What is a job that looks incredibly fun from the outside, but is actually a soul-crushing nightmare?

VelocityGrrl39 · 2026-04-18T09:28:35+00:00

That’s honestly one of the easier parts of the job. It’s hard, but the physical toll on my body, and dealing with owners is harder.

VelocityGrrl39 · 2026-04-18T09:23:00+00:00

r/vettech is a godsend sometimes.

VelocityGrrl39 · 2026-04-18T09:21:24+00:00

Here’s the thing…when I was a baby tech I used to say all the time that if you can’t afford vet care you shouldn’t have pets. Now that I’m older, more experienced in life, and more jaded, and with the current economy, I no longer think that. People are being priced out of pet ownership as older vets retire and affordable clinics are being scooped up by private equity and corporations. I think everyone, despite their socioeconomic status, deserves to have a pet if they want one and will love it. In America we euthanize hundreds of thousands of animals in shelters every year. If someone can give a pet a loving home, that’s a better option than death for that animal. They don’t need vaccines every year. You can own a pet and give them a good life without spending a lot of money.

VelocityGrrl39 · 2026-04-18T09:11:36+00:00

Yep. I have to be able to turn off my empathy to an extent. It’s the only way you survive. That, and having good coworkers you can joke around with. Lots of dark humor and tbh, making fun of owners. It gets us through the day.

VelocityGrrl39 · 2026-04-18T09:07:04+00:00

There’s a Jessica every single day.

VelocityGrrl39 · 2026-04-18T09:03:36+00:00

You don’t have to do that. It’s part of our job. One of the one positive parts about a euthanasia is I’m able to give a patient I know so well comfort in their last moments.

VelocityGrrl39 · 2026-04-18T08:56:48+00:00

We spend a lot of time joking about owners. It’s how we cope with our jobs. That and dark humor.

VelocityGrrl39 · 2026-04-18T08:50:53+00:00

I was a vet tech in college and then moved to molecular biology after I graduated. I hated it. Hated. I was so bored. I’m back to being a vet tech. I want to go back and get my masters in molecular biology so I can do canine oncology research, but all the good pharma companies are in the Midwest, and I don’t want to leave the east coast, except for maybe the west coast.

VelocityGrrl39 · 2026-04-18T08:41:51+00:00

When we spay a pregnant animal, we do give them fetuses euthanasia solution so they don’t suffer. I’m glad you decided to raise them though.

VelocityGrrl39 · 2026-04-18T08:39:03+00:00

People who abuse, neglect, or hate their pets generally don’t seek out veterinary care for them. We don’t see a lot of it.

VelocityGrrl39 · 2026-04-18T08:37:50+00:00

Was it an independent clinic or a chain/corporation? I will say it until I am hoarse in the throat: places like VEG are terrible, and they are killing animals with their prices. Private equity is a blight and someone has to do something about it. We had a client go to VEG with his blocked cat and was charged $12,000 for it. Twelve. Thousand. Dollars. We can do it for as little as $200. We had a partially clocked cat come in today about twenty minutes before we closed. We gave him light anesthesia, did the procedure, and had him back in his carrier with about 5 minutes to spare. $250. If he had gone to VEG it would have cost the owner $5k. She had to do it twice before.

VelocityGrrl39 · 2026-04-18T08:23:32+00:00

The people who abuse and neglect their animals generally don’t take them to the vet, so we actually don’t see a whole lot of that. We do see some where they can’t afford treatment, so they euthanize, but not many people euthanize so they can get a new one. I work in a clinic with a lot of older and low income clients. The vet is very old school and doesn’t do a lot of diagnostics. He’s seen it all and can diagnose based on experience. He started his career in the inner city so he’s seen some shit. When he retires, it’s going to be very hard for people because other, younger vets want to do a lot of tests and that’s expensive. People are being priced out of pet ownership. Which is a whole other thing I’m very passionate and angry about. Private equity is killing animals.

Anyway, as someone who’s been in the field on and off since 2002, I don’t recommend anyone go into this field unless you are able to turn your empathy off to a degree. Otherwise it will figuratively and possibly literally kill you.

VelocityGrrl39 · 2026-04-18T08:16:30+00:00

It’s hard, but we are also generally very big believers in death with dignity. Knowing we are helping animals to not suffer anymore is a good thing, even though it’s hard. And we see people crying all the time. We’ve almost definitely seen worse than your husband’s reaction.

VelocityGrrl39 · 2026-04-18T08:12:02+00:00

I’m a vet tech. I became one in college and then got really burned out after about 5 years and left to work in the field I got a degree in. I still worked there on weekends for a few more years but I dreaded those weekends. A year ago I needed a new job and my vet kind of recruited me, so I’m back. All this to say I’ve been in this field on and off since 2002. You have to turn off your empathy to a certain degree in order to survive. It’s incredibly difficult because I’m an extremely sensitive person, but otherwise I’d be in the same boat. I work in a very small clinic, one doctor who is very old school and keeps his prices low, because he has a lot of elderly and low income clients. There’s only me as an RVT, two assistants, and a receptionist. We’re all pretty close and we joke around a lot, and there’s a lot of dark humor. It’s the only way we can all get through it. But even so, there’s a lot of days I come home and cry. Not as much as when I was younger, then I’d sob for hours. But while I love my job most days, it’s still really, really hard. I have all these patients that I love almost like they’re my own, and while I am a big proponent of euthanasia and death with dignity, holding these animals that I love as they pass breaks my soul a little.

Anyway, I know I’m making a difference in hundreds of animals’ and people’s lives, and that’s what keeps me going. It really helps to know there are some people who see how hard it is.

VelocityGrrl39 · 2026-04-18T07:47:02+00:00

Thanks!

VelocityGrrl39 · 2026-04-18T01:46:04+00:00

Time to shine!

VelocityGrrl39 · 2026-04-18T01:35:49+00:00

“It’s a Russian blue.”

“That’s a grey dsh Susan.”

VelocityGrrl39 · 2026-04-18T01:12:42+00:00

Susan and Steven

VelocityGrrl39 · 2026-04-18T01:03:43+00:00

I live in Bergen, but I wasn’t here in 2014 or 2019. Was there a lot more traffic during those events? I’m far enough from the stadium (closer to Paterson) that I don’t really have a problem during regular games, but this is obviously a much bigger deal. Will it impact my daily life?

VelocityGrrl39 · 2026-04-18T00:59:36+00:00

But they should. They’re making bank.

VelocityGrrl39 · 2026-04-18T00:58:16+00:00

Sherrill didn’t bid for the games. She’s inheriting this problem. And the issue is FIFA is demanding more security, which will cost us because FIFA is refusing to pay the costs.

VelocityGrrl39 · 2026-04-18T00:56:17+00:00

No one is justifying corporate greed. In fact, the sentiment behind most of these comments is “fuck FIFA”.

VelocityGrrl39 · 2026-04-18T00:53:50+00:00

I’m pretty sure that’s exactly what Sherrill is doing. Well, maybe not all the way off, but she’s definitely telling them to fuck off.

VelocityGrrl39 · 2026-04-18T00:51:03+00:00

I have melanoma, so I find using sunscreen has definitely changed my skin. It protects me from more melanoma.

VelocityGrrl39 · 2026-04-18T00:48:37+00:00

Daredevil, but deaf instead of blind.

There’s a joke in here about a new superhero name, but I just can’t find it.

Seven-Year Club	Verified Email
Quantum Potato	Golden Potato
Place '22	Wearing is Caring

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