[Dailydrool] Veterinarian who quit

[Laura Tancredi]

I literally had my mouth hanging wide open in shock reading this article.  I have never read anything more personally hurtful than this:

"A whole industry has arisen out of squeezing the most money out of treating family pets," Watkinson writes in the article published by the Daily Mail. Watkinson accuses financially-motivated veterinarians of ordering unnecessary procedures, prolonging a sick pet's life with expensive treatments merely to generate higher fees and even researching a pet owner's home address to determine wealth and how much the client could be charged. 


Is it right for someone to decide to leave a profession and write a "tell all" trashing book for the others who love their job and work every minute of everyday to help people and their animals?  

I work 12 hours days 5-6 days a week without a lunch/dinner break and frequently without a pee break or break of any kind.  I only sit down at 8pm when I start making calls back.  

My family never sees me, my fiance says he doesn't remember what I look like.  

My monthly student loan payment per month is 50% of my income -  for the next 30 years.  

So remind me again Matthew Watkinson why I would be "supporting a dog breeding industry that produces purebreds with inherited diseases and physical deformities considered "cute," and catering to sentimental -- a dirty word in Watkinson's book -- pet owners, rather than acting in the best interest of animals."?

When the writer himself NEVER worked as a small animal veterinarian himself!

I'm just.. HORRIFIED!  It's hard enough to convince people to do the right thing for their animals with this sh@#$%t out there.  

I don't know what oath he took but this is the one I took and took completely to heart:

"Being admitted to the profession of veterinary medicine, I solemnly swear to use my scientific knowledge and skills for the BENEFIT of society through the protection of animal health, the relief of animal suffering, the conservation of livestock resources, the promotion of public health and the advancement of medical knowledge. 

I will practice my profession conscientiously, with dignity and in keeping with the principles of veterinary medical ETHICS. 

I accept as a LIFELONG obligation the continual improvement of my professional knowledge and competence."

Oh yeah... and I won't slam my collegues... you jerk. 

Thank doG I got a bunch of Howliday Cards this week to make me feel better.

Still mad, 
Laura
Flash - I'm grumbling in disagreement
and Ryu - Mom stop typing and throw my piggy toy pleazzzzzzzze