Suicide in Vet Med - One Vet's Perspective

Veterinarians are approximately 3 times more likely to commit suicide than the population at large. This is a problem that has been facing our community for quite some time. Recently three more veterinarians took their own lives for unexplained reasons. I can't imagine the pain they must have been going through. In this episode I offer some perspective as a practicing veterinarian, and walk you through some of my own experiences that I could definitely see contributing towards a suicidal ideation or attempts. We as vets empty the tank emotionally and physically to help relieve animal suffering, often times at the expense of our own mental and physical health. If you are in pain feel free to reach out. I'm happy to discuss anything any time. "Not One More Vet" is a facebook group dedicated to helping reduce and eliminate veterinarian suicide. If you haven't already, please check them out. They're a great resource for all vets.
I know this episode may not be as "fun" or informative as others, but I felt this was important to say and make, especially in light of the last couple of weeks.

[@DVMCellini]

I love how 2 people hit the dislike button for this lol good lord.

[@Fluteperson01]

Me, just kidding I hard hot that like button, this is super important and I have shared it to all my technician groups. I may do a blog post from a technician point of view, cause we are right there with y’all.

[@DVMCellini]

Agreed, and you often get the brunt of it when owners are willing to tee off on you but not us.

[@Fluteperson01]

@@DVMCellini we have had to call the cops a couple of times, one of our receptionist got a death threat, I’ve been threatened, spit at, told I a cold heartless bitch that only cares about money. I’ve been called stupid. Yea personally the people are not why I’m here, I’m here to be a voice for voiceless animals. It’s why I didn’t go into human med, I can handle a fractious animal patient, but don’t give me that animals Karen owner.

[@sherrydawson6253]

How can anyone hit a dislike? Your educating us. I watched this again as our toy poodle who has the teddy bear cut is our baby..but when she was 1 she had a aggressive jaw cancer. The vet who had to remove part of her jaw and reconstruct it showed so much compassion. She's 11 now so I think that makes her 70s or 80s in dog yrs. If he has a full schedule and we get someone else. I get nervous but if he sees her on the list he takes her. He's awesome shows such compassion. 1 visit he chewed us out she was 21 pounds and suppose to be 12 to 14. He realy let us have it. But he explained his anger. Put her on a diet now she's 13 to 14 pounds. He saved alot of bad issues. She already had a ton not related to her wt it was genetics. But he's so caring. No need to be rude or yell especially spit at the vet. Just ask for someone else. Dang u could of filed a law suit for assault. But some people are just nasty. And it doesn't have anything to do with what the vet says. There just 1. In denial 2. Nasty people. Tell us more stories what u encounter good and bad.

[@KatrinaDancer]

Those people were likely dumb & were giving the concept of suicide the thumbs down instead of the content. I know that sounds really stupid but several times I've seen commenters state that they couldn't give a thumbs up or actually gave a thumbs down because of a sad topic 🤦

[@joycef8443]

I received the most thoughtful handwritten message from our vet when we had to put down my dog. We all cried. The next time we are in their office I plan to do something nice for the staff.

[@oliviapatterson1]

I wish pet owners knew how grueling and soul destroying vet school is. And how demanding and underpaid the profession is. No vet goes through all of this because we don't care and want to make money. I have a pre-vet student currently - who is also a client of mine (she was a client first). I am absolutely loving teaching her - because she can see what actually goes on behind the scenes. How kind and careful we are with our patients. How I never get a lunch break. How I am constantly running from one patient to the next, always slightly behind time but doing my best. How I am jumping from seeing a cat with a saddle thrombus, to a rabbit vaccine consult, to a dog with itchy skin, to a guinea pig with cystitis. I really believe this is the most mentally, emotionally and physically draining profession there is.

[@Unknown-hu4gf]

I can't believe you think your profession is the only one that's like this! The truth of the matter is that most of you qualify for antisocial personality disorder. You folks went into the field because you don't like people.

[@samandthebooks8238]

@@Unknown-hu4gf nah not really, I like most people, just not ones like you. Good day😊

[@Pink_pr1ncess]

@@Unknown-hu4gfyou clearly have no idea what ASPD is and how those with ASPD act

[@Unknown-hu4gf]

@@Pink_pr1ncess OK, dummy...

[@petdoctor3]

not all people, just people like you. You're wrong there buddy. Move along. @@Unknown-hu4gf

[@Maggie-tr2kd]

New subscriber here. I wasn't aware of the issue of the prevalence of suicide in the veterinarian profession. I have always had a very high regard of veterinarians. My deepest regret is that I haven't always expressed my positive feelings to my pets' veterinarians when it might have made a difference to them. For example, one veterinarian always showed great compassion toward my pet over a number of years and, when my pet was diagnosed with terminal cancer, helped me through that most difficult time - - - even sending me a handwritten note of sympathy and understanding after my pet passed away. I've never forgotten that vet's kindness. Maybe we should all strive to let our pets' veterinarians know how grateful we are for their help.

[@DVMCellini]

Definitely!

[@karenscherrer]

Nextdoor is the absolute worst. Please know there are so many ignorant people out there. Keep your head up. You are a hero.

[@blueblue232]

I was on the path of vet school until I did an internship at an emergency vet surgery. It was only 1 month but I was so drained. I just couldn't handle seeing such horrible injuries and hearing them cry out in pain. It broke me how some pets would wag their tails and kiss their owners even in pain or dying. I have so much respect for Vets who help people at their lowest

[@UIDDM]

You gave up on vet school?!

[@oliviamcveigh900]

As a pet guardian/owner, I usually don’t write bad reviews after going to a veterinarian. The one I did write, wasn’t calling out a specific doctor but it was referencing the multiple occasions of abuse and negligence I witnessed by the assistants and/or technicians while at a clinic. I’ve had many bad experiences at vet offices, many of them were doctors telling me the wrong thing that lead to my companions suffering and passing away (cancer, not taking biopsies or telling me it was best to wait it out and not intervene), but for those appts I don’t leave reviews, I change doctors or even clinics for other opinions. As someone actively pursuing a veterinary degree, I’m terrified. I know how much I lose sleep when something is wrong with one of our companions and I can’t imagine how I’ll be after spending 8+ years in school, buried in debt, and still unable to help some animals. I can only hope that my humility, honesty, and intuitiveness will help me stay sane, enjoy my career that I will have worked so hard to get to, and be able to help most of the patients I see and refer the ones I can’t to someone that hopefully can. Thank you for making this video!

[@christinaforras]

It sounds like you’re setting yourself up for success! Perfection is impossible; we can only do our best. You’re already expressing the intention not to take on what’s outside of your own competency. You’ll learn from the mistakes of others as well as your own, without identifying yourself (or them!) with those mistakes. I sense you’re balanced in the fact you’ve emphasized intuition - it’s equally important to intelligence & formal training. And remember, if your mind and heart guide you towards something new, no career needs to be permanent. ❤️

[@alandrakuhns6168]

Especially at this point in time when the vet field is on high demand. It is very stressful! People seem to have lost patience and don't realize how busy and crazy our daily lives are within practice. I really appreciate you taking the time to talk about this! It is a very important topic!

[@ComfyChaos]

Well-spoken!! One of my family friends is a veterinarian, and she has lost several coworkers (who were her good friends, as well) to suicide because of everything you mentioned. As someone who struggles with major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety, and CPTSD, I cannot begin to imagine what it is like to deal with this every single day. I will be forever grateful to the veterinary staff (vets, techs, and ancillary staff alike) for taking care of my precious pets. Veterinarians don't go into the profession to make bank, they do so because they love animals and want to see them healthy.

[@DVMCellini]

Thank you!

[@iveylunetteroth]

@@DVMCellini can someone who had been diagnosed with And has had issues with depression actually be a vet? I've wanted to be one since I was 8 years old but I know I struggle with depression the last thing I'd want is to go to vet school and be told I can't be one because my mental health is a risk to the job 🥺I'm here because my son if I didn't have him I wouldn't be here , I'm not gonna leave because I have him

[@peregrine00falcon]

I've been in almost 2 years of practice now. I also have Major Depressive Disorder. When I entered the veterinary profession, I did not expect the negativity, and hurt, and plain lack of human decency some pet owners can have towards veterinary staff. I have had my share of experiences where people have said painful things to me, after I have done what I could for their pet. It's sickening, really, how people who have pets, could be so inconsiderate and just plain mean. I've just had another negative review recently, so the wounds are still fresh. Thank you for sharing this information. It did help me a bit with what I'm going through right now.

[@DVMCellini]

What’s worse? How vets treat other vets.

[@mangovodka3970]

I remember I used to want to go into veterinary practice to help cats, but after so many years of picking up strays and dealing with lots of death I realized it was always too hard to handle because I got attached so quickly. I couldn't imagine the hurt people who didn't change their minds go through every day at their jobs

[@DVMCellini]

thanks for acknowledging it! it's a lot to deal with i won't lie.

[@SydneyHsieh]

Thanks for your insight on this -- I'm an ER veterinarian and recent grad. Starting to really understand what veterinarians were talking about when I was in school. Thank you for speaking on this and bringing insight to the public and our profession! Really appreciate your channel.

[@DVMCellini]

Thank you Dr. Hsieh!

[@Fluteperson01]

Dr. Hsieh, I am a Technician and we have had tons of dr. And technicians have terrible mental health breakdowns, I’m curious to know what we all do, I personally go to therapy, my mom is a LPC so I use one of her co workers, but I think about my other coworkers in reception and other technicians that don’t have the mental health resources I do.

[@yobyhenthorn7813]

I’m so sorry. No animal lover wants to see an animal suffer, and not be able to alleviate it. Thanks for bringing this up.

[@valclay5396]

I admire you so much. As a pet owner, i couldn’t thank our vets more. They really are God sent and I wish more pet owners felt the same. I’m sorry you had to go through that experience. But on behalf of the pet owners who really do value your work, thank you for your service❤️

[@dawnmanning3119]

Thanks for talking about this issue. I am aware of the impact on mental health dealing with owners who too often project their own distress onto the vet, trying to help them. I make sure to check with my Vet how they are feeling, especially in December and January when euthanasia rates are higher. I know it's been a while since you posted this, but unfortunately, it still applies. Most low ratings from owners say more about their frustrations dealing with the pet's issue than about the professional.

[@AmyFedele]

Important topic to discuss. Thank you for what you do. I did read the review and sensed the client's frustration with not getting returned phone calls. Perhaps there's some office miscommunication happening. My dog passed due to this type of miscommunication, messages not getting through to the vet, severity of the situation not getting through, no appointments. It's painful for all involved when a pet is suffering. People leaving reviews are also suffering and often grieving. Hang in there I don't think it was directed towards you personally being a "one star" individual.

[@BrendaSytsma]

Please continue to discuss this issue. And I’m sorry that Veterinarians have to go through this 😢 people are generally are pathetic. My veterinarian is an amazing person I just had to PTS my Beautiful 13 year old dog. Thank You & God Bless 🙏🏻

[@leahuey5012]

Thank you for this video. My brother was a Vet. He loved his job and he loved the animals that he treated. You touched on the commitment that Vet's have to their patients. How much it hurts them.when.they can't help an animal. At the same time when your treating an animal and your trying to help an .animal and deal with the owner it can be a very stressful time for that vet. I saw my brother many times sad and stressful in his practice . I hope with this Video people with animal's and dealing with their animal's illness or injuries that they will appreciate the effort and even the love their vet has for their animal . Also that they think before they write a comment about a Vet or any professional and how that comment might affect that person or their job. Keep making videos , really enjoy them.

[@DVMCellini]

Thank you 🙏!

[@krissie3881]

I'm sorry you had to deal with that. It's sad that grown adults hide behind the internet to throw proverbial punches and launch hurtful attacks. We need to do better as a society. I adore my veterinarian. She cried with me when my heart dog passed away. It takes a special soul to do this amazing work.

[@priscilam.9808]

Wooooooooow! You have no idea how much I admire your courage to be so honest. I missed my chance in being a doctor for many reasons that life took me to a different patch. But I constantly admire you guys on KZbin for the long hours and emotional distress this job brings. Great video as usual. Thanks for sharing your point of view in this important topic.

[@DVMCellini]

Thank you!

[@govols2012]

I have a limited amount of experience in the time I invested shadowing / acting as a volunteer Vet Tech, but I was able to see a veterinarian become emotionally disturbed when an owner claimed they would file a lawsuit against him after a surgery. The practice owner had to investigate it, all documentation had to be collected along with signed statements. No matter the outcome or the cause, it was a lose-lose situation for the veterinarian that I could see was emotionally taxing. The benefit to shadowing is you can see some of these vet challenges.

[@DVMCellini]

Literally every.single.veterinarian.worst nightmare. Ugh I'm so sorry for that person I hope it turned out ok.

[@unitedwestandtogether-t4q]

There are many law suites against American vets but they are in bed with the Division of Professional Conduct. I have used vets in animal rescue for over 50 years and I have never met one that would put an animal before money. Vets bury their dead coming out of schools that are taught even if they know an animal has no hope of life, they are taught to never tell you the truth but to first drain you wallet with lies for the color of green. The positive reviews wrote online most come from those they employ. There is one vet in another country called BONDI VET that deserves to be called a vet. Sad as it is. Feed your beloved pets healthy food or what you eat as people did years back or pet food for certain conditions nor the factory farm cast out from the floor. I have seen many good people crying in vets offices because they could not pay 400 a visit. Vets in America are shameless and minds are in the shape of a dollar sign and if you know the truth there has to be a better way for the lowness of vets.

[@Hi_Im_Akward]

Im a retired dog groomer and had dealt with similar issues. I am not a vet, I can't diagnose or treat pets. But I still saw dogs on the regular who were neglected or abused and when that neglect is uncovered by the groom, its blamed on the groomer even though it was lacking of grooming, lack of vet care, or actual physical abuse that caused it. I've also seen a lot of dogs with medical conditions and the owners do nothing about it. I've delt with one client who I repeatedly told the dog probably has an issue go see a vet, but she lost it one. I called her because she was late and she chewed me out saying I was the worst person on the planet, I abuse dogs because her dog was having issues after the last groom with that area I had repeatedly told her to go to a vet for.... I know the reality of the situation... But that echoed in my head for a whole year before I finally broke down and had to quit and find a different job. It broke me. I got into grooming because I love dogs. And I had a lot of great clients. But the emotional toll and compassion fatigue was really hard to deal with. At that point I didn't have SI (I've done a lot of work on my mental health), but it could have easily been that if I didn't at that time have the coping skills in place to deal with what was essentially a mental health crisis... The majority of clients are not like this btw. The majority are great. But it is really really difficult to put your heart and soul into a career and have people refer to you as negligent or abusive. It's one thing if someone has a complaint, I'm not talking about that. Its the people who say cruel things with no warning or act entitled, or abuse and neglect their dogs and scoff at you when you try to advocate for the dog and educate them. It's really soul crushing when these extremely negative interactions happen with people who have no regard for others.

[@RVBadlands2015]

We had the greatest vet. He sent personal letters when our pets passed away. He recently retired and we wish his family all the love on his new journey.

[@eddiew2325]

i love u so much

[@joshuahorner2639]

I appreciate your honesty about this difficult problem in our profession. I have seen a continual decline in client/veterinarian interactions over the 40 years I have worked in veterinary hospitals, first as an assistant and now as a small animal practitioner. I’m 60 now and will retire at 62 because I don’t have it in me to continue dealing with negative comments toward myself or my colleagues. Throw in the added guilt we feel when we can address a problem if a client cannot afford treatment for their pet. Sophia Yin was a year ahead of me in school and I have know at least 3 people in the profession who have committed suicide. All amazing people gone too soon.

[@Shentel512]

I’ve had the honor of working with many amazing veterinarians and sadly, reviews like this have only burdened the profession with an overwhelming surge in anxiety and depression. Thank you for shedding more light on the subject.💕

[@unitedwestandtogether-t4q]

Because American vets there is no name for except pitiful whores that bury their mistakes at your cost.

[@ch8559]

Well said Dr V. i support you all the way.

[@brittnilynn7180]

This is heartbreaking in all ways.

[@emmarusso3813]

Thank you for making this subject known, I’m going to vet school in the fall and I needed to be aware of this.

[@radiantbritt]

So sad!! Thank you for bringing attention to this. 😞

[@DVMCellini]

My pleasure

[@EricSchmidt-m7s]

Thank you for making this video.

[@doctor_feel_good_rx7467]

The woman veterinarian was grossly unprofessional when our family had to "put (our) cat down". She was HEARTLESS which resulted in trauma for my family - especially our impressionable YOUNG children. I have NO respect for her and she is a disservice to the veterinary field. If she were depressed or had "issues", she cannot be expected to (and should NOT) "care" for priceless animals!

[@cynthiaracicot6502]

Be kind to the Doc’s. Our pets need them.

[@awest005]

Things you said are a good reminder for all reviews. I always feel bad for restaurants when people trash them in reviews too. There is so much work that goes into serving a person a plate of food. (Not comparing that to what you do, which is even more stressful, but it’s true that there are humans on the receiving end of all reviews;)

[@paulettern9913]

This video scares me so much because I’ve recently become aware of this suicide issue. This is horrific. My granddaughter was just accepted into veterinary school and I hope she can handle the stress. I retired early as a registered nurse because of the disgusting behavior and treatment of patients and their family. I snapped one day when 5 minutes into my 12 hr shift a patient yelled at me for 5 continuous minutes about I don’t even know what. I walked into my managers office and said I’m done. After 40 years of nursing. I said this is not worth it anymore. Every day being abused by patients, doctors, management, nope no more.

[@bluewater3783]

I'm glad that you stood up for your brother/sister vets and care enough to support them... Take good care.

[@DVMCellini]

god damn right

[@katehinchee3571]

Now let's add: seeing the depravity of humans poured onto innocent animals, and having to deal with that both physically and emotionally. I left the biz awhile ago, and while I loved being a Tech, I still carry the scars of some horrendous cases. Thanks for sharing, Dr. Cellini.

[@Unknown-hu4gf]

I do too after dealing with numerous vets!!!

[@jean-sebastienlatouche3678]

Social media is such a double edged sword. It is a great tool for communication but it is also the tool of those who are not brave enough to have a fierce conversation with someone when there is an issue. My clients are veterinarians and, albeit not through reviews on the internet, a similar lack of direct communication happens with requests for second opinions without even a phone call to discuss results and interpretation and see if something could have been left out of the history that could have given a more complete picture and a more satisfactory outcome in the end. We need to communicate more that is for sure, but personally and directly is the way to go rather through often anonymous reviews. Thanks for sharing your experience.

[@vsizmir8161]

Thank you very much for sharing this information. I had no idea the stress vets are going through.

[@jasminelee1234]

Thank you this was an eye opening take on the subject. I find it heartbreaking that vets have a high suicide rate...they do such a worthwhile job. Many are probably empaths too given the caring vocation they have gone into so they feel deeply. Shout out to all the great vets out there-as a pet owner I’m incredibly grateful to you for all you do for our furry friends. I really hope vets start to really get the mental health support (and of course kindness and understanding from their patients) that they deserve. 💕

[@DVMCellini]

Thank you for that!

[@jjw6605]

It needs to be said respect should be both ways. My latest vet visit has scared me to go back again due to declining mental health after visit. The vet who wasnt the vet i normaly see became abusive towards me because my dog is in pain. My dog is 14 hip dysplasic, alot of athritis, has inflammatory pain treatment but like humans pain treatment never eliminates the pain. A gp i would hope would never abuse a parent if the child was in the same situation. This is the first time this has happened and its shaken me and yes i thought about leaving a very honest review but decided not to. No one talks about the dangers vets actions can have on the clients so it needs to be said. As for reviews if businesses dont want reviews then remove that option from the sites

[@mpdnd1335]

If you can't help the patient, don't charge the owner and give them a list of other modalities that they can look into. Then let them go. That way, they generally won't feel as bad about what money that they have already spent to no avail and it is up to them to find someone else who may be able to help them. You can't fix every case with your tool box so don't stress over it.

[@missbealovesalbert8353]

People are petty and stupid. I have the best vet ever! She did everything she could for an entire year. I sold a car to pay the bills. Ultimately, I still had to put my beautiful bunny, Bea, to sleep. I am so GRATEFUL for everything my vet did. She never gave up- even when she secretly couldn't believe Bea lived the entire year. I couldn't in my wildest imagination ever even think of blaming my vet. NEVER! If anyone is to blame- it's me!

[@sabias3932]

why would you blame yourself?

[@christinaforras]

“He who blames others has a long way to go on his journey. He who blames himself is halfway there. He who blames no one has arrived.”

[@hlween6]

Sharing your insights and experience on the high rate of suicide by vets was both kind and brave of you. Hopefully, it will give pause to the next pet owner to consider the profound impact of harsh words before posting. For those of us in the helping professions, we need the public to know the extreme toll our work exacts on us. Having worked as a clinical RN for many decades I fully appreciate the emotional tsunami one feels when, despite your best effort and intentions, your patient not only doesn’t improve but continues with worse pain and suffering. We go into healthcare to improve our patients' lives. Every time we fail to do this is traumatic for us. Before we recover from one trauma another occurs. If we’re lucky, we’re able to adopt effective coping mechanisms to sustain our commitment to show up day after day so we may help others going forward.

[@nicoletambasco9210]

My Scout doesn’t know life without pain. His doctor called to check on him quite often. Not the office staff, his actual doctor. Last time he called, he told me that he’d been talking about Scout’s case with some other vets in his professional network. He recommended dog food that another vet used for her dog. He emailed me sometimes too. It’s not the vet’s fault Scout has joint problems. We met this vet on his first day at this animal hospital which was also the day after we got Scout as a very sick 6 week old puppy. We stopped in every week them every 2 weeks then every 4 weeks until Scout was 6 months. 4 months is when his elbow dysplasia presented. Scout is 5 now still in pain still limping. Vet did what he could but surgery is painful, expensive, and may not even be effective. We lost touch with this vet we just can’t find him again. Scout loved him. He knew exactly where we were going as soon as we got off the exit to his office and would get so excited. Wish we could find him again

[@riichaaee]

Thank you for continuing to put yourself out there and making these educational posts despite all the back handed and negative feedback from the recent french bulldog posts.

[@DVMCellini]

Ha thanks boss. Fortunately I got thick skin. Still, that app is pretty scary!

[@KatrinaDancer]

It's so sad but I'm glad the topic is getting attention. Thank u 4 making this video. I know I wouldn't b able 2 emotionally handle a fraction of the stuff u guys deal with on a regular basis. I love animals so much that whenever 1 died or an owner wanted 1 put down 4 some stupid reason my heart might literally break. Thank u very much 4 what u do 4 animals!!! You guys r heroes in my book 🌟🙏💜

[@DVMCellini]

Thank you for saying that it means a lot.

[@soniyasinha3496]

Dr Cellini, you make some excellent points. I hope you are feeling better about this now? Student loan debt is an issue and I think we really need to look into this as a field, don't you think?

[@akneemoose3383]

WOWZIER. Was not aware of this! Thank you Dr. Cellini.

[@swandx]

In latin America I got threatened and attacked for things like this. In the worst scenario I was thinking to shoot one guy before they do it to my family… I quit my country passed my exams and now I’m a Vet in Canada. Different pressure but still asked for nothing less than perfection by some pet owners. But I agree that most of them are nice and gentle. Still when you found a hard one things can get complicated easily.

[@jennifersprout5834]

Glad to hear your perspective! I can’t believe people disliked this video. Thanks for all you do to help out peoples furry friends.

[@DVMCellini]

always a small group of bad actors on social media, as i'm learning

[@Alice-xy3fi]

This was a great and necessary video, and thank you making it-- for sharing your experience and feeling openly and honestly, and making us non-vets aware of what it's like to be a vet. I admit I had, before listenling to this, an absurdly rosy view of what a vet's life was like. I also wanted to say that after hearing you recount the events with your futile effort to help that dog, I got it-- before you even moved into the next part, trying to get the listener to imagine what it would feel like. Your description of the events was, in itself, so clear that I immediately got it. I mention this just in case you're unsure whether you succeeded in communicating what you were trying to express, trying to get us non-vets to understand. Thank you for enlightening me about so many aspects of vets' lives. I will definitely share what I've learned with friends who have animals, and therefore have occasion to interact with vets. Maybe I can open their eyes the way you've opened mine...though I like to think my friends, if they were in any way unsatisfied with their vets, would talk to them about it, rather than writing a punch-in-the-gut review and potentially hurting a hard-working, dedicated, self-sacrificing, conscientious vet and also potentially hurting the vet's business and reputation as well as their feelings.

[@davidg1290]

I appreciate your comments about the compassion of vets toward their patients. I owned the smartest, best little 35 lb pit bull. When he was 9 he started getting sick and was diagnosed with diabetes. Between the specially formulated dog food, insulin, syringes, blood glucose spot checks, and the frequent day-long blood glucose studies, and everything else, I easily spent $300/month at the vet. Probably $30k in the last 3 years of his life. (Best money I ever spent) Now throw in that he blew out his L CCL a year into his diabetes care. Luckily, my vet had done a surgical internship years before and felt that Ace was a good candidate for ECLS repair and was comfortable doing it without referring me to a more expensive specialist for TPLO treatment. Surgery went great. The vet was not impressed with the lax in tightness of his newly created joint, but clinically Ace was fine. Every time he saw him, he was stumped over what caused the joint to remain loose, even though it was tight during surgery. I have a medical background (paramedic) and he went into detail with me about the procedure used to secure the joint. 6 months later, as he had predicted, R CCL ECLS repair. Again, a great repair, this one meeting the vet's expectation. It really bothered him that his surgery on the L side didn't meet his expectation, though clinically being totally acceptable. Sadly, a little over two years ago, Ace passed away in his sleep at home. He was 12. About a week later, I missed a phone call from the vet about 730 at night. He left the kindest message of sympathy, saying what great care I had given to Ace, and that he would miss him, among many other things. A week or so later, I got a sympathy card in the mail, signed by all the doctors and staff at the hospital. Some of the kindest words I've ever read! Everyone there knew Ace, whether they had directly treated him or not. Everyone knew his story. So, I can appreciate the compassion and empathy vets have with their patients and owners as I've experienced it first hand. Thanks for what you do. I follow your brother's channel, so I'm glad he mentioned you in one of his recent releases so I could find your channel. Please consider all of the above a 5-star+ "review" of your chosen profession!

[@DVMCellini]

thank you so very much for those kind words. comments like that are what remind me why i do what i do.

[@cristyf5431]

Veterinarians have saved the lives of so many loved pets in my family. Of course sometimes things don't go the way we hope. On the worst days I've had vets cry with us. Once in a while every human has a bad day, and not everything can be fixed. After sitting in a vet hospital for days at a time over a serious issue, I saw first hand how grueling and draining it must be. Everyone on there was amazing, except one that wasn't my favorite but I still wouldn't give a bad review. I'm sure he made the choices he made in an effort to help.

[@DavidBrowningBYD]

If I may make a suggestion, I think it would be helpful to add links and phone numbers for mental health and suicide prevention resources to the description.

[@CBooks88]

I Believe I want to go into the vet field but I’ve seen a lot of videos saying the work is taxing and the school is costly I don’t know truly yet. But pertaining to your video I recently had to put down my cat he had FIP and I watched him slowly deteriorate I tried all I could did the meds the vet gave me and such it was emotional taxing but Seeing him suffer made me realize that I want to help animals.

[@DVMCellini]

I’m so sorry about your 🐱. FIP is awful and it’s so sad to watch them go through that. Talk to as many vets as you can about whether or not it’s worth it. This field can be brutal for a number of reasons.

[@dogculturereveiw]

Revisiting this video.....I had shared it in A video I made myself. Sadly , not one response to my previous comment 7 months ago .

[@sherrydawson6253]

Oh my I had no idea about this. We did have a bad appt with a vet that was so so rude rushed through appt. Our dog had a obvious eye infection. The vet just said just wash out the drainage daily then left. I said I want another vet to actually look at her eye. He said this is a obvious infection. He used q tip to look under scope came back with her. He cleaned it out gave a antibiotic drops and a cream. Problem solved. I have never given a bad review as I don't know what's going on with the person. I just get calmly aggressive. See we don't know the docs frame of mind. This topic just saddens me .😢😭thanks for sharing this. Also sorry about your review. Aways remember how loved and respected u are. Will 🙏🙏 for all Vetnarians. ❤❤

[@kat4animals004]

Please dont say Commit suicide. No crime was committed. Saying committed suicide points the finger, conveys shame or wrongdoing when instead there was a mental illnesses that the person was suffering from. An alternative is to say- death by suicide, killed themself, took their own life, died by suicide. You don’t ‘commit a heart attack.’ Instead, you might hear someone say they ‘died from a heart attack.’ Dying by suicide is the same. ... When attaching the word ‘committed,’ it further discriminates against those who lost their battle against a disease,” My heart goes to those suffering from mental illness. I lost my husband to suicide several years ago. It is hard for the living loved ones to have seen the suffering of their loved ones when they were doing all they could for the animals. Rest in Peace to all those that felt like they had no choice. ❤ Thank you for this video.

[@nicolegoforth298]

Thank you for doing the best you can, it isn’t easy to wrap your head around it, but sometimes there isn’t anything else we can do. I think pet owners forget that when it comes to our fur babes. My dad taking forever to even have the right diagnosis opened my eyes to how touch and go this all can be (human or animal). Then to add that the animals can’t point and say “this hurts” only makes your job a little more complicated. You did a great job on this video, I hope many can take something away from it.

[@DVMCellini]

thank you for those kind words :)

[@lindamatthews4939]

Loves ya, Dr. Cellini. ❤️ Linda from Toronto Canada 🇨🇦 ❤️

[@TCRSCircuit]

Although I am not a vet, I do have to deal with negative reviews being written about myself, and know the exact kind of pain that can bring, I'd image it's 100x worse when dealing with someone's pet.

[@DVMCellini]

It's awful all around.

[@cat54907]

Dr. Cellini, I'm a first year vet student (complicated context there - I'm having to repeat the first year because my university is intense unfortunately). I'm having a lot of doubts about joining this profession. I don't have to be a vet to make a living - I have another career / industry I can go into, but I wanted to try vet school because I felt so passionately towards helping people through their animals. However, from the issues that were stated in this video, I realize that this may be a very difficult life choice for me down the road. I would feel so guilty giving up though. I have mental health issues already and I fear that it would get worse with vet school and vet med, but maybe there is a chance I could find a part of vet med that would make me happy and have balance. Do you have any advice?

[@DVMCellini]

Yeah don’t watch my latest video. Jk but in all seriousness I would consider not going into this field if you have mental health issues already. If you do then I would probably go into radiology or path to avoid dealing with clients.

[@cat54907]

🤣 just watched your latest video. Hey I mean I’ve heard vets talk about the profession MUCH worse. At least you were both pretty positive and informative- like being nonjudgmentally honest. I really agree with y’all’s opinion on urgent care in vet med. It makes so much sense to have something akin to an np but for vet med. It would give techs/assistants something to aspire to and would thus hopefully fuel the pool of technicians available to assist dvm’s. Also it’s funny how I would be going into this field to help people primarily, but the people are the ones who are going to shit on me the most…

[@evangelospapagiannis1341]

Hi colleague. I did liked, enjoyed and listened to your video. I do understand the pain and frustration when dealing with difficult cases. I do believe that we vets shouldn't take it personally and need to become rude and aggressive some times. I must say that the last years, trying to deal with a difficult client made me become like them in some cases. This has helped a lot. My understanding is that when profs behave as rude as their patients/clients, it makes them realising how wrong they are. To be honest with you and to prevent any unfortunate incident, I do believe that you should start answering to these online bad and untruthful reviews with the same tone the client uses. .Trust me, you will feel much better and you will see that they will start taking you more seriously and they will respect you more. Being in a defensive situation all the time doesn't help.

[@MrVetBryanLEE]

I am lucky that the majority of my clients are nice and very grateful for what we do, but even when a few clients chew us up in front of us using f word, b word, c word and calling us money hungry axx/jerk, it straightly makes us go to a dark place and we never want to come out. I normally don't regret that I choose this career, but when it happens, smh... it hunts me down for at least a week or two. I wish if clients are frustrated with our veterinary service, I want them to be honest with us and let us know. Not just starting to trash talking about us. We are generally more than willing to talk to other vets or transfer to other vets to help their pets as much as possible. I mean most vets I know, they are/do. haha. I am grateful with people who replied here that they understood our situation. just fyi. Thank you for the content Dr. Cellini. I have to recommend your channel for sure to other vets/techs/receptionists. haha :)

[@DVMCellini]

thanks man. i'm assuming you fire those clients instantly right? the ones that curse you out? i know i would.

[@MrVetBryanLEE]

@@DVMCellini yes!!! The manager wanted to see if other doctor could take the patient. :( but we-doctors all agree we wont see that clients hahaha. This is the negative aspect of corporate hospital. Haha b

[@noeljohnson3918]

A medical career is a calling. You should go into the field where you feel most gratified. No apology needed. And don't read the crap people put on line, and don't work for somebody who does.

[@tomenglish77591]

Perhaps it helps to think of the pet owner writing that review after seeing their beloved pet suffering for months and feeling hopeless and helpless to help their baby. They can't even talk with their beloved baby to give some reassurance that they are doing everything they can to help, and they feel frustrated and hurt and scared. And that is the moment of their deepest despair in which they write a review. It is not at all fair to the veterinarian, but if you can see this as a coping mechanism to help the pet owner feel a bit of temporary relief, then maybe your abundance of empathy can help you to feel grateful that they had the chance to feel they did something to relieve their pain and fear for a moment. You are only responsible for your own feelings. Be able to gain perspective and take some solace that the review may have helped someone who was suffering for a brief moment, while really doing nothing to hurt you other than what you let it do to you in your own mind. As you so well point out, if you are also debilitated by overwork, depression, stress, student loans, and trying to survive instead of thrive, you are much more prone to having this review cause you suffering. And that is a big warning sign that you are not living the life you need to live. I wish you peace and happiness and stability, and I am grateful for your educational videos.

[@HHSMCJROTC]

Thank u for the video! Being aware of the human dr suicide rate and figuring the rate for vets is very nigh, I expected there would be numerous suicides

[@DVMCellini]

It's so sad all around.

[@nicollehunter7057]

Great video on an important topic. I am taking my prereqs for vet med now at the age of 37 after a previous degree and I've done a ton of reading on the subject of suicide in vet med to make sure I'm making the right decision. Our family has lost 1 person a year for the last 10 years, and although I would wish nothing more than to have them all back, I do feel like it's prepared me to embark on vet med in a way. I feel for the younger veterinarians who struggle in their first few years of practice and leave the profession, as well as those who stay and have worse outcomes. Take care of yourself everyone 💗

[@DVMCellini]

Thank you and best of luck with it all!

[@vivienleigh4640]

I could never do what you do. The situation is the same here in Sweden but here it's often a burn out problem. We simply don't have anough vets. That's especiallty a problem for the vets that do check ups on animal wellfare. They always feel insufficient. People not getting insurance for their pets is an other problem. To have to say no, when a fairly simple procedure would help, due to the owner's lack of insurance. If you become a vet it's because you care about animals, otherwise you'd choose human medicine.

[@sethgurney401]

Good message

[@southernbelladonna78]

I mean as long as its a business, there will be reviews. I don't see how there is anyway around that as long as people are spending money. Just saying. And some vet offices are actually terrible and rip you off. I was charged $100 for a missed vet visit when my mom literally died. I explained that to them and thry wpuld not reverse the charge. I left that information in a review and I dtfeel that was wrong. I simply stated the facts, they charged me $100 because I didn't come in the afternoon I was at the hospital as my mom took her last breath. Thats pretty sleazy and people should know that is how they run their business before bringing their pets there. That said my oldest and dearest friend is a vet and unfortunately lives in another state so I get that you all need support sometimes although she has a lot after being in practice almost 20 years now.

[@AncestryMindset]

Respect to you Dr. I’m sure your doing a good job I respect anyone who chose this career. Animals are hard to understand they can’t speak and explain the issue. God bless you . Moreover, the main issue is with the bad diet. They should improve the quality of the animal when it comes to diet and outdoors activity the main root of disease is from the nutrition, and of course genetics but the main root is nutrition. Fasting will help animals as well. I will be veterinarian wish me luck.

[@dapperdoggy]

Did she find resolution for the dog's problem. If not how could she compare you to someone else

[@Emileech666]

Not even a vet, but you see some awful cruelty to even the staff. If you won't schedule their dying animal it's because you don't care about animals (furthest thing in this line of work) and they will just go put a bullet in their pet instead. And it's ALL YOUR FAULT. My animal is going to get shot BECAUSE OF YOU. This is the reason I chose not to become a veterinarian. The cruelty comes in all forms. People abandoning their animals, neglect, no sympathy for their own pets suffering, making horrible choices for their animals because they are selfish. It's absolutely heartbreaking

[@Pathologymadesimple]

This topic makes me very sad! One of my friend during her final year used thiopental to end her life😭😭😭 She never addressed her depression issues to anybody.

[@DVMCellini]

Omg that is so sad. You hear stories like that so often its frankly heartbreaking.

[@Fluteperson01]

Oh dear! That’s terrible

[@Fluteperson01]

Btw Dr.scooby, just subbed, saw you do cytologies...... I’m down

[@Pathologymadesimple]

@@Fluteperson01 welcome!

[@btm97rn92]

Good video here thank you for your time

[@DVMCellini]

Thank you!

[@lovingkindness1033]

(I wish you would have shown all of the review.. I'm sure it didn't end just like that.) Were you saying that this review put you into depression that caused you to consider suicide?.. or that it could have? As a pet owner (who has recently lost my cat due to the incompetence of a neglectful and uncaring Vet).. I regretfully blame myself for not reading ALL the reviews on this Vet and seeking other places for reviews to look at, other than YELP. I took my cat there in big part because of the 4 1/2 star reviews.. not knowing until later that there were some hidden reviews that YELP was not including in the scoring! SO deceptive!! If I would have read any of those hidden reviews before, I would have NEVER taken my baby there!! There were some very horrifying testimonies that definitely enforce the need to have this Vet exposed of the harm he has caused to the animals he did not provide with standard care!! .. and also to be reported to The Vet Association (even though I hear they rarely ever side with the pet owners:( Do you know why this is so important.. to WARN others to keep their pet from being harmed via neglect and insufficient care?.. to PROTECT OTHER ANIMALS from being HARMED! Now, if that causes a bad Vet's business to suffer or some hurt feelings about the review.. too bad!!.. Perhaps that Vet should resign! (although of course I wouldn't want anyone to consider suicide over something I wrote either.. (although, I'm sure that wouldn't be the main factor to cause that).

[@Andre78923]

Vets get fixated on that 1-2 animals that they couldn't treat or wouldn't respond to treatment and either died or something went wrong that could go right.. Listen every profession has mishaps you miss 1 get the next 99 right. 99% it's still almost perfect

[@maes2644]

Can we talk about the disrespect and hate we get from people in the other pet trades? Especially dog breeders and groomers.

[@dogearflopper7011]

The commodification of healthcare in action.

[@Gypsygirl9]

😢did this client take his dog elsewhere and they fixed it? Did he euthanize his dog to stop his suffering? I could never do what he did about the review in this situation. Now, had he ever had any conversations with you or expressed doubts in any way, maybe depending on that detail I might but...IDK...I am a very engaged and detailed person so at the Vet, he knows I will be asking questions and taking notes. The client needs to be engaged and active in the convo.😢

[@calliemtb]

yep. add in weird unfounded (subsequently dismissed) complaints to the state vet med licensing board

[@pungr]

Interesting. The AVERAGE pay for a veterinarian in Minnesota is over 153,000. So it must be what states you practice in.

[@mariomendez4874]

I am thinking of doing pre vet schooling my state of Texas only require prerequisites classes no degree needed if I can’t get into this school do you recommend getting a bachelors instead to be on the safe side of being admitted with others schools out of state? And can you please provide so more info about surgery residency possibilities for vet students if you can thanks,

[@DVMCellini]

yeah i would get a bachelors just to be safe if you can' get in to texas a&m. what info about surgery residency do you want exactly? there's a lot of them but honestly i wouldn't even worry about that at this point in your journey.

[@mariomendez4874]

@@DVMCellini I really have a issue with euthanasia rate and the impact it might have as a vet that I am thinking to hard to go this route or not. do you still deal with this ? and how can I avoid it after vet school while still working with them, I want to help make a change in the responsibility that is also ours with money not being a issue in these cases but I don’t know how.

[@DVMCellini]

I euthanize pets every once in a while. As a specialist I do it less than a GP or ER doc would. I don't think you'll be able to avoid it as a vet though. It is just part of the job unfortunately.

[@mariomendez4874]

@@DVMCellini yeah in untreatable medical reason yes but for financial situations it’s so sad maybe we can work someway in the future to change this from occurring, I will happily pay taxes for this to happen. Anyways keep up the great work doc. I am jelly

[@joshbritton]

Not meant to be a dumb question, but are there different HIPPA laws because you deal with animals instead of humans?

[@DVMCellini]

There basically aren't hippa laws per se, but I do think most states will treat pets in a similar manner if some form of privacy violation was brought to the court. But I don't think its anywhere near what hippa is like for people.

[@joshbritton]

@@DVMCellini makes sense. Thanks for explaining!

[@kirstinetermansen2213]

It's the same with service, fire, police, military,. They do great, but noone cares about them ....

[@jennifersneegas8352]

Veterinarians have my sympathy. I worked at a vet hospital for a top notch vet. I am appalled that the public complain about such difficult situations. I once wanted to be a vet but would never have pursued it because of the publics attitude. Animal owners can be so selfish and will insist on keeping an animal alive when all possible avenues for relief for the animal have been explored and euthanasia would be best. They don't realize even how challenging a diagnosis can be when your patient can't talk to you. The public expect all the latest technology be available but complain about the expense. Often the customer is more concerned about their own selfish needs and not what's best for the animal. It's a difficult profession.

[@DVMCellini]

thank you!

[@Unknown-hu4gf]

You sound like a know it all and you're very opinionated which makes you short sided and very wrong!

[@kirstinetermansen2213]

I think this great vets,. And the industry We think high about them, they've roll life And dead, and are expert. I think this cases, of breeding problems Or elderly, or hurt accident, I'll. Maybe also in horses, cows, pigs Someone's going make that sad end, to pain Maybe the, difficulty diagnosed, or knowing it's ko cure Be man, hero to get the tammed/ difficulty life's And on top I'll,. Free,. Passing to The owners, will realize,. That that's. Truly right Not in the owners dispair,. So ,,, if vet,. Goes into, difficulty diagnosed or no cure It goes, difficulty, with being an expert. Anyhow ,,. Working to much, can kill you

[@vethopefully8535]

😭😭😭😭😭

[@joancarrino890]

First of all did the owner find help for the dog from another vet? secondly not every vet is going to know how to deal with every problem. and I assume that you have to detach yourself from people that may not understand fully the issues their animals are facing and that sometimes there is no good answer or outcome so I believe that you have to be objective in taking owners opinions to heart because they're not educated. I think you also have to be understanding about what the owners are going through and how frustrating it is for them spending all that money and still not getting relief for their beloved animal understanding helps a lot and unfortunately there's not enough of it in the medical profession I think you should have called the guy and tried to straighten it out in your own mind why he did that

[@melindahernandez8778]

Ugh...no comment.

[@nomi151570]

I think reviews are a cowardly way of bullying . The great reviews are awesome and can lift the person up, but the next one can tear into their sole . Go face to face and talk to your vet so they can properly respond . Stop hiding behind the review curtain.

[@unitedwestandtogether-t4q]

Dealing with vets in America I can honestly say I never met one that put an animal before money. There is one in another country that I lived in called BONDI VET, that you can find online. that the word vet word apply, I could write a book that would be a shock in exposing this sad lot of vets in America that would make you angry and cry. Many vets now come from other countries to get rich and speak no English and have no American licence to practice. Best to feed your beloved pets natural food or pet food for certain conditions. Vets bury their mistakes and are too powerful in a corrupt way. Do not look for a quick fix in the garbage of can food or Americans vet will make you pay in a big big way.

[@southyorkshire7776]

I hit the dislike button. Yes, me. Whilst the comments that I have seen support you. I am here to say what I think, like it or not. I hear you talk about how you went the extra mile for a dog, then the owner moved, went somewhere else and gave you a 1 star review. I had to end the sycophantic mumbling right there. It was all about how you felt, what you felt you deserved. How it affected you. Did you ever contact the owner, perhaps you were wrong? I made a living suing all levels of qualified doctors, whose actions were not even reasonable. Arrogant, is the word I would describe every single one of them. Babies confined to a human shell because of sheer negligence, so I know it happens. I don't suggest your treatment was unreasonable or negligent, because I don't know. But clearly the owner had a problem with something. Did you reach out and ask? Do you think a one star review is enough to end your life? A vet just ended my own boy's life, after a nearly £8k hospitalisation. He went in wednesday afternoon and ended on sunday morning. No ops, just iv, drugs, care and monitoring. He had existing ailments when we rescued as a senior. Did I have the money, yes, do I begrudge trying to save his life, no. I would have given him mine. But don't walk around as if mistakes don't happen, as if vets don't make mistakes, they do. Sometimes a bad review is justified, sometimes it is not. If someone being negative justifies ending your life you need to find a therapist and a good pastor and understand what this life actually is. Good day to you.

[@DVMCellini]

I give this comment 0 ⭐️’s

[@southyorkshire7776]

@@DVMCellini Oh no, I'd better run off and make a video about how I tried to help you and you gave me not a one star review, but a zero lol. Oh no Ive got a backbone and a strong Faith in God Almighty creator of all things that live and breathe. Seriously, you need to get out of the profession before you end things. We are called to be strong and endure. Praying for your salvation and to see the world through non-narcissistic glasses. Believe me when I saw I am unmoved negative or positive, by your review of my comment. Learn not to be moved by man, but by God alone. One day it could actually save your life (eternal).

[@jako_the_maned_wolf3133]

For someone whos un-moved by a comment you sure have alot of words.​@southyorkshire7776

[@jako_the_maned_wolf3133]

​Not everybody is Christian karen. ​Also for someone who is unmoved by a comment you sure have a lot to say. @southyorkshire7776

[@JulieTobin-Ruszczyk]

My story, hope it helps. I have autoimmune. All the Dr can do is depress my immune system. The meds can end up being toxic to other organs. I had a dog, Chaz, she had a heart murmur that could of ended up killing her. But the vet gave her meds that could damage other organs ie her kidneys. Which it, after 2 years did get so bad I eventually put her down. I want to be angry but I honestly knew they were doing their best. On both of us. There is no fix for some disease. Only to prolong what life is left. Please don't blame and be angry your health care workers. The medical field is not a perfect science

[@LadyhawksLairDotCom]

With all due respect, you didn't go through what I've been through recently. The doctor who "treated" me needs to be in PRISON, but she is out, gleefully harming more patients. I've had chronic illnesses my entire life. Unfortunately, where I live is especially known for having shitty doctors. In fact, one literally killed my grandmother. We proved it. Guess what happened to that doctor? Nothin'. Guess what happened to the doctor who nearly killed me and then immediately tried again? Nothin'. There are a few good docs left, but not many. At least where I live.

[@JohnAmidon-c6r]

👍👍 Pet owners need to realize that medicine in general has its limits, and that it can be expensive. It's the nature of things.

[@TheBadromance16]

Not one more vet ❤️ I’m sorry you went through this, I can tell the way you’re speaking about this case that it is upsetting to you. Then take into account the amount of death we see mixed with access to euthanasia drugs. Thank you for bringing into account animals masking their symptoms. I always tell people “sometimes animals seem ok until they’re not”

[@peterscott1111]

My daughter is starting vet school this year and this scares me. My wife was a primary school teacher and I’ve seen her in tears at a poor exam result and seen her question everything she had ever learned and done in case the fault was hers. My daughter cares about animals as much as my wife cared about the children so I can see this occurring in my daughter’s career too. I’ve never been in an industry in which web site reviews were a feature, for which i’m very grateful. But when writing reviews myself, I always remember the best bit of advice I’ve ever had on communicating: “Never write anything you would not want read out in court”. So, be honest, be kind and be measured.

[@marbs8615]

I really liked hearing your perspective. Never thought of this before.

[@DVMCellini]

Glad I could help show you behind the curtain.

[@damiansnow6170]

Italian second year vet student. Bilingual Italian-english, and seeing this as a student which I have worked immensely hard and having this video as educational but also letting me know what I’m going into makes me feel grateful. Thanks for this, I know in the US it’s different as the Education taxes are extremely high.