To those who cast aspersions on my profession…
A friend posted pictures today of her pup having heightened vaccine side effects. While she trusts and respects us, the comments posted to her page were insulting and enlightening.
Comments like these, inevitably make me angry, then deeply saddened. I have dedicated the last 15 years of my life to educating myself, both formally (earning a degree in animal science) and informally (taking over 100 hours of continuing education every year to stay current), on the subject of animal welfare and medicine.
When people ask me I can honestly say I love my job, but when people ask me about becoming a Registered Veterinary Technician, I emphatically tell them not to do it. The job includes low pay, long hours, and often no appreciation or understanding of what we do, other than from our peers and a few special clients. We are constantly second-guessed and questioned by clients because their neighbors told them this, Google told them that, or they read some article written by some quack with not an ounce of medical knowledge. Consider the source of your information. Make sure you get it from an educated and reputable resource. Just because someone claims to be an expert, doesn’t mean that they are!
I have never and will never make any recommendations for a client’s pet that I have not and would not do for my pet in the same circumstances. We spend every day educating people and falling in love with our patients. We watch these same patients grow into adulthood and then old age. We give them preventative care and nurse them when they get sick. We know the heartache of caring for an animal from its first kitten or puppy visit, until our last act of mercy when we help them cross the rainbow bridge and we do this over and over again, day in and day out. We have the strength to do what is right even when it hurts.
So the next time you question our knowledge and integrity as individuals or as a profession, please consider all I have said.
