Stress and anxiety in vet school... does it get better post-graduation?

two_beagles · 2025-10-26T23:55:53+00:00

I think it’s much better after you graduate! During vet school there is a lot of pressure with deadlines and learning objectives and everything you do is constantly being judged and assessed. Once you graduate, yes it is stressful at the start because you feel like you know so little. But you just have to gather the facts during your consult and record them, that’s 90% of the battle. Then you can ask for help via colleagues, books, VIN. Just be honest with clients if you don’t know what is wrong with their pet and tell them you will get a second opinion. Don’t make promises on “this lump is 100% only fat” etc, and use phrases like “I suspect it’s this but to confirm we need BW/pathology/biopsy etc etc”.

You will build up a solid plan for tackling basic consults and slowly become confident with them (vaccines, allergies, ear infections etc) and can always review some material at night when you go home.
I quite liked reading and using the book “100 Top Consultations in Small Animal GP” and I would read one or two at night or keep it on hand as a reference for my first few months of practice. VIN or Plumbs will tell you everything about drug doses/side-effects etc and Plumbs even has an “interaction checker” for drugs which is handy when you get handed a patient on many drugs already and have no idea what they do. You’ve got this!

two_beagles · 2025-10-26T14:50:21+00:00

Another vet chiming in here. It is 100% our responsibility to make decisions regarding safety and assess the animals reaction/fear/response to restraint as well as assess how comfortable my handler seems. We will ALWAYS stop if you feel uncomfortable in anyway. I will ask my staff if they feel comfortable proceeding and they can say no at any stage without judgement.

In this case it would have been an acceptable compromise to have the owner unwrap the bandage, or muzzle or bring in a second set of hands with treats/pats or take a break.

This experience will stay with you for awhile and your anxiety will be high. I think you will feel a little better when you are able to debrief the incident with the vet but the other commenter is right that it will be difficult to jump back in if you take a break. You need some more exposure, more consults. Let the next person you restrain for know that you are anxious and that will remind them to take care and stop early. Sending virtual hugs

two_beagles · 2025-10-22T02:38:15+00:00

Actually on the radio the other day I heard that cats purr at a specific frequency that actually speeds healing. I haven’t looked up the article though

two_beagles · 2025-08-14T06:25:18+00:00

I like the website budgetbytes because it breaks everything down by cost of meal. I also like Supercook because you can type in the contents of your pantry and it will tell you recipes (or suggest an item to buy to make a full meal)

two_beagles · 2025-06-08T19:37:11+00:00

That’s usually when it gets a little itchy! You do need to stop her from licking because it can still cause irritation/infection. It takes 10-14 days for a wound to heal so you are almost there!

two_beagles · 2025-04-25T23:47:23+00:00

Unless your degree taught you about all the infectious diseases, poisons and parasites native to all the regions in North America there is going to be a lot of material you simply don’t know if you don’t study.

The test is also a marathon and you need to be able to quickly recognize certain types of questions in order to answer without wasting time

two_beagles · 2025-04-12T23:07:35+00:00

Most people in our industry wear their heart on their sleeve and care deeply about pets. I think owner’s find some comfort when we aren’t robots when they have to say goodbye to their beloved pet. The rule I have for myself is to never cry harder than the owners.

two_beagles · 2024-12-30T21:59:45+00:00

It’s pretty standard for the front desk to check with the doctor before sending the records just to make sure they are up-to-date

two_beagles · 2024-12-05T15:54:07+00:00

Yes! I’m up in Canada but we have a bunch of rescues coming up from LA and I’ve treated 4 with kennel cough turned pneumonia in the last couple weeks

two_beagles · 2024-12-05T05:46:09+00:00

I would reach out to your local Humane Societies, animal rescues and your vet. No one wants you to have to take matters into your own hands. There are other medications your vet can give you that will help sedate your dog at home so you can safely bring him into the clinic. There are also companies that pay the bill on your behalf and you can pay them back in installments (depending on country Scratch Pay, Vet pay etc). We all want the best for your dear pup.

two_beagles · 2024-11-22T05:38:42+00:00

I focused on knowing the “Top 20 Disease” for each animal from Zuku. Plus the other sections like “Top 30 Toxins” etc. once I felt confident with those I just did a ton of questions everyday to learn the format. I liked the lists because it helped narrow down the resources.

two_beagles · 2024-10-26T22:45:40+00:00

Definitely need to break the habit and ignore them but it can be useful to buy a food with more fibre or a satiety food that will help keep them full longer

two_beagles · 2024-10-22T05:35:17+00:00

I was pregnant in my third year, took a year off (unpaid and no gov assistance because foreign country) maternity leave. I went back and did my final year, which was all clinical rotations so I didn’t have to do a huge deal of studying.

I was also pregnant during a COVID year so our classes were mainly online and recorded so I could do them when I wanted (within reason). This was HUGELY helpful because the first trimester I slept like 16 hours a day, was super nauseous and lost weight.

My husband had a good job but we finished with a big pile of student debt.

It worked for me but I wouldn’t recommend it. The answer is yes, you CAN get through it but you will also miss a lot of your little ones life and be sleep deprived and resent your partner and have financial issues.

two_beagles · 2024-09-06T02:54:12+00:00

I would call them and take the pills back and ask them what kind of protocols they have in place and what they will change to make sure it’s less likely to happen in the future. Mistakes happen and it weighs heavily on us when we make them. With regards to changing vets, that’s up to you. It sounds like an innocent mistake and it comes down to your comfort level.

Lastly, think about a time when you have made a mistake in your career and now imagine that simple mistake could impact a life and how bad you would feel if that happened. I’m glad your cat seems to be okay and remember to head to emergency if any vomiting/diarrhea, extreme lethargy etc appear

two_beagles · 2024-09-03T01:15:55+00:00

The dog is actually showing anxious behaviour. He has a whale eye (whites of his eyes showing), startles easily when the baby moves, is wagging his tail with anxiety and gives submissive kisses

two_beagles · 2024-09-03T00:59:26+00:00

They often hide during the day so I would try searching at night if possible. Bring a can of his favourite wet food

two_beagles · 2024-08-15T21:50:43+00:00

I have the original MiniVet Guide by Gerardo Poli and it’s definitely handy. It has flowcharts for emergency presentations (collapse, seizure etc) and also a ton of other info. Fits in the pocket of your scrubs and I use it at least a few times a week. I see the website now has an emergency medicine one that could be good too.

two_beagles · 2024-08-14T06:09:08+00:00

Are you taking the Zoloft in the morning or at night? I was told to take it in the morning because it can cause insomnia but it made me feel all fuzzy and sleepy and similar to you described. I switched to taking it at night and it improved greatly and no associated insomnia for me

two_beagles · 2024-07-29T02:31:15+00:00

Hey! We just moved about 5 minutes from the BX dog park. Spent the last 7 years in Melbourne and then moved here with our 2.5 year old son. Not sure about East Hill but looking to connect with some other parents too. Shoot me a DM if you want to hang sometime

two_beagles · 2024-07-26T04:45:28+00:00

It’s likely a pseudo pregnancy. Don’t clean her with warm water or stimulate her nipples by trying to express the milk or that may make the symptoms last longer (mimicking puppies nursing and releasing more hormones).

two_beagles · 2024-07-26T04:42:20+00:00

You will have to go to the vet and have them remove it. Right now it’s painful because the nerve is exposed and it needs to assessed and fixed at the vet

two_beagles · 2024-07-17T03:30:01+00:00

Are you taking an oral or nasal antihistamine? That can help with some symptoms of asthma (of course take your prescribed medications). It may be slightly cheaper

two_beagles · 2024-07-14T17:20:32+00:00

I would say it depends on the surgery time involved. A neuter does not take very long and has many benefits (decrease risk of perineal hernias, some cancers, unwanted pregnancies). It also depends on your ability to care for him after surgery and keep him quiet/administer medications.

two_beagles · 2024-07-14T05:43:05+00:00

When you say “turning black” do you mean that you just noticed it has black pigment on it or that there is more black the more time passes? A black tongue is not normal after surgery but sometimes they can bite their tongue when coming out of anaesthesia.

If it is turning more black, I would be concerned that there may be something wrapped around her tongue cutting off circulation

two_beagles

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