Cat owners across the globe are reporting an operating system error in the cat 2.0 software package. Apparently, if your cat’s software has this problem and you place a flower on the cat’s head, your cat will crash and need to be rebooted. Please make a note of this error and update your cat’s software regularly to avoid glitches of this nature.
Flower Is Just Too Much For Cat
Stress Almost Drove Me Out Of Vet Medicine
I just read yet another article on Compassion Fatigue passed along by yet another vet who has considered giving up the PROFESSION over job-related stress. While that might sound silly to some people, it’s a very real indicator of how intense stress in our field can be.
I first considered that I might not be cut out for this profession while working my first job. It was a great job, but I’m a perfectionist. On-the-job training isn’t something I felt comfortable with as a doctor. It happens to all of us – you can’t possibly learn everything you need to learn in school. However, the thought of trial by fire with lives at stake started me on the road to chronic GERD and a whole lot of anxiety.
It turns out (SPOILER ALERT) that private practice wasn’t for me. They don’t teach us in school that some veterinarians aren’t cut out for private practice. More importantly, they don’t teach us that it’s COMPLETELY OK to want something different. I felt inadequate. I felt like a failure. I kept at it. Surely, I could get the hang of this!
My second job was more my style. I’m a cat person (professionally speaking). Don’t tell anyone, but I’m a bit afraid of aggressive dogs. Even little ones! I’d rather have a cat screaming and going for my face than a dog staring at me with “that look”. I spent five years in cat practice and even considered buying the practice before I realized I wasn’t at home. I left good friends and struck out for shelter medicine. Again, this was more my style. Politics, however, is NOT my style. I lasted 2.5 years before the Compassion Fatigue monster tried to swallow me up. I should have left after a year but like a true perfectionist, I couldn’t bear the failure.
Opening my own practice was the answer. NOT my own private practice. I’m a relief veterinarian. I travel from practice to practice filling in for other vets. I work in cat practices, shelters and a hospice practice. I love what I do. If I’m not enjoying myself, I change gears. I added public speaking on hospice, euthanasia and compassion fatigue to my resume. I discovered that this was my passion. I’m now on the committee to create the hospice certification program for veterinarians. That would not have been on my list of “what will I be doing in 15 years” at graduation!
So, to all my brothers and sisters in the veterinary field – DO WHAT YOU LIKE. If what you’re doing right now isn’t making your life better, change it. There are endless possibilities for what a veterinarian can do. Some of those in my graduating class aren’t working as veterinarians. That’s ok. If leaving the field is best for you, then do it. I just want you to know that it may be that it only FEELS like you don’t belong here because you haven’t found your niche. New grads – it’s gonna feel pretty lousy the first 3-5 years while you find your feet.
You will never achieve perfection. Get that thought out of your head right now. Strive for excellence – do your best where it counts. It’s fine to do just enough to get by on the little things. I know it hurts your little orderly perfect heart to do so, but get over it (says the woman trying desperately to stop putting two spaces after a period after nearly 40 years of double spacing). Make time to have fun. The whole point of going to school for all those years and borrowing ALL THAT MONEY was to enable yourself to live the life you wanted. Are you living that life?
For the most part, I am. I rarely work weekends or past 5 PM. Read that again, please. I RARELY WORK WEEKENDS OR PAST 5 PM. That is how I chose to run my practice. I do not put up with nasty people. If a clinic has staff or clients that I am required to be abused by, I leave. It’s wonderful. There are options out there for you. Be creative. Go to conferences. Talk to people. If something makes you go “oh cool!” – investigate. The life you want is at your fingertips. Stop trying to change everyone and everything around you. Make changes in your behavior to create your desired outcome.
My health problems have improved greatly since I became my own boss. I take every holiday off. I go on vacation when I want (although that is a much more expensive proposition than it used to be – hugs to every boss who provided PTO for me). My inner control freak loves that no one is the boss of me. That may not be the solution for you, but if you look hard enough, you’ll find yours.
Meditate, exercise, take care of yourself. Get enough sleep. If you can’t, nap! Love yourself enough to do right by you, and you’ll be happy and healthy enough to take care of the rest of the world.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the DrAndyRoark.com editorial team.
Help! These Dogs Are Not Remotely Internet Famous
Some public service announcements are annoying. Others make us stop and think. Every now-and-then we see one that makes us stand up and take action. This PSA is the latter. Please join me in helping make ALL PETS internet famous. Together, we can make a difference… in their Facebook fan pages.
True Facts About the Owl
The best kind of learning is the kind that makes you laugh out loud. In that spirit, I present this gem for your amusement and education.
And if you love funny animal fact videos, definitely make sure you’ve seen this Cone of Shame about the Mind of Cats!
All About That Spay
When you’re passionate about something, need to raise awareness and want to change the world, there’s really only one thing you can do –
A parody music video of Meghan Trainor’s “All About That Bass”.
Last week, the team at Nolan River Animal Hospital launched this lyrical juggernaut, and it’s been racking up views ever since. As a fan of bad puns, parody, and pet population control, I took a few moments to go ‘fan boy’ and then reached out for an interview with Dr. Renee Brockett, who stars. Here’s what we talked about.
AR: Why did you make the video?
RB: I was looking for a new, fun way to get the message about spay/neuter out. I was also thinking outside of the box with regards to marketing. I noticed when we posted personal things to social media we would get much more engagement. From a business standpoint I learned soon after opening the practice that you were judged not always on your quality of medicine, but often on your social interactions. People want to see the human side of their vet. They want to know that he or she is a real person. Someone who can be silly and not take themselves too serious. We were trying to make a video that highlighted a real problem, but in a way that didn’t make you want to drown your tears in a half gallon of Blue Bell ice cream (which you can’t even do anymore since the great Blue Bell famine of 2015).
AR: How did you get the staff on board?
RB: Tequila…… Just kidding. Honestly, I have a great staff that is open to trying new things. The silliness you saw on the video is not really that far out of character for any of us. We use humor to offset some of the compassion fatigue commonly experienced in a vet practice. The staff also understands the importance of using social media in a positive way to grow the practice. This leads to higher salaries, better benefits and possibly international stardom! An added benefit of making the video was that we had a lot of fun and it was a team building experience.
AR: What gave you the idea?
RB: A friend of mine and I had written a song parody when the ebola scare occurred. It was called Waitin’ on Ebola (parody of Brad Paisley’s Waitin’ on a Woman). It was a lot of fun to do, but we never followed up with it. So I knew I could write a song parody. Also I had seen some song parodies done on youtube by a group of dental students. I thought why hasn’t a vet done this?
As far as how this specific song came to be….You’re guess is as good as mine. I have 2 daughters, ages 11 and 6, and they love the Meghan Trainor song All About That Bass. I remember singing the song in my head and suddenly it changed from bass to spay. I put pen to paper and within about a week had a pretty catchy tune. I found a great recording studio and they put me in touch with an amazing videographer. It turned out better than I could have ever imagined thanks to my staff, the recording studio and the videographer.
3 Major Mistakes With New Kittens
How can you screw up with a new kitten? Oh… there are many ways. In this episode, I’ll tell you the 3 most common mistakes I see pet owners make with kittens and how to avoid them. You do NOT want to miss this episode because that new kitten you’ve got or are thinking of getting just may become… the only one who really loves you.