By VetStudent - 04/09/2013 07:30 - United States - Denver

Today, I started my new internship at a vet clinic. By the end of the day I had: been peed on, scratched, forced to stuff a dead dog into a plastic bag, thrown up and almost passed out. I need to rethink my future career. FML
I agree, your life sucks 38 907
You deserved it 9 075

VetStudent tells us more.

Ha! I can't believe this actually got posted!! I had just gotten home from my internship and wanted to vent anonymously. How funny. It is overwhelming, but I'm going to stick it out. I've learned my lesson: do not go in sick or with a full stomach.

Top comments

WompWompWomp123 7

Well what did you expect to happen when working with animals?

flashback_fml 14

Wait till you have to jerk off a dog

Comments

Welcome to the life. I am a veterinary technician and all of this can be a daily occurrence depending on the hospital you work in. Don't forget to add the screaming veterinarians, as many of them can get really snappy from overload. If you can't handle just what you've described, I don't think you should continue trying this out. It took me some time to get used to it, but you have to be willing to take a beating. Evaluate your pros/cons, and maybe this is something you can work on getting over. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions. I'm sorry you got it so rough so early, but it's good to see what you're getting into.

My thoughts exactly. I've been a vet tech for almost 10 years and what OP described sounds like a good day to me. Unless you have done it, people just don't know how it can be.

Life of a vet tech is a glamorous one :) all the things OP described are better than anal gland juice

You learn very quickly to keep your mouth closed while expressing a dog's anal glands. :)

Amen to that, #72! Or urine in the eye. Had that one happen to me a few times.

This comment thread quickly turned into a "oh girrrrlll i know watchu mean mmmm" ;)

Sorry OP, but what did you think was gonna happen? Rainbows and sunshine?

thats what happens when you are around animals. its not all healing the sick ones. sorry op.

skyeyez9 24

You may have had to "stuff a dead dog into a bag" but imagine the heartbreak and utter devastation the owner of that dog went thru when it had to be put to sleep. I had my beloved cattle dog put down last october and it was the worst day of my life. He went thru surgery to remove his swollen spleen, and the vet called me to say the cancer is too far spread and advised it would be best to not wake him up after surgery. So my husband and I came in to say goodby while he was still under the general anesthesia. He had a huge sutured wound all the way up his stomach from the surgery. So stuffing a strangers dog into a bag is not nearly as bad as the pain the owners is going thru! The poop, pee, scratching is all part of your job! The animals are nervous and scared. I sure hope you showed more compassion towards the animals and their owners during your internship vs complaining.

martin8337 35

So the owners just get another dog.

True, they can get a new dog. But it's not easy to say good bye to your pet. Of course if you don't give a shit. If my cat dies right now (God forbid) I can get a new one. But it's hard to get over it. You sound like you never had a pet and don't know how it feels. Or your just heartless.

21 your comment made me so sad, I'm so sorry for your loss :( I'm still upset about my grandparents springer spaniel who passed 4 years ago from cancer

mansen 15

#21, was is visceral hemangiosarcoma that your dog had? Going through the exact same thing with my 14yr old cat. Had to have his cancerous spleen removed and was told that this cancer is so rare in cats that there is no data in treatments in follow ups with chemo and prognosis/outcome longterm for what we are doing with him. I have 2 other geriatric pets under treatment for ailments and even though I know at some point meds etc will no longer help them, my heart just breas thinking about if and when those days come.

skyeyez9 24

I dont remember the exact term. But he had no symptoms of being sick and the day before He was suddenly wobbly on his feet. So I called the vet and had an appt for him within the next hour. Vet did a physical exam, x ray and found the mass. She said the good news was that she didnt see any signs of it spreading. But to keep in mind the x ray can only pick up masses 5mm and larger, and she may see signs of cancer spreading during surgery. Well the next morning during surgery, she opened him up and it was already spreading to his liver, pancreas, abdominal wall...and he would prob live maybe a month at most. And advised me he would be in too much pain and miserable if she were to wake him up out of surgery. That the stress of the recovery would aggravate the cancer and kill him painfully. Its just terrible to see your dog laying unconscious on the operating table and holding him as the vet injected the OD of barbiturates or whatever it was to stop his heart. He would still randomly twitch in his paws and lips after he died. :( He was such a great dog and didn't deserve to get sick and die like that.

skyeyez9 24

I thought he would have the surgery, come home to recover and be fine. So the vet calling me after she removed his spleen, and discussed with me that she thinks it would be best to not wake him up was a nasty shock. I was fully expecting I would pick him up that afternoon to take home and get better. I even baked his favorite peanutbutter and oats dog biscuits for when he came home. And to come home from the vet to an empty house without my dog devastated me.

lizzypooh36 18

I'm a tech. It's definitely not for people with a weak stomach. Even my parents will ask me how I do it after I tell them about my days. But it's my passion. So I guess it just comes easy.

triplebeerox 27

You will get used to it OP. it comes as a shock first but little by little people become accustomed to everything. We had to watch to watch autopsys in my forensics class and at first I would shut my eyes and stop up my ears but then I got used to everything.

I'm sorry your day was rough, but what did you expect becoming a veterinarian? I have to say the dead dog bit sounds insensitive. I bet it's tough for the vet who performs that procedure. And I speak from experience that it's really painful having to say goodbye to a beloved furry family member. Or, as #7 suggested, perhaps it hit you harder than you thought.

I felt the same way when I started my surgery internship. "What? I have to get my hands bloody and do rectal exams? I didn't sign up for this shit!" Oh wait...yes I did.

yourmurderscenex 13

yeah you do. I work at a vet and I've been bit, scratched, pissed on, restrained dogs way stronger than me, and had to deal with a dead cat. I actually love my job. so all I have to say is start thinking.