Veterinarian Interview Project – The Road to Exotic Animal Care – Dr. Kenichi Tamukai

I loved living things since I was a child, and I used to catch and keep many kinds of animals. My heart was set on becoming a veterinarian because I wanted to be able to treat a variety of animals.
After entering veterinary school, I brought my passion for living things into raising many kinds of animals, including exotic animals, and this experience is helping me in my current practice.

I didn’t do much clinical veterinary medicine, but I read exotic animal-related books in the library, including those with veterinary content. I also studied animal ecology and animal husbandry, which are the basis of medical treatment, through keeping my own pets.
Once you get a job, you will be treating animals every day even if you don’t want to, so I think it is not too late to start studying clinical veterinary medicine in earnest when you start a job.

I didn’t go to practical training very often.
I think it is meaningful to go for practical training when you are in your fifth or sixth grade in order to get to know the atmosphere of the veterinary hospital or to choose a place to work. However, do you think that a high school student who wants to enter veterinary school can become an excellent veterinary student just because he or she participated in three days of practical training at a veterinary college? (laughs).
In the first place, once you get a job, you’ll have clinical experience every day, no matter if you want to or not, so I think you should learn clinical skills there. I think it’s much better to use the practical training as a useful way to find a job, and spend the rest of your time doing things that you can only do when you are a student.

The basic subjects such as anatomy, physiology, pathology, and microbiology. The basics are really important.
You can start advanced studies such as internal medicine and surgery once you get a job, and I think it is faster to learn through practical experience than the lectures in the classroom.

Knowledge and skills directly related to exotic animal care can be acquired in earnest after you start working.
As far as the hiring criteria of Denenchofu Veterinary Hospital is concerned, the most important thing in treating exotic animals is to love various animals. In addition, it is very important for veterinarians to be able to talk with owners, so it is also very important to be cheerful and communicate clearly. Needless to say, staying in good health is crucially important as well.
In this sense, working part-time at a café or restaurant may be a good experience to become a good veterinarian.

Nowadays, there are many books in Japanese, so I think it is good to study in Japanese first. If you feel that is not enough, I think it would be good to get information from overseas.
Especially in the field of exotic animals, there are many things that no one has researched yet, so you have to do your own research.

I think that academic conferences are important as a place for social gatherings and exchanges.
Not only can you gain information, but also you would be able to refer a patient to larger variety of hospitals by gaining personal connections. You would be able to have more colleagues whom you can consult with when you have problems in your practice.
Also, while many people who aim to open their own practice in the field of companion animal care gain experience at only a single hospital, gaining experience at multiple hospitals has been a good experience for me. The atmosphere at each hospital was very different, and although I had some difficulties, I learned quite a bit.

Basically, fish are treated with medication. Fish can take in substances through their gills into their blood vessels, so we treat them by dipping them in water containing medicine.

There is no problem with surgery on surface of the body, especially if it is a surgery to remove a tumor.

In general, I think that the difficulties are the lack of data and the difficulty in obtaining information. As for data, when there was nothing I can refer to, I have tabulated some data myself and set a standard value.

I would say the reason why I treat exotic animals is because they are interesting. Of course, mastering a specialty in depth is fascinating, but personally, I enjoy examining a wide variety of animals.
Since exotic animal care still has a lot to develop, it is difficult in some respects. But from a different perspective, it may be an interesting field that is worth exploring.

If you can continue to produce good results and gain the trust of pet owners, you would not have a problem in making a living. Whether you want to work in this field or open your own business, it is important to have the courage to take on the challenge.

Currently, there are only a few doctors who can treat exotic animals, and their level of expertise varies. Especially in terms of techniques, exotic animals are often difficult to treat with existing surgical tools, and we are trying to do the best we can.
As for the future, the number of exotic animals that we treat may decrease due to stricter laws and regulations. In addition, the popular species of exotic animals has changed drastically in the past 20 years, and I believe that the popular species of exotic animals will continue to change in the future reflecting social conditions. The tools and techniques of veterinary medicine continue to evolve, and I believe that they will become even more advanced in the field of exotic animals.

Just keep on going. I can say that I am where I am today because I kept on going. Even some of us who studied veterinary medicine with the aim of practicing exotic animals have drifted further and further away from exotic animal practice, but if you keep our aspirations and continue to study, you will be able to achieve your dream.