“A VETERINARIAN WAS BORN”: The (brief) History of Vets in the U.S.

In the beginning…there were the "animal doctors" (as they described themselves) who’s focus in the U.S. before the 19th Century was on horses. After 1800, human physicians were formally trained and practiced on many species of animals as well as humans. At that time, most of the communication between Veterinarians took place in question-and -answer formats within the pages of agricultural publications. Little by little, people became increasingly aware of the need for formally trained veterinarians and so that formal training began to evolve.

U.S. veterinary colleges were first established in 1852 (Philadelphia) and 1854 (New York) with Iowa State University later becoming the first publicly supported veterinary college. Just as with human medicine, veterinary medicine evolved from two basic cures ("bleeding and burning") to real treatments based on scientific methodology. Anesthesiology, surgery and disease control eventually became the primary areas of study for veterinary students.

What You May Not Know – Some COOL Highlights in the History of the Veterinary Profession

1800 B.C.--1500 A.D.

  • Egyptians, Greeks & Romans record prescriptions for treating animal diseases
  • Laws to regulate animal medicine are created in Babylon
  • Various methods of treating animals are documented in India

    1500 A.D. - European settlers and Native Americans exchange knowledge about treating native and imported animals as well as human disease

    1600 - "Livestock doctors" emerge in U.S. colonies

    1700 - European veterinary schools established

    1800 - French veterinarian invents hypodermic syringe

    1852 / 1854 - First veterinary schools established in U.S.A.

    1898 - Veterinarians are employed by U.S. military to oversee safe food supplies for troops during Spanish-American War

    1900 - U.S. veterinarians prove insects can transmit disease & begin research to control typhus, malaria, bubonic plague and yellow fever

    1916

  • National Defense Act of 1916 establishes military veterinary corps
  • Austrian veterinarian develops spinal anesthesia (still used today)

    1923 - Canadian veterinarian discovers an anti-coagulant used in treating human heart and circulatory disease

    1940 - Regulations created to control rabies in the U.S.

    1954 - New Jersey veterinarian develops tranquilizers for use on animals & humans

    1956 - U.S. military veterinarian adapts canine hip prothesis to humans

    1964 - First xenotransplants; baboon and chimpanzee kidneys into humans

    1976 - University of California-Davis veterinarian discovers Ebola virus

    1985 - Harvard veterinarian identifies HIV blood screening antigens based on approaches he used earlier with feline retroviruses

    1986 - Human health benefits of pet-ownership recognized by veterinary and human medical communities as the result of research related to human-animal bond

    1996 - Veterinarians at Cornell University discover link between canine heart abnormalities and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

    Who knew?

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