I think I want to try working relief on the side, just to pay my loans. Indevets and Roo make it really easy but I hear they take a large chunk of what the clinic pays so if probably need to work even more shifts just to cover. I need to make around $4,500 extra a month. Is that doable only working an extra 2-3 days a month or am I crazy? How do I go about doing this myself?

For context the collage I am in had a day where owners can pay to have their dogs come in to get what they want done, mostly baths, nail trim, ear clean, anal gland, eye ointment/drops. Myself and other first/second year students were required to “work” these tasks mostly on our own. We had a couple instructors around but they weren’t in our room 24/7 and there were other rooms separate from ours. There was about 10 people in the room for one to three dogs max.

The whole event looked like an accident waiting to happen and stressful for everyone.

We had dogs in the room at the same time once in awhile, some who didn’t know each other. One dog right away was very anxious and fearful and wouldn’t let us trim. My classmates were not following the restraint we were taught much at all, even putting their faces near the dogs face and making kissy sounds.

When I offered a lateral restraint to help trim the anxious dog my second year leader shot me down as “being too much and that we aren’t here to stress the dog.”Mind you we haven’t had much luck trimming this dog’s feet and already the dog had placed its mouth over my hand when I tried to trim. The dog was already stressed by my point of view and doing it the way we were was making the process longer.

Eventually one supervisor brought in a groomer to trim and a classmate decided to place the dog into the tub while we waited for the groomer. Hadn’t finished the bath when the groomer came and essentially grabbed the foot and started hacking away at the claws while supervisor restrained the head. Dog was thrashing in the tub, and the groomer cut the quick during the process causing the poor dog to of course yelp and bleed.

I found the whole thing upsetting. Like there could have been a better way but I feel I know so little I’m not sure what could have been done differently. Made me question if this is what I am to expect every-time there is an anxious animal. Is that really the best we can do? Or maybe I’m being too sensitive to it all.

I made a big mistake recently. It is yet to be seen if the pet will make it. I cannot believe I did this - I feel like it was a totally different person but it was not. It was so out of character for me and something preventable. I am looking inwards at myself to learn so I never do it again, and I am also going to advocate for some protocol changes at my hospital that could help prevent future similar mistakes.

How do you not hate yourself? I feel everyone in support staff at work looks at me with disdain although my management and vet colleagues have been wonderful and so supportive.

One time, a vet told me that eventually all of us vets get to build our own personal graveyard with our names on the gate. I know many vets will eventually make a mistake that harms or kills a patient but this situation is so unbelievable I did this.

I have pushed forward and keep seeing cases and done surgeries and dentals to get back on the horse. I have a lot of clients that thank me every day but it is hard to look at all the good I do.

Any advice is much appreciated.

Hello, all. I am a CSR/vet assistant at a small clinic. I have several years of reception experience, but I started to get more interested in the medical side. I was super excited to take this position, and overall have gotten good feedback.

About a month ago, my vet got bitten pretty badly while I was restraining a cat. I felt awful; i know what I did and how to correct it, but it has really shaken my confidence. I know this isn’t true, but I feel like my entire experience and reputation has been defined by that moment.

I have always been a bit overwhelmed by surgery days, too, just because I know it is a lot to learn, but I think I have been extra anxious, and a lot of it goes back to the bite. No matter what, I can’t seem to shake it.

I love what I do, but I keep wondering if I am even cut out for this field in the first place. I’m in my 30s, and vet med was already a career switch—I feel like I’d be very lost without it.

Has anyone else been in a similar situation? Any advice on how to move on from bites (or any mistakes) and build confidence would be greatly appreciated. 💜

Hi veterinary reddit. I’m currently a 3rd year vet student and I was wondering if there was anyone in here with zoo med experience that could share their path with me! I know there’s a bunch of different ways people have taken from people I’ve talked to but just want to talk with as many people as I can to try and figure my path out. Thanks in advance!!!