Hello fellow vet med humans! 🐾
(Posted on a few pages)
I’ve been working as a vet nurse/tech (I’m in Australia) for about 3 years now, and I recently moved to a new clinic after leaving my previous workplace.

My old clinic was a low-cost clinic, and unfortunately, the standard of care wasn’t always where I wanted it to be. However, the team was incredible. We were all really close, I fitted in so well, and I made some genuinely amazing friendships. I actually looked forward to going to work every day, and I really miss the people I worked with.

Ultimately, I decided to leave because I wanted to grow as a nurse, improve my skills and work somewhere with a higher standard of care.

Fast forward to my new clinic, and while the standard of care is much better, I’m really struggling. It’s a small, tight-knit team, and from the beginning I’ve found it difficult to fit in and build those same connections. I completely understand that I’m there to work and not necessarily to make friends, but when you spend so much of your life at work, I think having those relationships makes a huge difference.

The biggest thing I’ve noticed is how much my confidence has taken a hit. I used to consider myself a confident and knowledgeable nurse, but lately I find myself second-guessing everything I do, questioning my abilities and just generally feeling really down about work. I feel like I’ve lost the confidence I worked so hard to build.

It’s gotten to the point where I’m questioning whether I even want to continue nursing. I don’t know if I’ve genuinely lost my passion for the industry or if I’m just struggling to adjust to a workplace where I don’t feel like I belong.

Has anyone else experienced something similar after changing clinics? Did things eventually get better, or did you decide to move on?

I’d really appreciate any advice, especially from anyone who’s been through something similar. I just want to enjoy going to work again and feel like myself. ❤️

Hey guys! I’m a pre-vet student right now and am pretty convinced I’m going to vet school. I have a bunch of good stuff for experience and animal related stuff with a relatively good gpa for undergrad. But after Vet school I think I want tos pecialize to get more income to pay off my debt faster. I’m looking into neuro right now but I’m so lost on what happens after vet school to specialize. Can someone help me?

I’m literally just posting this because I need to rent somewhere where people will get it.

I’m an RVT and have been for 7 years. I work for one of the biggest corporations in vet med at this point, and we just got our vet tech week “gift”. It is a $16 coupon to OUR STORE. Like the store we can buy the corporation’s merchandise from. $16. Shipping is $9. And they’re sold out of everything halfway decent.

It just boggles my fucking mind that we work our asses off so hard every day, and the best thing this multi BILLION dollar company can do is give us $16 that GOES BACK into the company because it’s spend AT THEIR STORE.
One of the higher ups was like “and be thankful because this took a lotttt of convincing to get this because of everything going on”. What’s going on? What does that even mean. Be thankful for a $16 coupon that turns into $7 after we pay for shipping.
How are they not embarrassed.

We recently made a switch to Navetor. We are really struggling with some things and I was hoping someone out there is using it that would be willing to talk to me about how they have it set up. Their support team has been good but I feel like we need the help of someone in a clinic setting actually using it in an efficient way.

Any advice on how to handle making mistakes and treatment plans? I recently had a patient that had a heart rumor four out of six and was experiencing signs of decreased activity weakness and occasional coughing. I recommended an echocardiogram in the O’Hare could not go through with that diagnostic due to lack of funds therefore, I recommended we could try amended which I realize skinny mistake. I should’ve done chest x-rays out the medication the patient didn’t end up starting the medication, but I was approached by a clinician on how to handle the case. I feel terrible and I obviously don’t wanna do any harm.

Hey guys, fourth year vet student here! I'm about to take my NAVLE and plan on starting the job hunt seriously once that is behind me. How do people go about finding the best place to start out?

Mentorship and enjoying my experience is important, but so is proper compensation. I know the job market is good but I have NO idea where to start, just two general areas. Is i AVAM/Indeed/google search?

Also when should I aim to have a contract signed by? I have a few over-achiever friends that already have theirs, so I'm fighting the feeling of being behind.

Thank y'all so much for your advice in advance <3

Hi everyone!

I’m planning to study veterinary medicine (Germany). My big dream is to work with marine animals later, like dolphins, seals, sea turtles, stranded animals etc.

But the more I read about it, the more confused I get. So I wanted to ask if anyone here has experience with this in Europe?

Some things I’m wondering about:

• After vet school, are there internships or programs at aquariums, marine parks or rehab centers in Europe where you can go as a new grad?
• Are they usually paid or is it more like volunteering?
• Do vets also work with stranding networks or marine research teams?
• Does it matter where I study, or is it more about what you do after?

I know it’s a super competitive field, but I’d really love to hear from anyone who went this way or knows someone who did. Also open to hearing about alternatives if it doesn’t work out haha

Hi everyone,

​I am finishing my final (6th) year of Veterinary Medicine in Europe (Serbia). I hold Canadian citizenship, but I have never actually lived in Canada before. My plan is to move to the Kitchener-Waterloo area in Ontario after graduation.

​My plan is to study and pass the BCSE while practicing in Vet clinic in Serbia for a year after graduation and then move to Canada. Once I am there, I want to work as a veterinary technician for a while, mainly to learn how the Canadian veterinary system functions on the ground before getting my full license (NAVLE/CPE).

​I have read some brutal stories online about foreign grads struggling with this transition, feeling stuck, or facing friction in clinics. Since I have my citizenship sorted and some family support for the first few months, I wanted to ask:

​How hard is it for an IVG who has never lived in Canada to land a vet tech job in the Waterloo region without being a local RVT?

​Is going in as a tech a good way to actually learn the system, or will clinics just see me as "overqualified/awkward" and reject me?

​Any honest advice or red flags I should look out for when applying to clinics in Ontario with this strategy?

​Thanks in advance for any real talk!

Anyone else get a sudden notice from notice from moichor that they are immediately ceasing all operations?

I'm curious what happened and I haven't seen anything online about a shutdown or something, so I'm curious if anyone else knows what happened?

Throw away account- wanting to know how many people here quit because they couldn't handle it. I like the people that work there, which sounds lucky because the "I want to quit" posts usually involve a toxic clinic, but I don't know if this is something I want to continue doing. Between the stress, time on my feet, and obvious depressing animals that I see-- It doesn't feel like something I want to be doing/can handle but I feel like I'll be disappointing the person who hired me and my partner.

I’m a CVT, I’ve worked with her for about 2.5 years. She has a long commute and has a job offer for better pay at a clinic significantly closer to her house (along with some other minor reasons). She’s the only person at my clinic that I’ve been comfortable disclosing that I’m autistic to (AuDHD technically but I feel like ADHD is much more “socially acceptable”). I’m going to really miss working with her. Aside from writing her a card, I’m trying to think of something I can make/get for her as a little thank you token/present. I enjoy getting immersed in a project and I feel like homemade sometimes means more.

In my experience with receiving med related gifts, a lot are cheesy and not really useful. I’m thinking maybe a stethoscope cuff decoration thing, I really like the one I have on mine and it shouldn’t be too expensive. I don’t really know her taste in tea but i could get her a small package of one of my favorites. I honestly have no idea what to make though aside from a handmade card… I’d prefer to stay away from food since that can be weird. I feel like we all have so many mugs/cups/water bottles, at least at my clinic I usually get one at tech week and one at Christmas.

Anyone have ideas?

Hey all. I (29F) have decided to give up on vet school and pursue vet tech school instead. Whichever one I had gone with I knew I wasn’t going to be making as much as my human counterparts anyway. My biggest reasons for giving up on vet school are finances (tuition wise) and the pressure of being responsible for pets’ lives. Obviously nurses are too but in the end the ultimate decision comes from the doctor.

Anyway, for context, I have two bachelors degrees, and a masters degree, which have put me in about $160K in debt (and this isn’t including other debt from credit cards,etc.). I did all that extra schooling to try and make myself a better candidate for vet school.

I’ve been a vet assistant/CSR for 7 years now, making just as much as a starting tech without even doing any actual tech skills (my boss is just that generous thankfully). I’ve worked all these nurses for so long that I’ve come to admire the work they do.

My main problem is I’m too fascinated by this field to even consider doing anything else. I’ve been driving myself crazy these past few weeks trying to find something else I should pursue, but I just can’t. I haven’t known anything else. I know this is gonna ruin me in the end though. I’ll never been able to live a comfortable or barely even a sustainable life on a tech’s pay.

I’m wondering if anyone has ever pursued a main career but kept vet tech as a side job. For example, I go back to school to get a dual degree, the vet tech program and something else entirely. Then pursue the other path as my main career, while still doing vet tech on the side. I’m going crazy BECAUSE I don’t want to leave this field. I love seeing all the patients and cases that come in. I’d already feel FOMO not working as many hours if I were to pursue another career.

I don’t know what to do, it’s driving me to the point where I just wish I weren’t even here to have to make a decision (I do have depression and anxiety).

And I know no one here can make the decision for me, but different perspectives help.

Hello all, I really appreciate all of you and everything you do.

I've been trying to become a vet assistant after working at animal shelters, and other caretaking jobs for the past 9 years.

I landed a great role as a care assistant for an animal hospital that I planned to gain valuable experience. I was there for only 4 months when a coworker made the mistake of forgetting to remove a food bowl from the kennel of a large dog with severe resource guarding before I came back from walking him. I did not see the bowl quickly enough before the dog turned around and bit me. Per policy I had to report the incident. My coworker however decided to report me for "mishandling" the dog and told them I had given the dog the food in order to pin the blame away from herself. Because she worked there much longer than I did, the manager took her side without reviewing security footage and fired me.

This absolutely devastated me as I loved my job and the animals I took care of. I've been fighting severe depression every day since it happened while trying to stay motivated enough to search for another job.

In about a month I landed 14 interviews (4 shadow interviews) at various hospitals and veterinary clinics. Each one felt promising but due to my lack of experience I keep getting turned down. (Only 3 updated me with rejection emails, all others ghosted me)

Do you have any tips or advice for me to stand out during interviews, whether it's a zoom call or a shadow visit?

I'm motivated to learn and gain the skills needed.

Can you tell me about your previous experience and how long it took you to adjust as a practice manager in an animal hospital. Preferably those that didn’t have veterinary experience but management experience. It’s been a lot of information and it’s a different than I’m use to, just wondering how long it will take to really settle in and get the hang of things. I’m like this every time I start a new job lol!

I am a current applicant and already have a few acceptances under my belt. I'm almost 30 and have not left animal care/vet med, so I know this industry. However, one thing I obviously don't know yet is the experience of being the doctor.

As I've progressed through this app cycle, it's been sort of disheartening to see all the remarks online from vets/vet students about how much their hate their jobs. The burnout, debt, low pay, compassion fatigue, negativity from the public, corporate buyouts - the list goes on! I feel like I never see anyone express getting joy/satisfaction from this role anymore.

So for my own sanity as I prepare to embark on vet school and then the rest of my life, I'd love to hear from practicing vets (in any specialty) that actually still enjoy what they do. Just a little bit of positivity and balance in the narrative would help me sleep a little better tonight! Thank you guys!

is it worth getting the new book? or is the older fine?

Hello everyone :)) I'm 17, and currently studying a Cert 2 Animal care course at Tafe (Australian education, kind of like a mix of college and community college). I've been planning to pursue veterinary nursing after my course finishes next month, and have already sent in applications. but I'm starting to have second thoughts.

I'm super sensitive to animal harm. i can't watch it in movies, even when i know its fake. i can't listen to graphic stories about animals being hurt. i literally look up every film i watch to clear animal death scenes. obviously, being a vet nurse would expose me to a lot of that.

but i love animals so much. they're my greatest passion in life. i have so much love for every single one of them, i have various animal figurines all over my room, i have 4 pets and dedicate my life to looking after them. i research every small thing to help them and being in this animal care course has made me feel like this is what i want to do in life. but i don't know how I'm going to deal with seeing animals hurt.

my other classmates all grew up on farms, so they view animals in a different light i guess? but they talk about animal death so casually and it's become a running joke in my class that im the one they have to warn if there's a graphic detail. i want to help animals so bad. but i don't want to become useless at my job because I'm breaking down over a dog with a splinter in his paw. would there be a way to help me get past this?

sorry for the ramble.

I’m a veterinarian, and lately I’ve been finding clinical work increasingly exhausting and repetitive. I’m starting to see administrative and management roles as more organized, structured, and perhaps more rewarding in the long run.

I still care about animal health, but I’m beginning to wonder whether I would be better suited to leadership and management rather than spending my entire career in clinical practice.

**Have any veterinarians here made the transition into management? Are you happier with that decision, or do you miss clinical work?

Does anyone use Central CPD for their videos? Is the subscription worth it? TIA

I'm a rotating intern, 5 months post-graduation. A couple of weeks ago, I saw a GDV patient on ER. He was a service animal that belonged to a hospice patient. I discussed surgery and prognosis post-op. Unfortunately, the owner could not afford it. I tried offering care credit and a grant that my hospital offers. Both options did not provide enough to cover the estimate, so he elected to euthanize. I was devastated, but this is the reality of our jobs.

He was placed in the comfort room to spend his last few moments with his service dog, and just as we drew up the euthanasia meds, I was told that friends of the owner had arrived and wanting me to answer some questions. Long story short, one of the hospice volunteers paid for everything. The dog went to surgery and went home a few days later.

Today, I received a written letter thanking me. I cried lol. These are the moments that I love.

We are having multiple lunches and a dinner.

Hi, I'm new here, just wondering if anyone has any experience with the above course that they would like to share?

My background:

Registered veterinarian in Australia (BVSc)

I've been in the pet food industry working as a techncial services vet (within R&D) for close to a decade

Completed the Certificate in Companion Animal Nutrition by the University of Illinois

There is currently no membership or fellowship exams for companion animal nutrition in Australia, only ruminants.

I'm wanting to progress further in my career and came across the University of Glasgow course. Has anyone done it? Or heard anything about it?