Five of the most niche (and interesting!) veterinary specialties you might want to consider8/21/2025
Hey Future Vets, it's Sophia here with your August article! Many of us pre-vets aspire to work with and help animals and their caregivers. However, many don’t realize the plethora of ways we can benefit animals. Veterinary specialties offer an opportunity for veterinarians to gain expertise in a specific field and positively impact animals. There are many specialties, including internal medicine, surgery, and dermatology. Many of you may have met some specialists at the FVC’s Networking Brunches. In this article, I will highlight five of the more niche specialties (By saying “niche”, I am referring to the fact that these specialties are not commonly chosen by veterinarians. The opinions expressed in this article are my own; they are not sanctioned by the FVC). What is a veterinary specialist?
A veterinary specialist, certified by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), is a vet who has completed additional, rigorous training in a specific field of vet medicine. They must gain experience through internships and/or residencies and complete a board exam to gain certification. There are 48 AVMA-recognized specialties, all equally beneficial to the veterinary community. To become an AVMA-certified specialist, you must first obtain your DVM degree. Then, you can apply to become a Diplomate in your chosen specialty and meet the program requirements. Once you’ve completed these requirements, you’ll be an AVMA board-certified specialist! These specialists must periodically renew their licenses to stay up-to-date with new information in the field. The five niche veterinary specialties: #1: Theriogenology What does it entail? Theriogenology is the medical term for animal reproduction. Veterinary theriogenologists are trained to diagnose and treat reproductive disorders in animals, typical in domesticated species. These disorders commonly include infertility and hormone imbalances. They have extensive knowledge on reproductive anatomy, veterinary obstetrics (pregnancy period), endocrinology (hormones), andrology (male reproduction), and gynaecology (female reproduction). Additionally, they are experts on using assisted reproductive technologies – such as embryo transfer and artificial insemination – and performing surgical procedures related to reproduction. Theriogenologists work closely with breeders and ranchers to ensure the health of their animals as it relates to reproductive health and pregnancy, as well as contribute to making food animals immune to disease. Potential careers? Can work in mobile vet clinics, agriculture, government, research institutions, zoos, wildlife conservation, or as a consultant to other vets. This specialty is for you if you are…
What does it entail? Veterinary behaviourists work to manage animal behaviour issues with a goal of improving the animal’s well-being. They are trained to diagnose and treat medical conditions that directly impact an animal’s behaviour, but they can also treat purely behavioural issues. Behavioural disorders can be a result of many different factors such as neurochemical imbalances or learned fear responses; it is the role of the veterinary behaviourist to determine the cause and treatment plan. Although they typically work with domesticated animals (especially dogs), veterinary behaviourists may also work with zoo animals or exotic pets. These vets must have both medical and behavioural training to accurately evaluate patients and diagnose medication. During their training, they study topics such as sociobiology, psychology, behavioural genetics and endocrinology. Did you know that the main cause of domesticated animals being returned to shelters is due to “behavioural issues”? These issues are most often aggression, anxiety, or urine marking in the home. By helping to correct these problems, a veterinary behaviourist could save an animal’s life by finding it a forever home. Potential careers? Often work in private veterinary practice, research institutions, zoos, animal shelters, or consulting for animal trainers and breeders. This specialty is for you if you are…
#3: Veterinary Toxicology What does it entail? Veterinary toxicologists focus on the relationship between toxins and animal health and well-being. They study the effects that toxins have on the health of animals and must also understand how these toxins could affect the humans that care for them. They must understand animal physiology and study individual toxins to know the effect a toxin has on the body, how it is absorbed, and how to treat an exposed animal. These specialists review animal food ingredients and additives, medication ingredients, and other animal products to ensure that they are not toxic to animals or humans. To become a board-certified Veterinary Toxicologist, you must complete an additional four years of training post-vet school with a trained vet toxicologist. These vets are not only improving the health of animals, but also that of the general public! Potential careers? Typically work for government agencies such as the Canadian Drug Agency (CDA), but also work in ecotoxicology, toxicology research, clinical and forensic toxicology, public health and food safety, consulting, and forensics. This specialty is for you if you are…
#4: Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation What does it entail? A specialist in veterinary sports medicine and rehabilitation can restore an animal’s physical performance after an injury. This specialty was developed to meet the needs of athletic and working animals, specifically dogs and horses. These veterinarians study rehabilitation techniques to relieve pain, strengthen muscles, and stimulate nerve regeneration to maximize recovery and allow an animal to return to its normal functioning/performance. They also focus on improving the quality of life for patients with chronic diseases such as arthritis or neurological impairments. During training, these vets study topics such as nutrition, pharmacology, biomechanics, physiology, athletic equipment, and anatomy of the musculoskeletal system. Potential careers? Typically work in a dedicated animal sports clinic, consultation for owners, breeders, or other vets, or academia. This specialty is for you if you are…
What does it entail? An animal welfare veterinary specialist provides the general public, other veterinarians, and other stakeholders with information and expertise regarding animal welfare. Their goal is to advance animal welfare using veterinary science by working with both animals and humans. They must investigate and address situations in which an animal’s safety and well-being is in jeopardy, such as neglect or abuse cases. Animal welfare veterinarians must study and understand how to minimize fear, pain, and suffering in animals. In food animals, these vets decide if butchering is humane, and if living conditions are safe. For wildlife, they are responsible for bringing poachers to justice. In companion animals, they must ensure the pets have food, water, health care, proper handling, and a suitable environment. Depending on which career path an animal welfare vet chooses, they may need to collect evidence and appear in court if a person is facing animal cruelty charges; therefore, some law background is necessary. They may also have a role in shaping policies and laws regarding animal welfare. Potential careers? Most often work with the government or local authorities; this includes a career as an animal control officer, park ranger, laboratory animal attendant, or as an animal shelter manager; can also work as a consultant to other veterinary or animal professionals, welfare educator, or researcher. This specialty is for you if you are…
Although you do not have to be a specialist to be a successful veterinarian, it can help to create a career pathway that will be meaningful to you, as vets typically pick specialties that are important to them. Although we as pre-vets have not yet obtained our DVM degree, it is still helpful to be aware of the types of specialties that will be available to us once we do become veterinarians. If you would like to conduct your own research, or investigate the other specialties that are offered, I have included the links to all the AVMA websites I used below. I hope that you enjoyed this article and learned something new about the endless career possibilities open to you after vet school! Enjoy the last few days of summer break and see you in September! Sincerely, Sophia Di Adamo, Senior Editor AVMA Links: https://www.avma.org/education/veterinary-specialties https://www.dacvb.org/page/AnimalOwners https://www.vsmr.org/about-us/ https://www.abvt.org/ https://www.theriogenology.org/ https://www.acaw.org/ Additional Links: https://veterinary.stmatthews.edu/blog/guide-to-veterinary-specialties-explore-career-paths https://veterinary.rossu.edu/about/blog/what-does-a-veterinary-toxicologist-do Comments are closed.
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the authorsMeet the editors of the Omnis Animalis! 
Sophia Di Adamo, Senior Editor
2025-2026
Maegen Eisler, Junior Editor 2025-2026
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