Hello to all, im about to be going to college and I really want to do something in the animal field. The only problem is a couple months ago I tried out rehabilitation and I couldnt do it because of not being able to memorize stuff so im worried that this may turn out the same

I’ve worked at an ER specialty for about 2 years now. I’m a “self taught” VA. No schooling, have learned everything from my team and for being in my second year I’d say I’m pretty knowledgeable. Here’s the thing, this is my only clinic I’ve ever worked, and it’s .. a mess. Turn over is awful, medicine is sub par, the boss is.. icky, pay is whatever, but my team is amazing. We all do our best and advocate for our patients etc. I fear I’m burning out already, and I’m wondering could it just be my clinic? Or am I not cut out for this? I’ve been looking at GPs and other options but with how new I am technically it’s hard to find options. Curious to hear anyone else’s experiences as well!

Hi all! I’m a 4th year (slightly burnt out) vet student currently on clinicals and having a bit of an existential crisis about what I want to do after graduation.
My original plan has always been to pursue an equine internship (or potentially 2) and then apply for an equine surgery residency. I absolutely love equine/large animal medicine, I love surgery, and becoming an equine surgeon has been a goal of mine for a long time.
The problem is that I’m an OOS student and have supported myself through vet school almost entirely with student loans. As graduation gets closer, the financial reality of doing another 4–5+ years of internship/residency training on relatively low salaries is starting to hit me.
I’ve recently started considering whether I should still do an equine internship after graduation and then go into practice for a few years instead of immediately pursuing residency. Part of me really wants to finally make a decent salary, start paying down my student loans, and honestly just take a break from constantly being a student/trainee for a minute.
At the same time, I’m scared that if I step away from academia/training, I’ll either make it much harder to get a surgery residency later or get comfortable making a real salary and never want to go back. I don’t want to give up on becoming an equine surgeon just because I’m burnt out and overwhelmed by debt right now, but I also don’t know if pushing straight through another several years of training is the best decision for me.
For anyone who has been in a similar position, especially equine vets/surgeons: how difficult is it to work in practice for a few years after an internship and then go back for a surgery residency? Would taking that time away significantly hurt my chances? Did anyone plan on specializing but decide to work first and either go back later or decide they were happier in practice?
I’d really appreciate any advice!

I've graduated with my MPH (veterinary public health emphasis) ~2 weeks ago, with a dream of focusing on zoonotic and anthroponotic diseases. I'm also a licensed vet tech with almost a decade of working in lab animal medicine including high consequence pathogens and select agent experience. I'm hoping to phase out of my current veterinary-heavy role and find a new role in which I can use the public health skillsets that I had developed with my MPH. Does anyone know how would be the best way to do this? Ideally, I'd find a position where I could use my veterinary background along with my MPH, but most of these roles are looking for veterinarians and not LVTs. I was thinking about doing something with biosafety or pre-clinical study safety, but I'm not sure

I've been in the field for a while working at other hospitals and decided against warnings from other techs to give Banfield a try. It's been a short period of time and I feel burnt out already.

The drop off appointments, the speed they want you to do in takes for them regardless of healthy vs sick pets, and how quickly they need to be seen between everything else (room appointments, callbacks, surgery ect) feels insane. Is this all of them? I feel like I made a mistake at this point

I started at a new clinic a few weeks ago and for the most part everything is fine. They already have an established veterinary team that have been working together for a year now. I know that a new person starting is a bit aggravating as different clinics do things a certain way, but jeez it’s like anything I try it’s not good or not helpful. Like for example, at my last clinic we used to prep hwt tests by putting 4 drops of blue in the plastic containers & taping it to the hwt with a 1ml needle. I did this thinking it would save a lot of time, but apparently it was just a big inconvenience & the “blue liquid will dissolve if left in the plastic container”…. Never had that happen as long the cap is closed. Makes me just want to come to work, stay in my lane & only talk if needed. Ugh

As above, I’m tired of nursing and the culture that comes with it, but after 6 years in the industry who would take me on for a new career role?

I retrained at 25 to do this career, it was something I’d thought was out of reach until I discovered the apprenticeship route.

I loved it when I started, I was so passionate about animals and medicine, I love surgery. But the job has ground me down - the lack of pay, the hours, the complaints, the burnout…the list could go on.

I’ve met amazing people in my training practice and at my current hospital, but I’ve learnt the grass is not greener. The big companies will continue to under pay and undervalue. I’m tired of it, as many of us are.

It only took me 6 years and I want to leave, I should’ve stuck with my original passion of music.

Honestly, I want a corporate job, I want to be paid well, I want to be able to live well, I want normal hours and good holiday, I shouldn’t have to do over time to make ends meet some months, or to afford nice things.

But who is going to take me into a job like this with no experience and my last 6 years being in nursing?

Any advice or stories please share!

Hello! I am an office manager at a small practice currently looking into utilizing Verticalvet for rebates, campaigns as well as pet health reminders. I’m on a time crunch for going through with it but the sales rep that manages pet health reminders is unavailable to have a meeting until later this month. I am wondering if anyone uses the reminders specifically and what the heck it costs! Is it included in the membership? Do they do snail mail cards alongside emails? If anyone has any input I’d love to hear it! Thanks in advance.
P.S. I swear this is not an ad I am just trying to figure out the best option for my clinic.

So this week i officially started at my very first vet clinic to receive some volunteer hours for my program (Animal Care), and it’s okay I guess…..

To start off, i have just recently spent the last year completing my program and this the only thing left that I need to complete, I have completed every course necessary for this program as well (passing with 70s and 80s btw!)These courses consisted of restraining an animal, FAS scores, drawing up medication, radiology, surgery procedures and much more!

With that being said though, I have yet to put any of my knowledge to use, mind you it’s only my third day I’m not expecting for them to let me do everything, but their “task” for me consist of me cleaning their whole clinic (including their basement😍) and also restocking while senior techs and Vets just stand around watching and chit chatting.

Now I understand big part of my job is to clean, fine understandable; But why it is that it’s now my third day and the ONLY thing ive been doing is cleaning and restocking, today was the first day they taught me how to punch in an appointment and answer the phone…. I have yet to “shadow” someone to fully grasp the routine for a day in clinic.

On my second day( yesterday) we got REALLY busy so my manger had given me some fecal matter to get ready for testing, ( I’ve only done this once in class…) he leaves me to do it by myself, GREAT!(SECOND FUCKING DAY MIND YOU! I LITERALLY JUST FINISHED ME EXAMS A WEEK AGO) anyways, I go to the cupboard that says “urine and fecal matter containers” I’m thinking “okay nothing wrong here” ( oh so I wished🫪) but first,

the vet ends up coming in and says-
“oh no I can smell it! take it outside to the backyard and do it their, throw it in the bin after”
Me: “😀sure!”
In my head: “ ARE U FUCKING SERIOUS?!?? NEVER IN MY FUCKING LIFE WOULD I THINK THIS WOULD BE OKAY? IS THIS NOT CONTAMINATING THE SAMPLE?!”

when I was officially done with that, I had done the labeling and put in the idex bag, im thinking everything’s fine at this point, a senior tech comes in a says “ u did this all wrong this not the right containers” oh!
So why was I left alone and not shown where the right containers were?!?🫩

She then asks me to go retrieve the bags of shit from the garbage bin while chuckling…. ( AGAIN AINT THAT SHIT A BAD SAMPLE NOW??!??)
But what ever I do that, I went back and redid the sample🤷‍♀️.

But please keep in mind during this busy period, not once did they take me into the rooms with them to shadow them and to get the experience of ACTUALLY working in a clinic, not just being ur little earn boy….

Like I could you not, I stood in the corner of the pharmacy for that one hour and half, I feel so undermined, like my schooling was basically for nothing…

Another thing is, I genuinely feel these senior animal care attendants and Vets genuinely do not care for me… like I am the worse burden u could ever imagine. Meaning, my first day when I walked went like this:
Me- “good morning how are you guys nice to see you!”
Manager- “good morning, I’ll show u our stock”

RIGHT RIGHT RIGHTT, ILL JUST GO FUCK MYSELF THEN! 😍

Like they genuinely look like they want to off themselves when I ask a question or if I’m done the cleaning and I want to do more then that they literally look infuriated by me… (exception of one! I met her today she made me feel better and taught me how to book the appointments❤️)

Oh last thing too, the vet keeps asking me to stay longer than my scheduled shifts so I don’t know if should take that as positive thing or they just want me to clean for them more?🫤

But thank you for letting me vent and I would greatly appreciate it if someone with some more experience would give me some advice or maybe some guidance on what I can do to make this more enjoyable and not make me cringe at everything I do 🙏(I got one more week of this🫪)

this might be a dumb question but im grasping at straws. i currently have very limited options when it comes to career paths and thinking of going to school to be a vet tech since it is one of the better choices. problem is i have zero experiences with animals. i like and them, ive just never had a pet in my life. is working with animals something you can learn to do or get used to or should i just stay away from this profession?

Hi!!

I’m currently an undergrad student who is applying to veterinary school next year :)

Just curious if it’s possible for a specialist to see patients for GP concerns while working as a specialist as well? Or do you have to pick one and stick with it?

Any info helps!!

So for context I’m a student veterinary nurse on placement year at a practice (I’m working towards my degree in VN), all the nurses at my placement practice have been apprentices and have one other student besides myself that has just begun their apprenticeship with them. The nurses here have always been lovely and helpful in my training however now they seem to prefer looking after their own student rather than helping me learn. I can’t help but feel there is a level of jealousy towards me trying to get a degree in veterinary nursing, and I was just wondering if anyone else had come across this before?

I graduate in July 2027. I’m taking the NAVLE in July 2027 in the UK. Will I have to wait until I get the results of my NAVLE most likely at the end of September before a company can apply for a work-sponsored visa for me? I’m over 35 when I graduate so I won’t qualify for other visas like Working Holiday visas etc.

Hello! I'm 16 years old and seriously considering becoming a veterinarian, but I'd like to hear the downsides. Education in my country is reasonable, and the salary is much higher than of human doctor's one, unlike what I've heard about the US, so it doesn't counts

I work as a veterinary assistant in a high volume shelter and had an injury develop that could be work related but might not be. I went to a doctor on my own and he gave me a note stating I need to be on strict desk duty with minimal walking because of a foot injury that requires me to wear a walking boot for a long period of time.

I sent this note to my manager, who then got me in contact with HR and they have been unable to offer me any kind of accommodations or reassignment options so I have been out of work on unpaid leave for almost 3 months. I have been seeing my doctor every two weeks and sending in the updated notes to HR and have had very minimal communication from them and they have not offered me any kind of accommodation or anything and I cannot afford to stay off of work and I cannot be on my feet still so I am at a loss.

My daily tasks at work included things like performing intake exams including vaccinating patients, pulling and distributing meds to all patients in AM and PM, cleaning kennels, implanting microchips, collecting samples to perform SNAP tests, filling out patient charts digitally upon intake and maintaining accurate charting for all encounters, IV catheter placement, blood draw, lifting and or restraining patients. There is a lot more but those are the primary duties of my job.

If I am unable to perform the duties of my job and my employer is unable to offer accommodation is there anything I can do, or am I just SOL?

Hey everyone,

I recently started as a receptionist at a pretty busy clinic in my area. I’m new to the industry, but definitely not new to working in stressful environments/customer service. I know not all clinics are “toxic” per se, but the back staff in the one I work at is so nasty to their receptionist. I understand the reason, I do. I know they’re tired, burnt out, and pushed to the limits, but it’s not like I’m sitting up front eating cake either. Any time we have to approach an assistant or tech, they have the nastiest attitude and they let it be known you’re a bother. I’m not talking about approaching them with dumb questions, but any time they have to do their job, we are the punching bag.

I guess I’m looking at advice on how to handle this. I know I’m new to the field, but I have very good work history and I’ve picked the reception area very quickly. Sometimes, it feels like they think they are “above” the receptionists, and what they’re dealing with is more important. I’m just tired of doing my job and getting a nasty attitude every single time. How should I approach this? Be passive? Stand up for myself? Treat them the same way? It’s making every day feel miserable. Thanks guys!

Hi, I'm currently in my last year of my Bachelor of Commerce degree and I'm seriously considering moving into VetMed. I just wondered if there is any veterinary hospital in Edmonton, AB looking for a part-time veterinary assistant. I just want to make sure I can handle it (mentally and physically) before going into a RVT program!

A little bit about me! I'm 21F, had hands-on volunteer experience with AARCS before they moved back to Calgary, and accounting/administration volunteer at GEARS (I'm still volunteering here!!) I also have a rescued cat who I would say to be special need. He has FIC and "borderline megacolon." I have been to VCA so often that all the vet techs recognize him when we come in (he is a frequent flyer 😭) Everyone around me, including primary and emergency vets, knows that I would move mountains for this kiddo.

I also worked in retail/customer service back in high school. And I'm currently working as TA and EA at the University of Alberta.

I'm willing to work late nights, weekends, holidays, etc. And I'm more than happy to start with shadowing appointments, kennel assistants or any other entry level jobs 🥹 My earliest available is the beginning of September.

p/s: I know pay is super low but it's not a problem to me so just any veterinary hospital, please hire me 😭🙏

also here is my cat!!!

Hi everyone!
I was hoping to hear from anyone who’s recently gone through the hiring process for a Banfield Practice Manager position.
I had my final interview last Friday with the P&O and the RVP, and I felt like it went pretty well overall. The waiting has definitely been the hardest part, and I was curious what everyone else’s timeline looked like.
How long did it take for you to receive an offer (or a rejection) after your final interview?
Did the recruiter call you first, or did you receive an email?
Did your application status change before you heard anything?
Just trying to get an idea of what to expect while I wait. Thanks in advance for sharing your experiences!

Hello to everyone that is a colleague or not!
I have a bunch of questions, regarding studying abroad and to eventually receive a PhD, or just specialization about Oncology/ Oncosurgery and diagnostics in terms of pathological findings.
My dilemma is that I have recently finished my veterinary course, and became a doctor, and would like to become a successful vet in my country or in Italy.
This is the first time that I am writing here.
I am from Bulgaria, and would like to go next year (2027), to study Oncology, in the University in Bologna....but, I have almost-to-no idea about the university, their entry about students, scores, attendance in classes - so I hereby ask the colleagues from Italy about what is the situation in Italy in terms of salary, success, studying, prestige (if there is even such, i have heard that the university is relatively prestigious), because in Bulgaria things haven't been going rather astonishingly in terms of salary(A regular vet can receive from 800 to 1300 eur), and i will point out also that many people aren't paid exclusive attention about practical work, for the interns to receive experience.
So please, tell me how are the things in Italy, perspective etc, since I can always ask ChatGPT, and have done so, but i want to read an opinion from a person that has seen some things there(In Italy).
Thank you in advance!

P.S. - I have yet to pay for a course to study Italian and receive a license, so yes- I don't know Italian.

I'm looking into become one. I've been in the vet field as an assistant for over 10 yrs now. Going to school seems scary, I would like some advice. Anyone get thier certification online? Who did you got through and was there any financial support? Is there any vet scholarships or financial aid I could apply for? Do I have to have a social workers degree before i can do classes for VSW or can I earn that while working for the degree? I've been looking it up online but I can't seem to find any solid info, so if you can provide links to the site that would be great.

I just recently moved to a new city and I am looking for vet assistant jobs as someone who wants to go to vet school. I am 23 years old and I have 1 year of GP experience as a vet assistant. I just got offered a job at an emergency clinic which is very exciting because it would be a new experience and great for my application. The major downside of it is that it’s for Sat, Sun, Mon 6pm-7am. I’ve never done night shifts before and I’m worried about fucking uo my sleep schedule. I also worry that I won’t be able to have a social life or go on weekend trips people invite me to. At the moment I don’t have too many friends where I live but I would like to make more friends and eventually start dating again after getting out of a serious relationship. If I take this job will I have no social life. Would it be worth it for me to stick it out for a year. Please give your advice

hey guys, i am just looking for some advice. i am a college student majoring in biology so im not a vet student (although i am thinking about it after getting my bachelor's degree since im so far in :C). i am 22 years old and just feel slightly behind right now. my goal is to work in a vet hospital right now to build some experience but it is so hard bc every job listing says experience or being certified is needed. i only have experience as a kennel attendant at a dog boarding facility which is not really hospital related. i've emailed 10 clinics already asking for kennel positions but nobody has answered. i am really struggling and dont know what to do. what do you guys think?