This has been one hell of a week for me the
veterinarian. I’ve seen the best of pet
owners and the very worst humanity has to offer. It’s the worst cases that
weigh heavily on my heart today. I’m at a loss as to how to fix the overall ignorance
of more and more of the people walking into our hospital doors. At every single
turn we’re tossed road blocks and speed bumps that prevent us from upholding
the oath we take when we become veterinarians.
Not only are we prevented from upholding it, we are constantly told we
aren’t doing what we’re sworn to do by clueless individuals. These people have
no idea what the oath states and most assuredly no understanding for what those
words mean. Here’s what the veterinarians
before 2010 recited at their graduation ceremonies:
Being admitted to the profession of veterinary medicine, I solemnly
swear to use my scientific knowledge and skills for the benefit of society
through the protection of animal health, the relief of animal suffering, the
conservation of livestock resources, the promotion of public health and the
advancement of medical knowledge.
I will practice my profession conscientiously, with dignity and in
keeping with the principles of veterinary medical ethics. I accept as a
lifelong obligation the continual improvement of my professional knowledge and
competence.
Now here’s the “revised oath” adopted by the AVMA since 2010
and recited by every graduate of a veterinary school in the United States.
Being admitted to the profession of veterinary medicine, I solemnly
swear to use my scientific knowledge and skills for the benefit of society
through the protection of animal health and welfare, the prevention and relief
of animal suffering, the conservation of animal resources, the promotion of
public health, and the advancement of medical knowledge.
I will practice my profession conscientiously, with dignity, and in
keeping with the principles of veterinary medical ethics. I accept as a
lifelong obligation the continual improvement of my professional knowledge and
competence.
Read the words carefully. Where in there does it say that as
veterinarians we are obligated by our oath to give away our services for free?
Yes, we can and do eliminate suffering for animals presented to us by offering
humane euthanasia at no cost. Yes, we do stabilize an animal that is in shock and
pain until the owners can be found at no charge to the owner. Yes we do perform
many services, nursing and supportive care to our four legged patients in need,
often at a reduced or NO COST to the owner of the pet. But nowhere in that oath does it say we have
to vaccinate you pets for free, microchip your pets for free, give you free
medications to treat your pet that’s been sick for months all for free.
Nowhere does it say we are responsible for your decision to
NOT vaccinate your 10 month old puppy and then have to give you all the
medications necessary to treat the same puppy because it contracted parvo due
to YOUR negligence.
Nowhere does it say we have to perform the third C-section
on your dog because you refuse to have her spayed after the first difficult
pregnancy. You didn’t think her “son”
would breed with her since they were “related” even after we told you that
doesn’t matter in the animal kingdom!
Nowhere does it say that we have to keep treating each and
every new puppy you bring into our clinic with parvo FOR FREE because you didn’t
listen to us when we told you the virus is deadly and can survive in the
environment for at least six months to a year. We BEGGED you not to bring
another puppy into your contaminated house and yard and yet you decided you and
Dr. Google knew better than those of us who “took an oath.”
I take my oath very seriously that’s why I spend the time
with you in the exam room and on the many phone calls you make to my hospital
daily. I’m not trying to “rip you off” by recommending “unnecessary” tests. I’m
trying to give the information you need to make informed decisions about the
care and wellbeing of your pet. Part of
that oath I took implores me to “protect animal health and welfare.” I’m trying
to do that by recommending the appropriate vaccinations for your pet’s
lifestyle, the proper flea control methods and heartworm preventatives. I’m “promoting public health” by discussing
and recommending flea control for all of your pets, routine dewormings and
fecal testing. Many diseases can be
spread to humans through parasites that infect animals. This is part of my job
daily…and the bane of my life as a veterinarian.
Why? Because so
called experts online and those in the community who’ve “owned pets all their lives”
claim to know more than I do and tell many of my clients to ignore all vets. “You
don’t need that fancy flea control. Just feed your animals garlic.” “You don’t
need no heartworm prevention. I’ve had dogs for over 30 years and not one of
them have ever got it.” “They’re all
about money.”
Not in my hospital. Each and every one of my colleagues,
nursing staff, and receptionists bust their butts daily for the health and
wellbeing of our patients and their owners.
We work short-handed and hours after our scheduled shifts to make sure
our patients get the care they need. We hold our patients in their last moments
on this earth when their owners couldn’t bear to watch them die or just didn’t
want to deal with them anymore.
At the beginning of the week, I had to step in and tell a pet owner enough was enough.
No amount visits to my office or specialists were going to bring back their
beloved Dalmatian to his glory. The poor thing was in full dementia, could no
longer stand and refused to eat. He continued to yelp out in pain and at times
for no apparent reason. This wasn’t the dog I first saw in my office many years
ago. This was a shell of skin and bones the owner clung to. Both were suffering and I had to beg
my client to please let me take away his best friend’s pain.
So the next time you think veterinarians are just out to get
your money, think about that Dalmatian and his best friend and owner. Think about YOUR responsibility as the owner
and guardian of your own pets. Maybe if perspective pet owners had to take an
oath such as the one I had to take, there wouldn’t be so many unwanted animals
in the shelters.
Maybe there still wouldn’t be so many unvaccinated puppies
dying of distemper and parvovirus annually. Maybe there wouldn’t be owners just callously
tossing their little Yorkie aside because they didn’t want to be bothered with
the nursing care it would take to save her. Instead, they tossed a hundred dollar bill
down and walked out munching on their McMuffin as they went.
Maybe there would be more people setting up relief
organizations that help pet owners with the cost of the care of their pets instead
of pushing it off onto veterinarians and overcrowded shelters because we “took
an oath.”
Maybe there would be more people spreading the CORRECT
information about what it takes to keep pets healthy instead of perpetuating
mistruths and Old Wives tales as facts.
And maybe there wouldn’t be such a high rate of burn out in
this profession. Walk a few days in my
shoes and you’ll learn a hell of a lot more than you ever wanted to know about
the joys and the sorrows of being a veterinarian or veterinary technician. The fuzzy kittens and chubby puppies will
steal your heart while the injuries and diseases that attack them will shatter
it into a million pieces.
~Dr. Tammy
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