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

From premium pet food to medical care Whether GLP-1 drugs eventually become commonplace in veterinary medicine remains uncertain. — Elsa Ohlen,carolin Roth, CNBC, 18 July 2026

For instance, LaGuardia Community College has a track in veterinary medicine for veterinary assistants — a perfect match for an equine or animal lover. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 18 July 2026

Along with law and medicine, that list also included theology, pharmacy, veterinary medicine, clinical psychology and more. — Collin Binkley, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2026

Along with law and medicine, that list also included theology, pharmacy, veterinary medicine, clinical psychology and more. — ABC News, 29 June 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