In honor of one year in the field, here are some things I’ve learned from veterinary assisting:
–75% of the people who have german shepherds probably shouldn’t have german shepherds.
–Cat people are a lot more willing to be honest about their pet’s temperament than dog people
. –Too many men don’t neuter their non-breeding male dogs because they see it as a threat to their own masculinity, which is just wild to me.
–People will jump to all kinds of conclusions about their pet’s past based on normal fear behaviors, so that they can feel like saviors.
–Sometimes the humans are more upset about the needles than their animals are.
–We need some kind of animal education program in schools so that people can learn basic dog and cat body language. Pets are everywhere in America, now more than ever, and we need to make sure the public understands how to interact with them so that no one gets hurt.
–Often, people’s expectations of their pets in the overstimulating environment of a clinic are too high.
–As a veterinary professional with the relevant experience and training, it’s easy to judge people’s pet care decisions. But empathy will get you a lot farther than judgement.
–Hunting hounds are often the sweetest and softest of dogs.
–Kittens at their very first visit are the most likely to go nuclear.
–People will see our scrubs and our competence, and be overcome with the desire to prove their knowledge to us.
–No one understands how boosters or parasite prevention work.
–Everyone wants to do what’s best for their pet, and everyone has a different definition of “what’s best”.
–Having a DVM does not make someone an expert in behavior, unless that’s their specialty. Some vets have absolutely whack ideas about dog training.
–Veterinarians who started out as assistants or technicians are the best to work with.
–Most veterinarians, if they could go back and pick again, would not choose to become veterinarians, which is extremely depressing. This is a problem we need to address if we want to have enough vets in the future.
–Animals are an amazing way to connect with other humans: I’ve never seen someone’s face light up as fast as when I compliment their cat’s cute markings or their dog’s adorable ears.
–You will be miserable in this field if you don’t like people, and you’ll burn out quickly if you don’t try to find a little bit of good in everyone. Some days that’s easier, some days it feels impossible.
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