What is a Veterinary Surgeon?
A veterinary surgeon is a type of veterinary specialist who is board certified in a specialty of surgery most commonly either soft tissue or orthopedic surgery. Veterinary surgeons undergo additional training to learn the art of treating diseases, injuries, and disorders in animals surgically. While primary veterinarians perform many surgical procedures, a veterinary surgeon will have more experience and knowledge for performing complex surgical procedures and have greater access to specialty equipment.
Veterinary surgeons are also a great resource for your primary veterinarian, as they can provide additional insight on unusual or complex medical cases. In addition to 4 years of veterinary medical school including passing a national board exam, veterinary surgeons must complete at least one year in surgical internship and three years in surgical residency as well as pass their specialty board exams before becoming a certified veterinary surgeon.
How Veterinarian Surgeons Work
Veterinarian surgeons can perform both emergency surgeries and planned surgical procedures. An accident-only pet insurance plan will help to cover the costs of accident-related surgeries. However, an accident-illness pet insurance plan will cover both accident-related, emergency surgeries and surgeries needed to treat eligible illnesses and conditions. Many pet parents choose an accident-illness plan to give themselves peace of mind that their pet is covered should they need surgery for accident or illness-related reasons.
Key Takeaways
- Veterinary surgeons are veterinarians who specialize in surgery and go through additional training to learn advanced surgical techniques.
- Accident-Illness pet insurance plans will help to cover the cost of both eligible accident and illness-related surgery costs.
- Accident-only pet insurance plans will only cover emergency surgeries related to eligible physical accidents, such as surgery for a broken bone.
