Every Time

On a serious note, this week, another veterinarian committed suicide. Our profession, my profession, has one of the highest suicide rates. The following words have been spreading across veterinarian's Facebook profile's all week. 

"Every time you say vets are money grubbing, or 'too expensive' or just in it for the money.

Every time you decline all diagnostics yet demand to know 'what's wrong with my pet'

Every time at a social function or other completely inappropriate place you find out that someone is a vet you ask them for free advice about your animal.

Every time you feel justified posting a shitty practice or vet review when everything was done according to the standard of care but your pet died anyway.

Every time YOUR lack of preventative care resulted in your pets early death yet you blame the veterinarian.

Every time they get in early and stay late and work an 80 hour week because your pet that had been ill for days suddenly becomes an emergency at 5pm on a Friday and you demand to be seen - claiming these heartless vets won't treat your baby.

Every time someone says 'why didn't you become a real doctor?'

Every time someone complains about the cost of veterinary care... comparing human medicine and insurance subsidies to pet ownership (totally voluntary btw).

Every time that someone doesn't pay their bill and thinks that they are entitled not to because pet ownership is their 'right'.

Every time someone walks in to a clinic and threatens to 'sue your ass if you make one mistake with my baby'.

Every time a graduate vet looks at the hundreds of thousands of dollars in crippling debt and listens to clients driving Mercedes and BMWs complain about the cost of a spay using good anesthetic care and adequate pain management.

Every time... You are part of the problem.

The problem is suicide in veterinarians. Most of us went to veterinary school because we care. We have a calling to care.... but there is a dark and expensive cost to compassion.

Think before you act or speak.

Author:Tamara Vetro Widenhouse DVM"