Alternative animal therapist
Also known as: natural animal therapist, holistic animal therapist, animal massage therapist, animal homeopath, complementary animal therapist, animal acupuncturist
About this occupation
Alternative animal therapists investigate sick or injured small and large animals and provide an alternative healing treatment. They may use homeopathy or acupuncture and other alternative medicines or methods to heal the animal. Alternative animal therapists also advise treatments which strengthen the self-healing powers of animals.
Essential skills and knowledge
- deal with challenging people
- physiology of animals
- manage personal professional development
- environmental enrichment for animals
- animal welfare
- animal behaviour
- plan physical rehabilitation of animals
- control animal movement
- advise on animal welfare
- handle veterinary emergencies
- treat animals ethically
- prepare animal therapy equipment
Typical tasks and preparation
From the related US occupation profile Veterinarians (O*NET 29-1131.00). Linked by an official crosswalk: related, not identical; details vary by country.
- Treat sick or injured animals by prescribing medication, setting bones, dressing wounds, or performing surgery.
- Inoculate animals against various diseases, such as rabies or distemper.
- Examine animals to detect and determine the nature of diseases or injuries.
- Collect body tissue, feces, blood, urine, or other body fluids for examination and analysis.
- Operate diagnostic equipment, such as radiographic or ultrasound equipment, and interpret the resulting images.
- Educate the public about diseases that can be spread from animals to humans.
- Typical education (US)
- Doctoral Degree
- Preparation
- Job Zone 5 of 5
- Interests
- Realistic, Investigative, Conventional
Top skills: Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Active Learning, Speaking, Science, Critical Thinking
US median pay: US$130,100 a year (2025), 83,900 employed. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Subjects this work relies on
How important each subject's knowledge is in the job itself, rated by people doing it (1 to 5).
- BiologyO*NET: BiologyExtremely important (4.7)
- English or Literature in EnglishO*NET: English LanguageVery important (4.3)
- Mathematics or StatisticsO*NET: MathematicsVery important (3.7)
- ChemistryO*NET: ChemistryImportant (3.4)
- Business Studies or EntrepreneurshipO*NET: Administration and ManagementImportant (3.3)
- Environmental ScienceO*NET: Biology + GeographyImportant (3.2)
- PsychologyO*NET: PsychologyImportant (3.1)
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Preparation needed
Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
- Most common education (US)
- Doctoral Degree
- Education
- Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
- Experience
- Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
- Training
- Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Related occupations
Occupations O*NET links to this one by similar work, skills and knowledge.
- Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
- Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers
- Allergists and Immunologists
- Physicians, Pathologists
- Emergency Medicine Physicians
- Dermatologists
- General Internal Medicine Physicians
- Urologists
- Pediatricians, General
- Preventive Medicine Physicians
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.