As A Vet Tech, What Advice Would I Have Given Myself Ten Years Ago?

I have been a veterinary technician for many years. Hopefully, I won’t have to tell you how long, because I don’t want to admit how long I have been out of college.

Anyway, this can be a very rewarding career. You can help animals live a long and healthy life, by giving their owner’s advice. We can help them make the right decisions in order to give their pets the best life possible.

When they aren’t feeling their best, we can help make them feel better. This may involve medications, though if they need to be hospitalized, we will be there every step of the way.

That being said, it is not a very easy job. Most days, you won’t be able to leave on time. There are days when the phone doesn’t stop ringing. You may have appointments canceled last minute (or not show up), and then have three people show up at once!

As a long-time technician, you may be wondering what advice I would give myself ten years ago. Here are some things that I would love to tell my younger self.

Even though you are going to be helping animals, a large part of your job is going to be dealing with their owners. Since animals can't talk, you have to talk to their owners. You are going to have to educate them so that they can keep their pets as healthy as possible. 

That being said, you are also going to need to rely on them when their pets are not feeling well. However, this can be very stressful for them. They may not know exactly what is going on. They may also say some hurtful things, just because they can't think properly. 

You are also going to be dealing with money, which can be quite uncomfortable. The simple truth is that, in veterinary medicine, many choices come down to the cost. Many owners have to pick and choose what they can do for their pets due to the amount of money it is going to cost. 

For that reason, you are going to be spending a lot of time talking about different procedures and what they are going to cost. These conversations are often uncomfortable, so you are going to have to get over that quickly. 

Euthanasia isn't always a bad choice. There are going to be times when euthanasia is the only solution (or at least the best one). Though you got into this career to help animals, you are going to learn quickly that letting a pet go may be the best thing for him or her. 

You are also going to learn that sometimes euthanasia has to be done due to the cost. Sometimes owners have to make the difficult decision to put their pet down, simply because they can't afford the diagnostics and treatment. These are never easy.

That being said, you may want to find a veterinarian who is picky when it comes to euthanasia. The veterinarian I work with now won't put just any animal to sleep. She needs to see good reasoning behind it. Choosing to euthanize a healthy pet simply because the owners can't handle it isn't going to work for me. It probably won't work for you either! 

There are going to be days when you need a spare set of clothing. This is a messy career. There will be days when you get urinated and defecated on, and when you get both at once! Sometimes, you might go home with vomit or diarrhea on your shirt.

Abscesses are also a big part of the job. There are times when they squirt all over your clothes, leaving that smell with you all day.

You need to marry someone who understands your career. When you first start, you quickly learn that you have no idea when you are getting home. Even though you close at five, doesn't necessarily mean that you are going to leave by five thirty or six o'clock. 

You may even find yourself working evenings and weekends. You may miss some important family occasions due to this. Your spouse (and family) need to understand what they signed up for! 

In fact, you need to have a good support system. I wouldn't be able to work without my supportive family. When I am running late, I have two parents (plus plenty of aunts and uncles) who will make sure that someone will be able to take care of my children if something comes up. This often happens last minute! 

When I first started out in the veterinary career many years ago, I had no idea what I was getting into. I just wanted to help animals. Years later, I realized that I am helping the owners just as much as the animals. In fact, I feel like I spend more time with the owners than I do with their pets!

I also never realized that money would be a topic of conversation every day. It took me a long time to get comfortable talking about money, especially when estimates were over five hundred dollars. However, it is a big part of the job. I have to help owners balance what they can afford and how we can help their pets. This isn't always simple, but it can be rewarding when you can find something that works for everyone.

However, I wouldn't be where I am without my supportive husband and family. My husband doesn't question me if I come home two hours after the office closed. He doesn't mind when I have to rush in on the weekends to help. 

I also couldn't do it without my parents and other family members, especially now that I have children. Someone is always going to make sure that my children are being taken care of.

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Previously published on Medium and/or Newsbreak.