19/11/2022
Vet Thumping.
I've spent over thirty years in and amongst the veterinary profession. That means that alongside the great joy and pride our work can bring, sadly I have also known loss.
The veterinary profession has a distressingly high rate of su***de within our ranks. Such that just about every vet will know of someone - a colleague, a friend, a neighbouring practitioner; the author of an article, a social media commenter, an esteemed representative, a college compatriot who tragically is no longer here. Someone, somebody - for many of us, quite a few somebodies - who found in one moment that they simply could not carry on. Someone who's passing invariably leaves not just their many close loved ones and colleagues distraught, but their whole profession bereft.
They are always a son, or a sister, a mother, a mate, a friend, a father, a daughter, a doting grandparent, a brother or a best pal. We're a small, tight, caring profession and their loss wounds us all, however close or distant we may have been.
Sometimes, perhaps often, a part of their suffering has included complaints and unkindness. Official, informal, a biting aside, a social media pile-on, a twisted assumption of affluence, profiteering, lack of care, ignorance or contempt.
Generally, we are a resilient, determined, hard-working bunch. We chose a career path caring for animals. We spent a long time learning how to do it. Mostly, we do it bloody well, and sometimes exceptionally well. Sometimes, though, and amongst adversity, we are exposed to intolerance, unkindness, sadly I have to say sneakiness and deceit, far too often anger and harm that can be hard to bear, especially is it relates to a case where a clinician is already hurting inside themselves.
Sometimes we all get knocked down by these situations.
Most times we know to share and call upon our friends to rally round with experience, perspective and advice.
But sadly, not always, and that's when knocking your vet down can mean, tragically, they just don't get back up again.
And any colleagues reading this, for whom this resonates especially, please know that everyone in this profession is here for you and will always lend an ear - through VetLife, through a text, through an invite on a dog walk, through a late night message or a midnight phone call. We need to be better at helping each other, and that is a goal we all share.
Take care, and Best Wishes.
