[1][2] The database was developed at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and the National Veterinary Institute in Uppsala, Sweden.

The first version of the database appeared in Swedish on the website of the National Veterinary Institute in 2006.

In 2011, three additional modules (VetBactBlog, VetBactQuiz and VetBactLab) were added to the VetBact website.

The information about each species comprises etymology, taxonomy, morphology, metabolism, biochemical reactions, host, disease, phylogeny etc.

The VetBact database, and its modules, is based on Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) and is now an integral part of the curriculum at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences.