To think being a vet must be way harder than being a doctor

[Finlesswonder]

Obviously both must be hard!

But a vet has to know everything about a whole bunch of species, from conditions to how totally different bodies work.
Plus they have to do surgery as well as general check ups.
Plus they have to euthanise.
And PLUS there's a fear/danger element with some animals I guess.

If we were I'm an apocalypse situation, don't you think a vet would be handier to have around than a doctor? Could a vet operate on/diagnose a human if push came to shove?

If we were I'm an apocalypse situation, don't you think a vet would be handier to have around than a doctor?

Obviously a doctor! If there was just a vet then sure they'd probably come in handy but they won't be better at human medicine than a doctor.

That’s not the reason behind it at all. Pharmacists and nurses would be v high on the list if that were the case.

Suicide in the veterinary profession stats show that vets are twice as likely as doctors and dentists and four times as likely as the general populations to take their own life. The reasons are complicated compassion fatigue, burn out and client expectations combined with monetary factors. This is a very real problem and it saddens me that almost not a week goes by without another loss.
Most vets like most doctors are employees and make only a salary so make no personal gain from recommending one treatment over another.
Doctors do specialise general practice being the widest specialty.
Vets then to have a broader skill set on Tuesday I was a gynaecologist, a radiographer, a radiologist, phloebotomist, internal medicine, endocrinologist, cardiologist and palliative care. I am very proud of the fact that I hold a surgical qualification and so like a human surgeon I do not use the title Dr.
I would only ever provide emergency first aid to a human to support them until a doctor could take over.
GPs have a harder time with mental health something we as vets hardly deal with. Plus they have to support patients on waiting list I have control over my own list and can create wiggle room by pushing myself harder,
Vets and doctors face equal, but different challenges.

The sad fact is suicide risk is elevated for both the deprived /traumatised group and doctors,dentists,vets and farmers. https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/articles/suicidebyoccupation/england2011to2015

Tye General Dental Council is being very cagey about deaths amongst dentists whilst undergoing fitness to practice hearings. The U.K. has 30 times more regulation and the highest litigation rates against dentists in the world.

The vet degree has more to memorise on the anatomy side, and some things are very different between species. There are still a good number of mixed vets in rural areas.

In more populated areas most will specialise in Farm (Sheep/Cows/some pig and poultry) Equine (Horses and Donkeys) or Small Animal (dogs cats plus exotics). You get some very specialist colic and orthopedic surgeons in racing areas but most are general surgeons if they specialise in surgery. Other than at big hospitals it's very much a bit of everything.

More room for specialists in Small Animal as there are more hospitals than just the universities but it will be Medicine, Critical Care, Oncology, Opthalmology, Orthopaedics, Soft Tissue rather than the more detailed specialism in humans.

I know a lot of ex vets, some went into human medicine, some civil service. The pay does not reflect the hours and the effect on a family life and the ability of the other parent to earn without live in child care plus earnings are less than the cost of a nanny (and on call inconsistent evenings/working weekends usually at least 1 in 4 is tough to get an extra job around) so many (of the predominantly female graduates) struggle to get back after kids.

Why do so many threads to do with animals end up with posters showing off that they hate their own species? You just sound like edgy teens - do you love your dog more than your mum because mum makes you tidy your room and the dog doesn't?

I'd imagine they're both emotionally hard when it comes to deaths, idk if the average vet maybe sees more deaths than the average Dr due to PTS/shorter lifespan in many pet species/some exotics being quite fragile?

It must be very hard to broach PTS when a patient isn't getting better and the owner is attached. My dad was in turmoil when his favourite ever cat got diagnosed with a brain tumour, trying to decide when to PTS when he was still having good days but could go down hill rapidly at any point.

A Dr probably gets a lot more official "breathing down neck" in how things should have been done etc when a death occurs.

@LuvSmallDogs indifference isn't hate.

I think if you genuinely would save your pet before your family member or friend then it’s highly unusual. I’m not sure it’s true because people often think they believe one thing when in the moment they realise they believe something else. That’s different than saying someone is “lying”.

This.

Cool, now let's go light some aerosols and drink White Lightning in the park!

Vets get a lot of grief about the costs involved in treating animals. Despite the fact they have to buy expensive equipment like scanners etc. The problem is the public have no understanding of how much the NHS actually costs to run because they think it is ‘free’.

Watching the Yorkshire vet a while back, one of the vest was asked if putting animals to sleep affects them or do they just think it's part of the job. The reply was yes it does affect them, even though mostly it's the kindest thing they can do for the animal.
I read a story in the papers a couple of years ago about a horse that had been abused and had severe burns to its face. It was rescued and the vetinarry team trialled a new way to treat burns by using fish skins. These special fish skins were brought over from the States and a team was assembled which included a NHS plastic surgeon who assisted with the surgery and also learned about this new technique. The horse made a full recovery.
I thought this was a great story, animal and human doctors working together and sharing their knowledge.
It really touched me 😍

If only they could talk ...

To be fair, doctors often have to treat people who cannot community effectively for a variety of reasons (dementia. Stroke, mental health etc). And whilst euthanising an animal must be very sad, is it as sad as watching a human slowly and sometimes painfully die whilst being unable to treat it? Doctors also have their fair share of safeguarding issues and witness the effects of various types of abuse. That's not to say vets aren't great, they are. I think both careers hard and difficult to compare.

@L1ttledrummergirl's comment didn't refer to making choices in who to save, she was talking about loving pets and grieving for their deaths as much as humans'.

Nope. Didn't shed a tear at the death of my mother. Death of my dogs and horses rip me apart on a regular basis.

Tell that to the late Paul o Grady.

RIP to him, a lovely man with a lovely heart.

I think you're being obtuse to even suggest this comment.

@Catsmere I’m aware what her comments referred to I was pointing out unless you are given the choice it’s unlikely you would know you would choose animal over human. If you did you would be unusual.
@Eyesopenwideawake do you think that’s a common experience?
@Mademetoxic I don’t know Paul Ogrady but the fact you have to name an individual surely demonstrates that his (assuming he would respond how you imply) and your take on the equality of animal and human suffering are not the norm.

Im sure there are some people who value their pets more than other people, just as I know there are people who value the able above the disabled and yet more who value one religion over another. In the case of animals I think the vast majority of human would find it easier to deal with hurt or dying animals than hurt or dying humans.

What a load of bollocks you're writing.
Very obtuse and very insensitive.

Personally, although euthanasias are usually emotional, it doesn’t affect me as much as having animals that arent getting better despite doing everything I can, and knowing that referral isn’t an option. The worse thing about being a vet, is that you’re often thrown in at the deep end before you’re ready. When I first qualified I’d regularly do complicated surgery with a book beside me, and just hope for the best.
A lot of what vets do, is stuff that they aren’t experts in, and that is why it keeps you up at night worrying. I hated my job for years, finally starting to enjoy it, thank goodness.

Actually, I would probably die trying to save everyone, human or otherwise. Why do zoos release the animals in a flood if not to give them as much chance of survival as humans?

I would rather believe that their are many many more empathetic people in this world who care for all the souls around them, than there are people who don't care. I don't think I'm unusual at all.

I’d rather people prioritised humans and stopped spending so much money on pets for their own gratification but what you want people to be like isn’t really relevant.

You have never heard of Paul o Grady? What planet do you live on?

Animal life hasn't a shred of the value on human life. I couldn't care less in comparison and if an animal is to be killed due to its health then whatever. Animal obsessives bore me.