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.
Great question! Let's start with pit bulls. Personally I'm not a fan simply because I don't like their look. But as far as personality and behavior, they're great. I would trust an average pit bull over an average chihuahua or shih-tzu any day of the week! Most pits I've worked with are sweethearts, and I hate that they have a bad reputation. Can they bite? Sure. But there isn't a breed I've worked with that doesn't have bad apples. I've had more Labrador and Golden retrievers try and bite me than pit bulls, but I still consider those breeds friendly dogs.
Rottweilers are a bit different. I have had many that are great dogs, but just as many that were "sketchy" and potentially aggressive. This is not a breed of which I am a fan in general, but I've had some that are in my favorite patients category. As a veterinary professional, this is one of the breeds that I'm cautious around until I get to know them.
I don't have specific statistics, but I don't think they are more likely to bite than other breeds. In fact, some of the data I've seen put dogs like lhasa apsos at a higher bite risk. I know that insurance companies consider these breeds more dangerous. Personally I think that this is due to the amount of damage they can do rather than their likelihood of attacking. If a chihuahua bites me, I might have to have a few stitches. If a pit bull bites me I'm probably going to end up in the hospital. I'm more likely to be bit by the smaller dog but am more likely to be seriously injured by the larger one. Then it becomes a matter of deciding if "dangerous" is based on the risk of being bitten or the risk of severe damage.
I don't think either of these breeds should be outlawed, or any other breed for that matter. The majority of dogs who are dangerous have become so because of lack of training, improper socialization, or abuse. If we focus on the cause rather than the breed, we can help solve the problem. Breeding for disposition and behavior combined with proper training is the answer....not passing a breed-specific law.
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Let me first burst your bubble and say that NOTHING in veterinary medicine has a salary competitive with the human medical field. Whatever you make in my field will have a salary 2-3 times higher for a comparative position in human medicine.
Currently there really isn't a demand for veterinary ultrasound techs, at least as far as I know. Most of the time the vet does the ultrasound themselves, even specialists. It's very uncommon for the tech to do the exam and then pass the results on to the vet for interpretation. So if you're going to get extensive training in sonography it will probably be wasted in the veterinary profession unless you're a vet yourself.
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First, let me say that I haven't worked with horses since around 1996 while I was in vet school, so my equine medicine is quite rusty.
That being said, this does sound reasonable. Tetanus shots are very important as horses are highly susceptible to this disease (interestingly, dogs and cats are NOT and therefore don't need tetanus vaccination). Barbed wire can cause some nasty wounds, depending on how badly the horse was caught on it. Sometimes it may need cleaning, stitching, and antibiotics. In more severe cases it may require some reconstructive surgery, regular bandage changes with topical medications, and so on. So part of how it is treated depends on how severe the wound is.
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Spaying and neutering a cat is typically done between 4 and 6 months old, though many shelters perform this surgery at young as 8 weeks old. Each vet has their own typical comfort level regarding the age at which they will "fix" a pet.
Puberty and the associated hormonal surges happen around 7-9 months old in dogs and cats. When an male cat who isn't neutered hits that point they may start to urinate ("spray") to mark their territory. However, there can be other behavioral and medical reasons why a cat may urinate outside of the litter box, so if you're concerned talk to your vet.
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Talk to your vet more about this case, as I'd have to have the full case work-up to give any reasonable advice. I'm also careful about giving specific advice via the internet, as I don't have a proper relationship with the pet to be truly informed. A couple of things come to mind, though. First, make sure that she has been getting NOTHING other than her food for that time period. And I mean absolutely, positively, NOTHING. No treats, no sneaking another pet's food, no eating scraps out of the sink, and so on. If there is a true food allergy you should see results in about 10-12 weeks on that food. But if there is ANY deviation at all during that time it could activate the allergy.
Second, she may need to see a dermatology specialist. This is not uncommon as skin and allergy cases can be difficult and frustrating. Talk to your vet about this option.
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I was 9 years old when I first realized that I wanted to be a vet. I already loved animals and science, and it was a natural progression.
Becoming a vet was definitely different from my expectations! I had worked in the field for about 13 years prior to graduating so I thought I had a good idea. The longer I practiced the more I realized that there were politics, communication issues, managing staff, and many other concerns that I had never considered. I also didn't realize that the job could be so mentally draining because of the stress of trying to figure out complicated cases. And then there are the very long days sometimes without a lunch break. No matter what I thought I knew, actually being a vet was different.
I'm a small animal general practitioner. That means that I'm a jack of all trades, master of none. Most of my patients are dogs and cats, but almost every day I'll see an "exotic" pet, such as a tortise, rat, cockatiel, etc. I have special interests in behavior and soft tissue surgery, but I'm not specialized in those areas.
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First of all, you get to work with animals, which may people enjoy. You also help strengthen the bond between animals and people, help heal the sick and injured, and relieve suffering. The salary isn't bad, though is not as high as most people think.
The downsides is the rather frightening debt-to-income ratio, which is reaching a true crisis. You also work long, often hard hours. And it's frequently disgusting with daily doses of urine, feces, pus, and blood.
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