“You killed my dog”…”How could you charge so much”…”You are
just a liar”…”Well my veterinarian would never do that”…”You don’t care about
me or my cat”…”It’s your fault, you fix it”..
These words have been repeating constantly in my mind. It had really been a crazy day all along with
high stress employees and demanding clients, but words like these at the very
end of the day was just the “icing on the cake”. I sat in my office chair for over 40 minutes
listening to a disgruntled client. I was
at the bottom of my tank with nothing left to give. Do I yell back? Do I blame her for her irresponsible actions
that caused this situation? I did
nothing….but sit and shake. My arm pits
were sweating so much that drops were rolling down my side. I had fear, frustration, and anger. Others may have been strong enough to just
slam the phone down to end the conversation.
I couldn’t…it was like a train wreck and I just couldn’t
disconnect. I was frozen in place.
A recent study by American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) in 2015 showed that 1 in 6 veterinarians have considered suicide. That is four times higher than the normal population. The study didn’t list the reasons why but as with any medical field, high demand psychological distress could play a role. Veterinarians want to work with animals, not deal with conflicting staff or upset clients. We want to work as a team not against an owner. We get discussed also when a treatment doesn’t work. You may think we just don’t care and we will avoid calling you back and hope the problem goes away or you take it somewhere else. But in reality…we are in the text book looking at the symptoms again (yes we still use our college books and resources), we are calling other veterinarians and consultants, we are trying to revisit every part of the case, not just that day but any previous appointments, calls, or history. Did we miss something? Was it our fault? What if I had...
I once heard that veterinarians were one of the most trusted
professions. I thought that fact was
AMAZING (whether it was true or not) and took pride that I would be a part of
that group. My opinion and suggestion
would be valued. I took that
responsibility seriously and not only learned as much as I could but also gave
fair and honest advice. I shouldn’t
charge too much, just cover the bare costs.
Every time the cost rises, my gut twists with the thought of raising my
price. Maybe I could lower the markup a
little more. Maybe the cost of fuel,
electricity or propane won’t go up.
Maybe I can get one more year out of my vehicle.
Back to those words haunting my mind. I am frozen, shaking, and feeling the
bottom. Every time, but I must press
on. I can’t be afraid to answer the
phone again. I can’t avoid the next
appointment that has been waiting 30 minutes.
The next one might want to work together to treat the illness. The next rancher might value my opinion and
follow my recommendations. I might get
another thank-you letter from a 4-Her or a little girl and her best friend (the
cat we found for her). The next person
through the door may be someone who brings us banana bread “just because”. That person who stops me outside the bank
maybe wants to say “great job, Doc, Rascal feels so much better”.
“Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many
sparrows.” Luke 12 7
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