For the Love of the Job

“When I was younger, I wanted to be a vet.”

“You are so lucky that you get to play with puppies and kitties all day.”

“I don’t know how you do it. I could never put an animal to sleep.”

These are statements that are said to people in the veterinary field on a daily basis. To be honest, there are days that I don’t know how we do it either. Jobs in the veterinary field can be incredibly rewarding just as they can be exhausting and emotionally taxing. Puppies and kitties are fun, but they are just a small fraction of the cases that we see on a daily basis. We also see adult animals for well visits and animals, young and old, come to us to help them feel better. Some of these animals are quite sick and no amount of care can save them. These days are always the hardest.

There is no “average” day because no two days are the same. Yet, many of us would not change that for the world. This is, after all, why we got into veterinary medicine. The good days make the hard ones a little easier to bear. Our passion for the art of medicine and the love of our patients, and their people, make the work fulfilling. On the days that threaten to break our hearts, we try to remember that we are the lucky ones. Our days are not filled with mundane tasks and the people and patients we serve are thankful for the love that we pour into our work. And yes, sometimes, we get to play with puppies and kitties.