veterinary medicine

noun

: a branch of medicine that deals with the prevention, management, and treatment of disease and injury in domestic and wild animals

About 36 percent of all veterinarians now devote themselves to small-animal practice. Correspondingly, the discipline of veterinary medicine has become more scientific and specialized.

—Bayard Webster

Another successful non-traditional treatment being steadily incorporated into western veterinary medicine is acupuncture.

—Faith A. Uridel

Examples of veterinary medicine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In healthcare and veterinary medicine, success means technology automates routine friction, allowing clinicians to build trust with people and pets. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026

Despite the film’s success and lasting impact, Ostrum decided to quit acting not long after the film, turning to veterinary medicine as a career. — Sara Belcher, PEOPLE, 25 Sep. 2026

When breaking down the total enrollment numbers, 26,306 are undergraduate students, 3,817 are graduate students and 649 are professional (veterinary medicine) students. — Lucia Cheng, Des Moines Register, 10 Sep. 2026

Every year 10 prizes are awarded in fields as diverse as aviation and veterinary medicine. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1790, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for veterinary medicine

• biomedicine
• telemedicine

Medical Definition

veterinary medicine

noun

: a branch of medicine that deals with the prevention, management, and treatment of disease and injury in domestic and wild animals

Stem cells are most commonly used in clinical veterinary medicine in therapeutic applications for the treatment of musculoskeletal injuries in horses and dogs.

—Lisa A. Fortier and Alexander J. Travis, Stem Cell Research and Therapy

Acupuncture is being used much more commonly now as a sole or integrative modality in veterinary medicine and can play a large role in management of inflammation and chronic pain.

—Shauna L. Cantwell, Topics in Companion Animal Medicine