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Diffusing Difficult Situations with Veterinary Clients
In the fast-paced and stressful world of veterinary medicine, conflicts are inevitable. Very often these disagreements involve upset or angry clients who make statements like “you’re only in it for the money” or “you should have been able to figure out my pet’s problem by now”. When our self-image is challenged, particularly with accusations of […]
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Navigating the Top Stressors in Veterinary Practice
In the heartwarming yet challenging realm of veterinary practice, we, the dedicated professionals, often find ourselves juggling an array of stressors that shape our daily lives. Acknowledging these challenges is not just a necessity for our mental wellbeing; it’s a vital step toward nurturing a compassionate and supportive community. Let’s dive into the most common […]
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Defining Futile Care and Its Impact on Wellbeing in Veterinary Medicine
As an emergency and critical care specialist, I can wholeheartedly attest to providing futile care to patients whose owners who would not consent to euthanasia or discontinuation of intensive care. I remember one dog in particular who had a collapsing trachea that was stented and then had progression of his disease resulting in laryngeal and […]
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Stop Being a Martyr and Start Modeling Healthy Behavior
It is one of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to instilling wellness into the veterinary profession…veterinary care providers who would rather be a martyr than model good behavior for their colleagues and staff. I’ve seen it all too often: the veterinarian who always stays late to see the end-of-the-day emergency, the technician who […]
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10 Tips for Improving Your Sleep Hygiene
Approximately 1 in 3 people struggle with insomnia, which is the inability to fall asleep or stay asleep at least three nights per week during which adequate sleep is possible. I am no exception to this statistic and have struggled with insomnia off and on throughout my adult life. Most of the time, insomnia occurs […]
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Three things that you can do to help reduce the rate of suicide among veterinary professionals
A serious stigma regarding mental health exists in the veterinary profession and it’s time for it to stop. Much of the discussion regarding mental health in the veterinary profession recently has focused on ways to reduce the high rate of suicide, which is 2.5 to 3.5 times more common among male and female veterinarians than […]
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I welcome the day when we can say “I’m taking a leave for my mental health”
I remember when I was an assistant professor at the University of Guelph Ontario Veterinary College and struggling to maintain my mental health. I have a longstanding history of depression and anxiety and after just four years on faculty I was experiencing burnout. This was long before my foray into veterinary wellbeing and I did […]
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Is empathy good or bad for veterinary caregivers?
The research is clear in human medicine: patients have better outcomes when they are managed by a physician who demonstrates empathy. Patients of empathic doctors communicate more openly, follow doctor’s orders more closely, and have improved outcomes. No doubt the same is true for pet owners and animals when it comes to empathic veterinary caregivers; […]
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Have you ever wondered which veterinarians have negative attitudes about mental health and why?
It is widely known that the rates of psychological distress and suicide are higher among veterinarians (especially females) compared to the general population. However, you may be surprised to learn that veterinarians also have a more pronounced stigma regarding mental illness and treatment compared to the average person. A study published in 2015 investigated risk […]
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Five Tips for Battling Burnout in Veterinary Practice
Do you feel emotionally drained by your clients? Are you frustrated by your work or feel that you are working too hard? Does working with people all day require massive effort? Have you stopped caring what happens to some of your patients? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you are probably […]
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Five Tips for Building Better Boundaries (aka Saving Your Sanity!)
Veterinarians are notorious for struggling to maintain healthy boundaries. I cannot tell you have many veterinarians I know who go into work on their days off, follow-up with clients from home, or see patients outside of the hospital (even in their house) because a neighbour (or stranger!) asked them to. These same veterinarians tell me […]
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Why aren’t there more women in leadership roles in veterinary medicine?
I traveled to Las Vegas this past weekend to speak at the Women’s Veterinary Summit and was struck by a disappointing realization. Despite a gender gap characterized by a veterinary workforce of approximately 60% women, the number of men in veterinary leadership roles appears to consistently outweigh that of women. When I was in the […]
