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?

Nope. I agree, I think you’ve got this one right.

I think surely the thing must be the amount of death. No doctor has to kill any patients. Vets have to PTS thousands of animals over their career. Looking trusting at them before they do it. I can’t imagine what that must be like.

And in terms of pets vs people I would say that my dog dying hit me harder in the short term than for example Grandparents dying because they rely on you. They trust you. They are your routine and your day to day life. And that must be so hard to see as a vet.

And then they have to hand you the bill.

People calling for an end to the NHS really don’t know what they are doing.

Honestly I applaud all vets out there. I love animals but it’s not a job I could do. I couldn’t hear seeing animals in pain or distress. I would just cry my eyes out when euthanising an animal so I wouldn’t be able to stay composed at all.

I prioritise animal charities over human ones. My own personal choice.

You must live under a rock if you have never heard of Paul o Grady. (God bless his soul)

I am glad we all do not think like you. You sound very insensitive.

Vets are legally allowed to treat humans; doctors are not legally allowed to treat animals.

Thanks to the vets and doctors who have shared their thoughts on here.

Just wanted to say I really respect and admire people working in both professions, thank you for doing what you do.

Going off on a tangent here but if I were a doctor I think I'd want to specialise in some specific area because probably GPs actually have it quite hard no? Wouldn't it be the case that if you're an expert in an area, say you're an ophthalmologist or a gynecologist, although obviously your work is seriously complex, at least it's kind of straightforward in a way? But if you're a GP, you know much more about people's lives which could be distressing, and also you have to not miss something really critical potentially.

I met a heart surgeon once who said people were always really impressed by her job but actually "the heart is a square", she said it was quite straightforward. She could have been being really facile for the hell of it I guess.

@Mademetoxic I’m sure PO is very important to you but he isn’t someone I’ve heard of. Perhaps he’s a bit more niche than you think, like your attitude to animals? I have no idea as I said he isn’t someone I’m aware of. You are free to spend your money on whatever you choose.

'niche' he has an MBE!
You need to educate yourself about him. God rest his soul.

The stakes are somewhat Iower, as stated. Euthanization is an option, if aII eIse faiIs. AND...they are deaIing with patients who cannot teII them what hurts, where it hurts, and what the pain is Iike. Added to that, very few human doctors have to deaI with patients who bite and cIaw when something is uncomfortabIe, or with patients who cannot understand why your are doing this, or how important it is to take medications and foIIow instructions. Yes, I know that human doctors sometimes deal with this last, but it is the exception, not every singIe time!

And yes, I've seen vets care for injured humans in a pinch.

The stakes aren't low if they are treating rare zoo animals or pedigree livestock - animals that could be insured for millions of pounds.

Well well, first it’s “animal lovers are edgy teenagers” comparisons, now it’s “prioritise humans over animals” - like our species hasn’t driven countless species to extinction by doing exactly that. The “humans have souls and are God’s image, animals are machines for our use” attitude still has its echoes today.

I’d always prioritise humans over animals @Catsmere as would the vast majority of people. I’m not sure how you’ve not understood that.

@Mademetoxic ahhh well if he has an MBE then everyone MUST know him!??? Honestly still don’t know him, and nothing you’ve posted has added to that really.

Are you deliberately trying to wind posters up?

Going by other threads I've seen this poster on, I wouldn't be surprised.

Being a vet may well be, in some ways, technically harder. But a vet never has to try to resuscitate a dead baby or child. Or tell the parents it didn't work. I can still hear some of those parents' wails. Losing a pet is really not the same.

A huge area of veterinary is large animals/livestock which is necessary to support farming. Testing for TB, factory inspections, these are the bread and butter for rural vets. The commoditisation of animals for meat/dairy can be very distressing, as it’s on an industrial scale. It’s also very physical work, with risk of crush injuries/kicks, and you need a lot of strength for some elements. Farmers can see livestock as valuable assets, and you can be called out at any hour to an animal in distress (no ambulance or 999 for calving cows or racehorses with colic.) There is a shortage of vets prepared to work in large animal practices; it’s not family friendly and the physical nature means it’s less appealing to women. You could be on a 24/7 roster in lambing season, due to shortages. It’s hard hard work.

I've worked with vets for 45 years. The ability to euthanase an animal is seen as a privilege granted to them by a lot of them.

There are many many far worse things to have to deal with though.

I’d say they are both extremely challenging and emotionally draining jobs that the vast majority of the general public wouldn’t be able to cope with, either in terms of intelligence or resilience.

The people who say they’d be more distraught if a pet died versus a human, that’s a wee bit odd. I can sort of see what they mean if it’s a very elderly relative or something but surely not a kid?!

I am not sure we have to choose between humans and pets with respect to where we expend our grief. I was utterly distraught when my mum died ( elderly, with cancer) and am utterly dreading the day I say goodbye to my elderly dog. I agree I would be utterly horrified at the death of a child in my family

Our ability to grieve for others does not diminish us.

I have had a lot to do with vets in recent years as my dogs grow older. Managing the expectations of the human client must be extremely challenging at times, and no doubt adds to the stress of the job.

The vets I know want to do the best for the animal in front of them, but first they have to diplomatically navigate the owner, who is the person paying the bill. Cannot be easy.

But vets do try to resuscitate too, and feel extremely demoralised when it doesn't work. To some people a pet is an animal, yeah they love them but not as much as their children I get it. But to some a pet is their child, I know that maybe difficult for some to understand. People with disabilities, elderly, mental health, childless people, even to your average person a pet can mean everything, they are childlike in that they rely on you for food, shelter, care. I've heard those same wails of sadness too. I think both professions are equally as haunting at times.

As vets are privately funded too lack of equipment or old fashioned equipment can be an issue too, especially in your independent local vets. As far as I'm aware the NHS although there are maybe small variations has standard equipment available to all, vets sometimes use dated equipment and older methods as the money isn't there to improve them. It's demoralising knowing better equipment could have saved a life.

I'd rather work with animals than humans.

That's really interesting, I've never heard of that before

Not sure I'd want a vet sorting out my contraception or investigating my recent change in bowel habit or my mum's HRT issues!!

I have just checked with a vet friend and apparently the position is that vets cannot treat humans in normal circumstances but can provide first aid/emergency type care.

In those circumstances the vet should then advise the person to seek medical advice from a doctor as soon as possible.

Vets cannot prescribe for people. They can make recommendations about suitable drugs, for example for bites/injuries caused by animals, but the injured person would have to get the drug from a doctor or pharmacist

The tricky side is that often the animal is the last link to a lost loved one or was a constant unjudging companion through a difficult time.
At the point of euthanasia you hear so heart breaking stories. Yesterday it was someone whose pet was a silent support when her mum died as she supported her Dad. At the moment I often hear - as a single person my only companion in Covid lockdowns.
The loss of a pet and the loss of a family member are not mutual exclusive.