02/23/2024
Copied and shared. Food for thought. I have nothing but respect and love for the clinic, staff, veterinarians, and vet techs in my life. I've been there and done it myself and it's not all puppy kisses and kitten snuggles.
Room one is a euthanasia. You’ve known this dog since she was a little puppy. You’ll never forget that day, when the new owners excitedly burst through the door to show off their new baby. It was so many years ago but the feeling was electric. While she isn’t yours, you still love her. There was always an audible cheer through the staff when we saw her on the schedule.
Room two is a client upset about the wait time. It’s 30 minutes past their appointment time so, we get it, what an annoyance! But we struggle to tell the family in the other room to hurry up while saying goodbye. We just can’t do it. So we will take the brunt.
The phone rings. We are being blamed over the high prices we charge. Prices that aren’t within our control. We are told we are only in this for the money. The money we make that doesn’t cover our bills. They’re going to switch to another vet and tell the community that we are money hungry.
The phone rings again. Switch gears to pure joy because this person is booking an appointment for a new kitten they adopted! You beam with excitement because you know you’ll be able to be in this precious kittens life for its entirety.
Another appointment enters just then. Someone else with a beautiful kitten. But this kitten’s gums are white. Hematocrit is below 15. You and the staff struggle to pull blood because her pressure is to the floor. This kitten won’t survive the night.
A client with gratitude in their eyes comes in. A tray of homemade cookies and a really meaningful card. We diagnosed their pet with a treatable disease and are finally able to manage the pet’s symptoms. We can tell they’re so appreciative.
The door swings open. Dog attack victim rushing in with wounds covering her body. Hurry and rush her into the back and es**rt the frantic owner into the bathroom to wash off the blood. This is definitely going to be an emergency surgery, it’s a shame we are already short staffed. These clients waiting are going to be SO mad! Well, prepare to be yelled at after prepping the dog for surgery. Comes with the territory.
Bill out, restrain, make appointments, clean, keep up with the work flow, answer the phones, smile, cry, no time for a breather.
This wasn’t our day today but it is not uncommon when it does happen. At least two of these scenarios take place daily, and sometimes we are hit with it all at once.
A reminder, human doctors make an average of $280,000 per year , while veterinarians make an average of $99,250.
The average salary for an RN is $93,000 in NY. For a licensed vet tech it is $46,000.
We take a lot of abuse for very little money. But we still come to work everyday because of the thank you’s, both by the grateful clients and also from the silent patients who say it with their eyes.
Su***de rates of veterinarians are double or more those of dentists and doctors. Our field is drowning and the numbers don’t lie.
Owning pets is expensive, we know. Most of us have more than we can handle, too. And their care, despite our jobs, isn’t free.
But we are working everyday because through the sea of abuse we endure, there are those bright moments that you try to place above the rest.
