What do you like about being a vet?

RE: What do you like about being a vet?

Sarah Wheadon — Mon, 13 Jan 2025 15:10:41 GMT

[quote userid="2457" url="~/f/non-clinical-questions/31097/what-do-you-like-about-being-a-vet/246341#246341"]Its a buzz like no other.[/quote]

Would have to say that passing a urinary catheter in a blocked cat where someone else has struggled is up there.

RE: What do you like about being a vet?

Gillian Mostyn — Sat, 11 Jan 2025 16:22:09 GMT

Getting the vein first time that nobody else could find. Its a buzz like no other.

More seriously, for me its as simple as knowing I've made a positive difference to the lives of innumerable animals. That's such a privilege.

Followed closely by the joy of seeing a student nurse or vet that you've helped progressing in their career.

RE: What do you like about being a vet?

Clare Tapsfield-Wright — Tue, 31 Dec 2024 11:24:04 GMT

I retired about ten years ago because I needed to look after my adult autistic son and give him as good a life as I could. I look back at my vet career with thanks because it gave me such a lot. At the beginning it was always about learning , getting better at diagnosis , surgery etc and fulfilling a dream. It was really hard with long hours but I was so happy.

The job itself I loved the puppy consults, the happy owners , seeing the bond between old people and their animals, mending them. I also loved lancing abscesses, car sari and, splenectomies, closing big skin wounds in greyhounds, going on an early morning milk fever, lambing, having a cup of tea in the farmhouse kitchen, being given my first practice car even though I write it off six months later.

The things I appreciate now when I look back is the camaraderie and job satisfaction of working with people who wanted to make a difference for animals. I met my tribe and I felt I fitted in despite what would now be considered very poor work life balance. I miss those people and I am glad I was part of those amazing teams.

I always enjoyed the fact that no two days in practice were the same. Even though I experienced all the emotions that accompany an unpredictable job with owners who were worried and sometimes challenging and patients who sometimes wanted to bite or kick me I was never bored. I loathe being bored.

When my some were diagnosed it was a terrible time for me but working actually gave me time away from my problems and when I was working I couldn’t think about anything else. It was a respite. The job gave me some feeling of achievement when in so many other ways I felt life was becoming unbearable and my colleagues at work supported me through some very difficult times. It was not just a workplace but like a family.

I am very grateful to the vet profession for the companionship which I still feel thanks to social media. It’s still a part of my life and meeting people like Arlo online, appreciating amazing vets like the late Simon Doherty and feeling the collective grief of one of ours being taken too soon gives me something I can’t really explain.
I know for many people being a vet is just a job but for me it has been much more than that and for that I will always be extremely grateful.

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RE: What do you like about being a vet?

Olivia Cook — Sun, 22 Dec 2024 11:51:07 GMT

As a vet working mostly with racing greyhounds, I still get that buzz when I see a superbly conditioned canine athlete at full stretch gallop with his eyes on that hare and I think "you're a happy dog".

I'm amazingly grateful that when the injuries happen, I have the Injury Recovery Scheme behind me and just have to say "which surgeon do you want this to go to", knowing the bill will be picked up by the industry and the owner doesnot have to worry.

That grin on my face when a trainer I've been lecturing for months comes back and says "actually, you might have a point..."

Retired dogs coming back to the track for vaccinations bombing up to me for a cuddle and then looking wistfully for the hare on the way out.

Continuity with my clients over two decades and going to the weddings of their sons and daughters that I remember as children.

The delicate reconstruction of a skin tear on fragile greyhound skin into a sutured line that has the fragility of silk gauze embroidery, and a beauty to the end result. And then threatening to castrate the trainer if he lets the dog lick it...

I could go on and on. I'm still a happy vet.

RE: What do you like about being a vet?

Alasdair Hotston Moore — Sun, 22 Dec 2024 09:12:02 GMT

My best bit is working alongside colleagues helping them learn new skills. Can’t beat it.

RE: What do you like about being a vet?

Judith Joyce — Sat, 21 Dec 2024 16:00:52 GMT

To be a bit more specific. As a dermatologist with cases that don't die, don't get better and aren't supposed to get me out of bed, I'lve loved the Caesareans in the night for longstanding clients, and t finding a beastie is a high, putting the world to rights with colleagues in congress bars, , mentoring employees and colleagues, and the RCVS and BSAVA stuff I've done. (even if RCVS did get shot of me at their ealiest opportunity). Enjoyed is the wrong word but euthanasia of a longstanding patient when the time is right is a privilege..

Happy Christmas

RE: What do you like about being a vet?

Judith Joyce — Fri, 20 Dec 2024 11:38:42 GMT

Same here. Had a lovely time and would do it all over again.

RE: What do you like about being a vet?

David Mills — Thu, 19 Dec 2024 01:31:25 GMT

It's a tricky one.

Definite divide between town and country. Recent reunion the happiest vets were the farmies - possibly because of familiarity (SA dont see animals every week/month) or reality/pragmatism or lack of emotionality over pets? Or lifestyle etc. who knows.

Smallies - satisfying speaking and debating with owners about treat/ not treat. Moved out of charity and a lot of owners are happy with non intervention. Seeing animals back getting better. Seeing people appreciating value on knowledge over treatment.

The acute cases made better with surgery can't be beaten. Or blocked cats. Equally a good ortho op. Esp with limited equipment.

Still having clients ask to see you even if they'd seen another vet for years before. Offering different approaches to colleagues and mutual learning. Teaching the next gen what works Vs theory. Simply making animals feel better even if you've only a vague idea what's going wrong. It's kinda the crack of 1st opinion I think.

RE: What do you like about being a vet?

Joyce Whitehead — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 19:19:31 GMT

As an oldie vet, about to stop clinical work (but will still be a practice owner) I still love the challenge of the puzzle, solving a case and getting it better. Especially when a hunch pays off. I enjoy teaching the younger vets and having a chat with them. And I mostly enjoy the clients, especially those I’ve been seeing for the last many many years, sometimes I see their grandchildren now.

As with Michael, our identities locally are very much “the vets”. No matter what we call our pub quiz team it is always changed to the vets. And our son and daughter used to get fed up of “oh you’re the vet’s son/daughter” comments at school.

Having said that, I’m glad neither of them followed us into the profession, one is a much higher earner in the corporate world, and one in the NHS. I think the profession is a very different place for young graduates now compared to 40 years ago, some are good changes, some not so good.

RE: What do you like about being a vet?

Arlo Guthrie — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 10:09:15 GMT

[quote userid="8958" url="~/f/non-clinical-questions/31097/what-do-you-like-about-being-a-vet"]

I'd quite like to retire, maybe I will, but we both like the job, in fact my wife loves it. So let's put the other side, what do you like/love about it?

Go on it's Christmas

[/quote]

I love this post, and it has given me an idea for a film. I'd like to make a short vox pop film of vets sharing what they love about the profession. Anyone in the west country or London up for that?

RE: What do you like about being a vet?

Noweia — Sun, 15 Dec 2024 09:30:28 GMT

I can fix things and make people happy.

I get to pet animals all day.

Sometimes I need to use my brain and when you crack a difficult case there's satisfaction in that.

When you do a bitch spay and the wound is small and neat!

I get to express my crazies (AuDHD)

Always new things to learn.

I like teaching too, it makes me think I know stuff.

When your student manages something they've been stuck at and they get excited.

It is a big part of my identity (but I do make sure there are other things in case I can't be a vet!)

Knowing a lot about other subjects that people don't always expect (farming, grassland management, public health, food production, coronaviruses, being able to understand legalese, building construction...)

When the spicy cat headbonks you

When the fat dog actually loses some weight

When you find a beasty under the microscope

RE: What do you like about being a vet?

Michael Woodhouse — Sat, 14 Dec 2024 23:08:59 GMT

I get satisfaction from fixing animals.

I get to spend a lot of my time outside.

I enjoy the driving.

I enjoy teaching when the student is interested and receptive.

Love a caesarean in any species.

I'm good and fast at PDing and I really enjoy that.

I'm the boss, so I can buy a piece of equipment if I want to and can afford it.

Enjoy more challenging surgery, eg orthopaedics.

The vast majority of people are very respectful to vets.

I get to relieve suffering and/or offer a good death.

Very little changed for me during COVID, was good to maintain normality.

I have a perfect excuse for leaving any event or not turning up at the last minute.

In a lot of ways it's my local identity - "the vets are here" (my wife is also a vet, my Christmas goose doesn't have my name on it but will simply say "vet")

I can charge what I like if presented with a needy case and i'm feeling philanthropic.

There is extra satisfaction in sweat - when you really work at a calving/prolapse and get a good outcome, nothing in small animal practice comes close.

I've said a lot of times that it is the best job in the world. If I was 16 and deciding on my future now, I'd become a vet again. Be honoured if either of my boys chose the profession (that I do believe in many areas is irreparably broken - namely corporate ownership and outsourced OOH care). I will never be rich and doubt I'll ever afford to retire, but there is more to life than money.