# Competences — alternative animal therapist

Source: ESCO v1.2.1 occupation-skill relations (http://data.europa.eu/esco/occupation/289c7385-2342-4a4e-b0b1-7b2e977aea79).

## Essential

- **advise on animal welfare** (skill/competence)
- **anatomy of animals** (knowledge)
- **animal behaviour** (knowledge)
- **animal welfare** (knowledge)
- **animal welfare legislation** (knowledge)
- **apply animal hygiene practices** (skill/competence)
- **apply safe work practices in a veterinary setting** (skill/competence)
- **assess the animal’s rehabilitation requirements** (skill/competence)
- **biosecurity related to animals** (knowledge)
- **control animal movement** (skill/competence)
- **deal with challenging people** (skill/competence)
- **environmental enrichment for animals** (knowledge)
- **handle veterinary emergencies** (skill/competence)
- **manage animal biosecurity** (skill/competence)
- **manage personal professional development** (skill/competence)
- **monitor the welfare of animals** (skill/competence)
- **physiology of animals** (knowledge)
- **plan physical rehabilitation of animals** (skill/competence)
- **prepare animal therapy equipment** (skill/competence)
- **protect health and safety when handling animals** (skill/competence)
- **signs of animal illness** (knowledge)
- **treat animals ethically** (skill/competence)

## Optional

- advise on long-term care for animals (skill/competence)
- animal production science (knowledge)
- assess animal behaviour (skill/competence)
- assess animal nutrition (skill/competence)
- assess animal's condition (skill/competence)
- assistive instruments (knowledge)
- collaborate with animal related professionals (skill/competence)
- communicate with customers (skill/competence)
- cope with challenging circumstances in the veterinary sector (skill/competence)
- design plans to address undesirable behaviour in animals (skill/competence)
- develop an animal handling strategy (skill/competence)
- interact safely with animals (skill/competence)
- maintain veterinary clinical records (skill/competence)
- make decisions regarding the animal's welfare (skill/competence)
- manage animal welfare (skill/competence)
- perform massage techniques on animals (skill/competence)
- prescribe physical therapy to animals (skill/competence)
- provide osteopathic treatment to animals (skill/competence)
- provide support to veterinary clients (skill/competence)
- safe work practices in a veterinary setting (knowledge)
- understand the animal's situation (skill/competence)
- use animal chiropractic techniques (skill/competence)
- use different communication channels (skill/competence)
- use physiotherapy for treatment of animals (skill/competence)
- veterinary terminology (knowledge)

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## Market evidence (job-ad analysis, 14 ads, as of 2026-07-08)

Share of analyzed job ads mentioning the item (threshold ≥ 20 %). Source: JSearch/Adzuna APIs.

### Hard skills

- acupuncture — **29 %**
- clinical innovation — **21 %**
- animal restraint — **21 %**
- herbal medicine — **21 %**
- movement science — **21 %**
- orthopedic physical therapy — **21 %**
- surgery — **21 %**
- treatment plan development — **14 %**
- nutrition — **14 %**
- preventative care — **14 %**
- preventive care — **14 %**
- rehabilitation program design — **14 %**
- small animal medicine — **14 %**
- diagnosis — **14 %**
- client education — **14 %**
- chiropractic — **14 %**
- client communication — **14 %**

### Methods

- integrative medicine — **21 %**
- interdisciplinary collaboration — **14 %**
- holistic approaches — **14 %**

### Responsibilities

- client communication — **29 %**
- specialist collaboration — **21 %**
- physical therapy care provision — **21 %**
- rehab service development — **14 %**
- patient care — **14 %**
- patient service — **14 %**
- culture contribution — **14 %**
- animal care delivery — **14 %**
- growth strategy contribution — **14 %**

<!-- market-evidence -->