The Croatian Veterinary Institute was established in 1933 as the Veterinary Experimental Station to spur the state production of inexpensive and high quality vaccines and serums to control the infectious animal diseases that were prevalent at the time. The production of various experimental vaccines was a part of the Institute's activity until fifteen years ago, when the need for the production of experimental vaccines slowly began to diminish after new vaccines by renowned global manufacturers began to be registered in Croatia.

Today, the Croatian Veterinary Institute produces the Zagreb mastitis reagent that is used for the field diagnosis of mastitis. The Institute also produces Rose Bengal antigen and microbiological culture media for the needs of other laboratories.