Veterinary drug residues constitute a global challenge that poses significant threats to food safety and public health. This review systematically summarizes recent advances in detection technologies for veterinary drug residues in food, with a particular focus on the performance characteristics and application status of sample extraction techniques (including liquid-liquid extraction, solid phase extraction, accelerated solvent extraction, QuEChERS, and magnetic solid phase microextraction), as well as analytical methods (including chromatographic-mass spectrometric techniques, immunoassays, capillary electrophoresis, biosensors, and quantum dots-based approaches). Comparative analysis reveals that accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) and QuEChERS have emerged as mainstream pretreatment techniques owing to their high efficiency, automation, and environmental friendliness. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) remains the gold standard, due to its high sensitivity (limit of detection as low as 0.04 μg/kg) and capability for simultaneous multi-residue determination (>100 compounds). Meanwhile, electrochemical biosensors and molecularly imprinted polymer-based sensors demonstrate considerable potential for rapid on-site screening. Future research should aim to overcome current challenges such as complex matrix interference and accurate analysis of ultra-trace multi-residues, while promoting innovation in nanomaterial modification, multi-technology integration, and portable devices.