Dr. Chris Bern
21 Years Experience
Cartersville, GA
Male, 49
I have been a practicing veterinarian since 1997, but have been in and around the profession since 1984. I am a general practitioner and see most pet species, from dogs and cats to parrots and snakes. In my job I do everything from routine vaccinations to complex surgeries and difficult medical cases. Becoming a vet takes hard work and dedication but can be very rewarding.
Spend time working in a veterinary clinic. It's a lot different than what many people think. It's a lot of hard work, you don't get paid much, you literally risk injury every day, and you deal with many gross things. You simply don't know if you can handle all of that until you spend some time working side-by-side with vets.
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Unfortunately it sounds like your kitty has several serious conditions, which together make for difficult treatment. Subcutaneous fluids are normally one of the best treatments for end-stage renal disease. However, I can't give advice on this case as to whether or not the treatment is safe without much more information. I'd want to actually see the radiographs and other blood tests besides what you have reported, and also the results of a physical exam. Even then I couldn't give accurate advice without personally having seen your cat. You really need to talk to your own vet about this, as they know your cat's complete condition better than I.
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Communication skills! This is likely the top skill that will help every veterinarian. I've seen some vets with incredible medical and surgical skill who have rather sorry people skills and have a hard time developing clientele. Being comfortable talking to people and having a good ability to connect with them is going to be the single most useful non-medical skill. A great communicator can handle a cranky client when a case goes bad. A poor communicator will have a hard time keeping a client happy when everything goes well.
Emotional resiliency is another useful skill. As a vet you go through some incredible highs and lows throughout a day. You lose patients you've grown attached to. You have clients get mad at you when you've done everything correctly. You get overwhelmed with the number of cases you have to see in the course of a day. You get staff that can be difficult. All of that can combine to make it really tough to maintain a positive outlook and handle the stresses of the job. Someone with a steady emotional outlook or who has good coping mechanisms is going to be more successful at getting through those challenges.
A good head for business is also extremely helpful. Even if you don't own the clinic, having a good understanding of charges and how to keep the doors open will keep you from giving everything away and potentially sending the practice into bankruptcy. Knowing how the charges are figured and what goes into them will also help you feel less guilty when charging a client, as you know that the prices really are reasonable for the service.
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Talk to your local vet about this. If a tooth is loose because of a bad infection this should probably take priority. However, you'd need a vet to actually look at your dog to determine what is necessary to be done first.
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Private Detective
Has anyone ever caught you surveilling them, and what happened?
Hospice Nurse
Do most patients in hospice know they are going to die soon?
Professional Poker Player
Are you worried that online poker is rigged?
I've always been fascinated by animals and science and loved watching nature shows growing up. For me it was just a natural progression from an interest in biology to wanting to help the animals. That interest started very young, and I just made the decision that I would become a vet. It was such a strong desire that I never stopped trying for it.
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We have similar malpractice insurance, but it costs FAR less than our human colleagues. What an average human physician pays for in a month would cover a vet for a year. Thankfully I've never had a malpractice claim filed against me, and hopefully never will.
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Ask them to show you statistical and scientific proof. And I'm not talking about a blog, opinion piece, or a naturopath who is against all traditional medicine. Ask them for peer-reviewed journal articles which have been scientifically proven to support their belief.
I'll help you out here....they won't find that evidence.
Are there risks to vaccinations and preventative medications? Sure. But ask them for something that carries no risks at all....such things don't exist. With modern medicines we have decidedly saved lives and prevented diseases in countless numbers. Ask anyone whose dog has died of parvo virus if they would have preferred to have had the puppy vaccinated. Ask anyone who has had to spend hundreds of dollars on heartworm treatment if they would have rather purchased preventative.
Vaccines to NOT cause cancer and do NOT increase the likelihood of autoimmune diseases. These claims have been studied and found to be false. Monthly heartworm and flea preventatives are safe and effective for the vast majority of pets (when used appropriately) and have saved millions of pets from serious disease.
If these people continue to question you, direct them to my blog (avetsguidetolife.blogspot.com) and I'd be happy to have a discussion with them.
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