03/31/2024
Today I gave my two weeks notice for my residency.
Welcome to a new era (Kate's version).
๐ต๐ธ๐จ๐ฉ free them all ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ฒ
๐ณ๏ธโโง๏ธ Nonbinary bis*xual ๐ณ๏ธโ๐
๐ฅ VetMed and DEI ๐
Today I gave my two weeks notice for my residency.
Welcome to a new era (Kate's version).
(1:30) โ ๏ธCW: mention of CSA/child ๐ฝ โ ๏ธ
As a q***r veterinarian, I'm angry and know the big picture repercussions of this one monster's actions.
The betrayal feeling comes from him being and two of my communities (both veterinary medicine as well as the q***r community). His actions are not representative of our communities and should be publicly condemned.
To make it very clear:
โ I will not tolerate predators or "MAPs" in my spaces
โ Q***r people are not inherently predators
โ Predators are inherently predators
EDIT: As of 3/26/24, AKC has removed him from his judging positions, ACVO is "taking all appropriate legal steps to deal with him", and Pride VMC is "removing him from everything".
***rVeterinarian *xual
๐๐ค๐๐ ๐๐ฃ' ๐๐ง๐ค๐ช๐ฃ๐ ๐ชจ๐ (swipe for the species - not the patient)
Many different species can get urinary stones but this was one of the most pronounced I had ever seen in a ๐คฏ My point-of-care ultrasound showed some hypoechoic fluid (urine) and some gravity dependent hyperechoic debris next to a distinct hyperechoic spheroid structure with prominent shadowing (the stone).
Urolithiasis (urinary stones) is a common finding in guinea pigs regardless of s*x. Calcium carbonate stones make up a vast majority of those found, and are radiopaque, meaning they show up on an x-ray. An abdominal ultrasound or CT are sometimes needed to confirm stones. Bladder stones are common but can be within the urethra, ureters or kidneys.
Common clinical signs can include:
โข Blood in the urine (hematuria)
โข Pain/discomfort
โข Weight loss
โข Inappetence
So what do we do once we find stones?
Smaller bladder stones may pass, but bigger ones often require surgical removal. Medical management is not a great long term solution, but therapy does include increased water consumption, reduced calcium in diet, and pain management. Oral potassium citrate has been used as it binds calcium in the gut and reduces urinary calcium excretion; however it's not always successful in preventing recurrence or shrinking the stone.
Recurrence is unfortunately common; often the discussion is not "if" but "when". Abdominal surgery in guinea pigs can have higher morbidity/mortality too, so candid conversations about pros/cons of surgery must be had, and a veterinarian experienced with exotic surgery should ideally do the procedure. Due to the prognosis, the high chance of recurrence, the risk of surgery, and sometimes the life-threatening situation of being blocked, some of these animals are euthanized ๐
Luckily my patient was still able to urinate, so they were sent home with aggressive supportive care until the exotics team could take him to surgery a few days later.
Thanks for learning with me ๐
๐ฟ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฌ ๐๐ช๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐จ ๐๐ค๐ช๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฉ ๐ช๐ง๐๐ฃ๐๐ง๐ฎ ๐จ๐ฉ๐ค๐ฃ๐๐จ ๐๐๐๐ค๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐จ ๐ฅ๐ค๐จ๐ฉ? ๐ชจ
Hey everyone!
It seems like someone got a little brave today and tried to pretend to be me to scam some friends.
I would never EVER ask for money like this. This is a very classic scam.
If you ever see this happen, please block and report the account, marking it as "impersonation of someone I know".
You can always verify me and my socials in my LinkTree, because if they ever change that's the first place you'd see it.
Thanks everyone for getting this account to disappear before it got out of hand or people got hurt! โค๏ธ
"By signing this petition, you're advocating for peaceable conditions where both people and animals can thrive without fear or distress. Your signature can make a difference by pressuring national and international bodies into action. Please sign this petition today and join our call for peace, justice, and an end to the humanitarian aid blockade in Palestine."
Veterinary Professionals for Permanent Ceasefire and Aid Access in Palestine
AAVMP is excited to announce another year of scholarship opportunities to AAPI Veterinary professionals! This year, our sponsor for the Diversity is No Adversity scholarship is VCA Animal Hospital.
A total of THREE $2,500 scholarships will be awarded to individuals in EACH of the three categories:
1) Pre-veterinary medical or technician student
2) Current veterinary or technician student
3) New graduate veterinarian or technician
We will be accepting applications until March 31, 2024 till 11:59PM EST. For more information, link to the scholarships in the LinkTree and also at aavmp.org/scholarships
And as always, DM or email us for more information.
Introducing Dr. August Nathaniel Lushington, the first Black American who graduated with his veterinary degree from a college in the US.
๐โค๏ธ๐ค
Dr. Lushington, born in Trinidad, attended Cornell University for his undergrad degree in agriculture and went on to earn his veterinary degree from University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, earning his honor as the first Black veterinarian in the US. He survived the devastating effects of racism, segregation, and discrimination, and he continued to give back to his community both in his clinical practice and in his professional affiliations.
While I deep dove into his story, I found it interesting how much of his history had been muddied - his birth year is inconsistently recorded. Two of his children are rarely mentioned anywhere (most places say he had 3 children). His wife's name is wrong in several places. It hit me how year after year, places and companies post about Black veterinary professionals for Black History Month, but don't actually look into their stories to learn about all of their lives. I wanted to do better than that.
It almost cried when I found the ad he put in the City Directory. Look how embellished the word 'veterinarian' is ๐ฅน he was so proud.
I think Dr. Lushington would be happy that so many Black veterinarians have come after him, but he would be equally disappointed that racism and bigotry is still a problem today, both in VetMed and our society. We have come a long way, but as we see legislators try to demonize marginalized people again, it's a good reminder to not get comfortable with our progress. We still have a long way to go.
Rest in power, Dr. Lushington.
๐โค๏ธ๐ค
Organizations that help support Black veterinary professionals specifically include:
โข National Association for Black Veterinarians
โข Black DVM Network
โข Multicultural Veterinary Medical Association
๐โค๏ธ๐ค
AAVMC is pleased to announce the 2024 Zoetis Foundation/AAVMC Dr. Catherine A. Knupp Scholarship opportunity.
Named for Catherine A. Knupp DVM, MS, who led the Zoetis Veterinary Medical Research and Development organization for many years. This scholarship commemorates Dr. Knupp's many contributions to scientific innovation as a veterinary scientist and leader in human and animal health research and development.
Two $25,000 scholarships will be awarded to veterinary students who aspire to pursue an advanced degree in basic or veterinary clinical research fields of study.
๏ปฟThe application process closes February 12, 2024 at 11:59pm EST.
Learn more and submit at awards.aavmc.org.
Hey everyone!
It's which means a bunch of businesses and people are going to post some stuff on social media, but some of it is going to feel performative and empty, and once more, I don't want to do that!
If you know me, you know that I actually try to make a difference in the lives of my technicians and assistants that I know, and while last year I was able to send my tech/assistant friends money, this year as a resident that is just not possible. So this year, I'm going to send any/all of you that want one, personalized cards! (and/or videos if you'd rather not give me an address to send, that's okay!) So often staff get cards addressed to the "doctor and staff" because people don't remember their names, etc, and I want to send thank you's addressing the assistants by name โจ I did this for National Veterinary Technician Week and it was a huge hit, so I'm going to continue the celebration โค๏ธ
The form just allows me to organize the information a little bit better, but it's not going to be shared with anyone but me.
If you'd rather not me write a card, I will also make personal videos that I can either share privately or publicly, just so you know that I'm grateful for you!
I know it may not be much, but I want to truly have the assistants in my life know just how grateful I am for you, and everything you do โค๏ธ
Thank you for being the MVPs of veterinary medicine.
Hi! I'm Dr. Kate Alucard (they/she) and I'm an Emergency and Critical Care Resident. I am nothing without the veterinary assistants in this field, and I want to do anything I can to make that abundantly clear. I may not be the most wealthy human as a resident, but I want to do something that actuall...
Vet Med Community:
If you see any posts about Chelsea circulating the internet.
Chelsea vehemently expressed that she did not want to become a hashtag re: NOMV, and critiqued the movement as performative by much of the veterinary community.
Please honor her by respecting those wishes.
If you find out about her, Google her name. Read her papers. Read the struggles she went through.
Know that she was the best and brightest of us.
Today I was removed from a few vetfluencer groups, blocked, etc. In case you see less of me in stuff, it's because of that!
So many people in vet med have told me that I should stay silent cus I'm inviting conflict by talking about both domestic and international inequities. And even more of them have called for harm to be done towards me because of it.
It's weird to call me "the DEI Queen" and then not want me to actually be doing DEI work ๐
I'm not going anywhere โค๏ธ
Tis the season for toxic pretty plants โค๏ธ
Poinsettias are demonized pretty quickly along with other holiday plants as being dangerous and/or deadly. It's not wrong to call them toxic, but I feel like we should dive into what that actually means. Often when people report poinsettia toxicities, the severity of the situation is (unintentionally) exaggerated, for both pets and people.
When we use the terms "toxic" or "toxin", the average human presumes that means "deadly". Toxic substances cause unwanted side effects, but they aren't all deadly. For instance, vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, and skin irritation are generally not deadly side effects (can't say never, but you know what I mean). The same thing as "poisonous" - poisoning is defined as "a harmful effect that occurs when a toxic substance is swallowed, is inhaled, or comes in contact with the skin, eyes, or mucous membranes, such as those of the mouth or nose". Poinsettias are a great example of something that is toxic, but are relatively mild despite its almost century-old existence of being called 'deadly'.
Just because it might be safer than other plants doesn't mean you shouldn't take precautions around pets and children. I wanted to use poinsettias as a good nuanced example (especially around this time of year) to discuss what these words mean.
I took the selfie of me with the poinsettias at the Lyon Air Museum in CA and then saw this HUGE display at the end of my trip (the last photo with "thank you" on it). Stay safe for your holidays folks, and let me know if there're any other toxins/toxicities that you want me to talk about โค๏ธ
*xual ***r
Excited for this CE event! It's 1 hour of RACE-approved CE for anyone who needs it :)
Join us for "Thriving, Not Just Surviving in Veterinary Medicine", presented by Megan Brashear, BS, RVT, VTS (ECC), on December 13th to learn about ways to weave positive psychology ideas into real-life experiences, both inside and outside your practice.
The MCVMA has faced significant backlash with this statement, despite it simply being a call to end violence in a region.
Given that it is the *only* veterinary medicine DEI organization to make any statement, or provide a tangible action item for people, they deserve your support.
It costs $25 to be a member regardless of your status in this profession.
Please consider supporting them ๐ค
https://mcvma.org/mcvma-membership/
Hate that I even have to make this post, but in case anything happens to me in the near future, know that I didn't do it to myself โค๏ธ Stay safe y'all
Land Back, Free Palestine, and BLM are all interconnected as liberation movements. If you can't see that, maybe your advocacy wasn't as inclusive as you thought it was.
And if you can't advocate for the freedom of oppressed people without being bigoted, you're just a bigot. ๐ซณ๐ค
This video is unfortunately too long to share directly to Instagram or even upload to Facebook as a real but it's a really important one, so I am linking it here.
Ableism is the discrimination of and social prejudice against disabled people based on the belief that non-disabled people are superior. At its heart, ableism is rooted in the assumption that disabled people require 'fixing' or are 'broken' and thus less than their abled counterparts.
This rhetoric is extremely dangerous and sometimes we forget about it because while it feels like we have come a long way from institutionalizing, incarceration, and forced-sterilization of disabled people, this still happens even today.
While it might seem like over-vaccination as a topic is harmless when it comes to veterinary medicine, it absolutely is not. Please be mindful when it comes to the language we use when discussing our pets and animal healthcare, because while pets may have no social construct or understanding of these issues, the people affected by ableism will hear you.
And if you didn't know about these topics well now you know!
And also. F**k Andrew Wakefield โจ
(Note - Dr. Forbes, the clinician that I stitched, does not think that over vaccination is a problem. They are a veterinarian who is my friend who - unknowingly - perfectly set up this video for me to respond).
122 likes, 31 comments. โ with @๐โ๐ฆบ Dr. Michele Forbes ๐โโฌ (6min) phew - another long video but I'd rather stitch a friend on the topic ๐ฅฐ its important to see these discussions through the lens of intersectionality ๐คโ
For this holiday season, I am grateful for the lives saved by gender affirming care โจ For any q***r person who wishes they had a family to go home to today, I have extra pie for you. I'm your family now ๐ค you are loved and you matter ๐ the end ๐ซถ
***rVeterinarian *xual
Some of you may have seen my TikTok or Reel about Serena Pudelski aka The Traveling Tech, and Pet Consultant and all the amazing work she does! This season if you're wanting to upgrade your clinic's reading material, or have a human who might want to know more about being a registered veterinary technician, I highly recommend her book โค๏ธ
Don't forget to support small businesses and creators this year๐ โจ
https://www.serenapudelski.com/optin1682117608418 #
Hey Long Island University College of Veterinary Medicine!
I can't wait to meet all of you next week โค๏ธ I am so excited to share some of my story as well as discuss DEI as a focus of my everyday life in vet med!
"Join VOICE & SAVMA DEI committee for the DEI Speaker Series: Engaging in the Power of Diversity.
On November 14th we welcome Dr. Alucard! We will learn about their journey to DVM & why they believe DEI is important in our field!
This year's series is sponsored by VOICE, SAVMA DEI, Zoetis , IVSA, & Community Veterinary Partners"
***rVeterinarian *xual
My name is Kate Alucard, and I currently am an Emergency and Critical Care Resident in a private practice on the East Coast. My pronouns are they/she, and I am a nonbinary femme (which means while your brain sees me and goes "GIRL", I do not feel my gender identity can be combined into one of the binary boxes that we are often assigned at birth).
I was very focused on Anatomic Pathology for a while but got tired of the industry telling me I wasn't good enough for residency. I shifted paths, and then picked both my ECC internship and ECC residency outside of the VIRMP/match. I try to use my story to show people that your path can evolve and you can still thrive โจ
I sit on several DEI committees and also partake in several other DEI affinity organizations in this profession, and I see them as a tool that can be useful. I served as the national Pride Student VMC president from 2021-2022, so some of you may know me from that. As many advocates will tell you, lots of the work comes from ground up/grassroots movements, so don't feel like you need to be on a bunch of committees to make a difference!
My hobbies include video games, make-up, pyrography, painting, other art media, golfing, and content creation, of all kinds. I've taken a break from my OF for a bit, but I also am a huge advocate for SWers (because it's real work, duh).
My big life lesson I wanna give you is to make sure your advocacy and efforts are not performative. Lots of buzzwords can check off boxes, but if your work isn't actually focused on making an impact, it doesn't mean anything. That means I want you actively challenging systems of white supremacy, misogyny, racism, homophobia and transphobia, ablism, etc. Staying silent is often siding with the oppressors... so my page is gonna help you find your voice, and be yourself.
I hope that by trying to be the best person I can be, that I can help you do the same โค๏ธ
***rVeterinarian *xual ***r
Hey y'all! I have had a huge flood of non-IRL friends come to my personal page, and while that is awesome that so many people are excited to follow me on here, I would rather have a place where people can follow me freely and I don't have to worry about whether I know you in real life or not โจ so welcome! It's gonna be fun ๐๐ค
PO BOX 1244
Clifton, NJ
07012
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(1:30) โ ๏ธCW: mention of CSA/child ๐ฝ โ ๏ธ As a queer veterinarian, I'm angry and know the big picture repercussions of this one monster's actions. The betrayal feeling comes from him being and two of my communities (both veterinary medicine as well as the queer community). His actions are not representative of our communities and should be publicly condemned. To make it very clear: โ I will not tolerate predators or "MAPs" in my spaces โ Queer people are not inherently predators โ Predators are inherently predators #Veterinarian #VetMed #Veterinary #VeterinaryOphthalmology #VeterinaryOphthalmologist #QueerVeterinarian #VeterinaryLife #veterinary_doctor #VeterinaryMedicine #LGBT #LGBTQ #Bisexual #Nonbinary
(1:30) โ ๏ธCW: mention of CSA/child ๐ฝ โ ๏ธ As a queer veterinarian, I'm angry and know the big picture repercussions of this one monster's actions. The betrayal feeling comes from him being and two of my communities (both veterinary medicine as well as the queer community). His actions are not representative of our communities and should be publicly condemned. To make it very clear: โ I will not tolerate predators or "MAPs" in my spaces โ Queer people are not inherently predators โ Predators are inherently predators #Veterinarian #VetMed #Veterinary #VeterinaryOphthalmology #VeterinaryOphthalmologist #QueerVeterinarian #VeterinaryLife #veterinary_doctor #VeterinaryMedicine #LGBT #LGBTQ #Bisexual #Nonbinary
(6s) And we wonder why people don't want to go into training programs... Let's pick apart one of these issues - the hours of being a trainee. I average 70-90 hours per week. I know because I track it. This does not include work I do at home or things like preparing for rounds, etc. Just like students, veterinary interns and residents do have proposed guidelines (from @aavmcorg) for how many hours a week they should work. As you can probably imagine, those guidelines are seen as suggestions instead of actual rules ๐ A nationwide study published last year found that hours worked by human medicine trainees directly affected their safety and ability to do their jobs (see: "Impact of work schedules of senior resident physicians on patient and resident physician safety: nationwide, prospective cohort study") The highlights of the study (some of the text is directly taken from the paper): โฐ Working >48h/week was associated with an increased risk of self-reported medical errors, preventable adverse events, & fatal preventable adverse events as well as near miss crashes, occupational exposures, percutaneous injuries, & attentional failures โฐ Working 60-70h/week was associated with a more than 2x the risk of a medical error and almost 3x the risk of preventable adverse events & fatal preventable adverse events โฐ Working 1โค shifts of extended duration in a month while averaging no more than 80 weekly work hours was associated with an 84% increased risk of medical errors, a 51% increased risk of preventable adverse events, & an 85% increased risk of fatal preventable adverse events. โฐ Similarly, working 1โค shifts of extended duration in a month while averaging no more than 80 weekly work hours also increased the risk of near miss crashes and occupational exposures Working as much as we do is dangerous. Full stop. Serious consequences can come about our current practices, and since veterinary medicine is all about growth based on current literature, why
(6s) And we wonder why people don't want to go into training programs... Let's pick apart one of these issues - the hours of being a trainee. I average 70-90 hours per week. I know because I track it. This does not include work I do at home or things like preparing for rounds, etc. Just like students, veterinary interns and residents do have proposed guidelines (from @aavmcorg) for how many hours a week they should work. As you can probably imagine, those guidelines are seen as suggestions instead of actual rules ๐ A nationwide study published last year found that hours worked by human medicine trainees directly affected their safety and ability to do their jobs (see: "Impact of work schedules of senior resident physicians on patient and resident physician safety: nationwide, prospective cohort study") The highlights of the study (some of the text is directly taken from the paper): โฐ Working >48h/week was associated with an increased risk of self-reported medical errors, preventable adverse events, & fatal preventable adverse events as well as near miss crashes, occupational exposures, percutaneous injuries, & attentional failures โฐ Working 60-70h/week was associated with a more than 2x the risk of a medical error and almost 3x the risk of preventable adverse events & fatal preventable adverse events โฐ Working 1โค shifts of extended duration in a month while averaging no more than 80 weekly work hours was associated with an 84% increased risk of medical errors, a 51% increased risk of preventable adverse events, & an 85% increased risk of fatal preventable adverse events. โฐ Similarly, working 1โค shifts of extended duration in a month while averaging no more than 80 weekly work hours also increased the risk of near miss crashes and occupational exposures Working as much as we do is dangerous. Full stop. Serious consequences can come about our current practices, and since veterinary medicine is all about growth based on current literature, why
(1:30) Can't wait to share what I learn this month ๐ค The stories that I plan on sharing will talk about both the history of these individuals, no matter how hard it is to listen to, as well as their success stories. Joy is a form of resistance. That is an important thing to remember. Black folks in history deserve to be remembered for everything they went through, and for their joy and success as well โค๏ธ If you're looking for organizations within VetMed focused on supporting and uplifting Black veterinary professionals, please look into the Multicultural Veterinary Medical Association and the National Association for Black Veterinarians. There are other organizations as well, but those would be the two I'd start with! Both "How to Be an Anti Racist" and "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" are on #BannedBooks lists across the country, so if anyone needs help getting them, let me know ๐ If you have any other good book recommendations, drop them below! Always on the lookout for more! ๐ #BlackHistoryMonth #BlackLivesMatter #Diversity #Equity #Inclusion #Justice #DEI #Ally #AntiRacism #Veterinarian #VetMed #Veterinary #QueerVeterinarian #VeterinaryLife #veterinary_doctor #VeterinaryMedicine #LGBT #LGBTQ #Bisexual #Nonbinary
(1:30) "abortion access is the only future" ๐ฉโ๐๐ โ ๏ธContent warning: discussion of SA, abortion, healthcare accessโ ๏ธ On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, eliminating the federal constitutional standard that had protected the right to abortion. Without any federal standard regarding abortion access, states must set their own policies to ban or protect abortion. Quick facts: โข 79% of abortions occur before 10 weeks. Just 8% of abortions occur after the first trimester. โข Abortion ban states have seen 65K pregnancies from rโpe in the past year โข The Supreme Court and a federal appeals court ruled abortion bans in Idaho and Texas mean hospitals do not have to perform abortions in medical emergencies. This has led to life threatening situations for pregnant humans. โข The Supreme Court in December 2023 agreed to take on the national legal fight over mifepristone, reviewing an appellate ruling that significantly restricted use of the drug. The ruling would roll back the FDA's decision to make the drug available to patients through telemedicine and the U.S. mail. โข States with limited or banned abortion are associated with higher child poverty rates, lower medium incomes for women, reduced access to healthcare, no paid family leave, and lower K-12 education spending. โข The number of patients traveling to other states to get an abortion has doubled since 2020 (~1 in 5) โข ~70% of Americans said protecting abortion access in their state would be an important issue in determining their vote in Nov, including around 2/3 of independent voters. โข About half of Americans said they would support a law legalizing abortion nationwide, including almost one-third of Republicans. โข All major human medical organizations including the AMA, APHA, AAP, AAFP, etc have stated clearly that abortion is healthcare, and support expanding access to it So I'm sorry Representative Kitchens, 'the science isn't on your side.' A
(1:30) "they deserve a safe and discrimination-free environment" . FACTS. . Whistleblowing is scary. Whistleblowing is the activity of a person, often an employee (former in this case), revealing information about activity within a private or public organization that is deemed illegal, immoral, illicit, unsafe or fraudulent. . This complaint has significant implications for the larger profession of veterinary medicine. And that's why we all need to be talking about it. . There are currently 951 DACVECC (critical care diplomats) listed through the ACVECC website. And while they are in high demand, this is a small profession. "Good trouble-making" is never without consequences. This absolutely could affect Dr. Pardo's future opportunities, but she has still decided to speak up for herself and others. . It's important to recognize how much it takes to do something like this so publicly. I'm in awe of the courage she has. The blood, sweat, tears, and sleepless nights that this caused. I can't imagine what you've endured. . @criticalcareveterinarian - you are seen, and you will be heard. I am so very proud to call you a colleague. You inspire me to never stop pushing for this profession to be better. . Thank you for being brave. Your efforts will save the lives of so many pets, and people too โค๏ธ . Sincerely, a future criticalist ๐ซถ๐ซโจ . #Veterinarian #VetMed #VeterinaryMedicine #VeterinariansOfInstagram #QueerVeterinarian #VeterinaryLife #Veterinaria #Vet #VetLife #VeterinaryResident #VeterinarySchool #Veterinarians #VeterinaryClinic #Whistleblower #Doctor #DoctorsOfInstagram #ERVet #EmergencyVet #EmergencyMedicine #Diversity #Equity #Inclusion #Discrimination
(1min) it has begun ๐ฎโ๐จ๐ชฆ . There're really two major trends that we see in #VetMed that leads to a spike in deaths and euthanasia. โ๏ธ People ultimately euthanize their older animals to make way for getting a new one. I used to be quick to judgment when it came to this because I saw it superficially - I perceived an owner being "over" their older animal & wanted a new younger one. Yet now that I've practiced for 1.5y, I have seen people grieve in many ways. Sometimes that is filling a hole with a new animal to distract yourself from grief. Sometimes it's recognizing that one animal is passing, so you can open up your home for another. I've stopped being as judgmental as I was before. I'm sure there's people out there that euthanize animals out of convenience & capitalism & get a new pet for the holidays, but I try to assume the best of people now. โ๏ธ During winter, people have time off for celebrations and parties with family members and this can lead to a few things: โข People are home more & notice subtle changes that they didn't see when they were going to work daily โข People come home from college, or travel for reunions and haven't seen a pet for a bit, & those people notice the health issues not easily seen on a day-to-day basis. โข Pets may also interact with new animals which leads to an increase in inter-animal aggression and mortality Across veterinary medicine, these trends are fairly consistent. Older pets also deal with increased stress & change during winter, which worsens their frailty, pro-inflammatory state, and declining immune system. The increase in mortality is not something exclusive to veterinary medicine. Nursing homes see an increase in passing during winter, and a lot of people are assumed to have held on until they could see their family again. Both pets and humans can experience a Surge as well, so sometimes pets look like they are much better.. right before they decline or pass. At the end of the day all we ca
(7s) VetMed is an horrifically small field ๐ฎโ๐จ . It made me sad that this clinician and I shared this commonality... But also it brought me joy that they decided to try and be better than their predecessor. . "Eating our young" is a common phrase referring to the sometimes high levels of hazing or initiation that new professionals experience at the hands of their more experienced coworkers. The meaning of this often comes from the animal kingdom, where sometimes a parent will eat its young for being weak rather than protecting and nurturing them. That, in combination with groupthink (the practice of thinking or making decisions as a group in a way that discourages individuality) creates an environment that continues to cause harm to the next generation of VetMed. . It's not easy to break the cycle of generational abuse, but it's worth trying if it means this profession might get better, for those in it now, and in the future ๐ค . #ToxicVetMed #Veterinarian #Veterinarians #VeterinaryMedicine #Vet #Vets #Veterinary #VetMed #VetLife #VeterinaryClinic #VetClinic #VetTech #VetNurse #VeterinaryTechnician #CVT #RVT #LVT #VetTechLife #VetStudent #VeterinaryAssistant #VetSchool #VeterinarySchool #Veterinaria #MedVet #DVM #Vetfluencer #Vetstagram #Veterinaria #Veterinario
(30s) We all have patients that love drama... . Some of them more than others ๐คช . #Veterinarian #Veterinarians #VeterinaryMedicine #Vet #Vets #Veterinary #VetMed #VetLife #VeterinaryClinic #VetClinic #VetTech #VetNurse #VeterinaryTechnician #CVT #RVT #LVT #VetTechLife #VetStudent #VeterinaryAssistant #VetSchool #VeterinarySchool #Veterinaria #MedVet #DVM #Vetfluencer #Vetstagram #Veterinaria #Veterinario
(7s) real eyes realize real lies โจ . Alright (re)introducing my #ToxicVetMed series to Instagram - this is the video that started it all (kind of). I was so fking fed up with so many places not appreciating their staff, and then being shocked when they left. I made this video, and people started to comment on their HORRIFIC stories of toxic aspects of vet med, and I decided to start making a series where I showcased peoples stories by making skits, educational videos, etc. . I know what it's like to navigate ToxicVetMed myself, and how isolating it can feel. This series not only connected me with so many people within the profession, but has also allowed me to poke fun at the idea that "this is the way it's always been done"... When you have hundreds to thousands of people experiencing a profession treating them horribly, maybe it's time to start thinking about a different way for that profession to do things ๐คท๐ปโโ๏ธ . While these videos primarily are a call out, they are also a call in to do better, to improve the profession, and to make sure that we are going to be the change in veterinary medicine we want to be ๐ค . #Veterinarian #Veterinarians #VeterinaryMedicine #Vet #Vets #Veterinary #VetMed #VetLife #VeterinaryClinic #VetClinic #VetTech #VetNurse #VeterinaryTechnician #CVT #RVT #LVT #VetTechLife #VetStudent #VeterinaryAssistant #VetSchool #VeterinarySchool #Veterinaria #MedVet #DVM #Vetfluencer #Vetstagram #Veterinaria #Veterinario