon in the world to successfully apply an amputation prosthesis to a cat, named Oscar, who had lost both hind feet in an accident. His work is familiar to millions through his television shows 'The Bionic Vet' and 'The Supervet.'

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Jan Pol -

Another veterinarian who has enjoyed small-screen exposure is Jan Pol. The Dutch-American vet stars in the reality television show 'The Incredible Dr. Pol,' which follows him and his team working across rural Michigan.

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Governing bodies in the US -

The American Association of Veterinary State Boards (AAVSB) and the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) are two of the nation's leading representatives of the veterinary profession.

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Animal hospitals -

The most common veterinary work environments are animal hospitals and clinics where veterinarians treat animals directly.

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Specialist areas -

Others may choose to specialize in a specific group of animals, for example livestock or zoo animals.

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Animal expertise -

A veterinarian's skillset can extend to a more narrow discipline such as veterinary surgery, dermatology, cardiology, and neurology.

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Paraveterinary worker -

A paraveterinary worker is someone who performs procedures autonomously or semi-autonomously, as part of a veterinary assistance system. Common titles include veterinary nurse, veterinary technician, and veterinary assistant.

Sources: (BBC) (RCVS) (Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine) (St. George's University School of Veterinary Medicine) 

See also: The best pet for you according to your personality and lifestyle

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