Behind the Mic: Episode 2 - When School Ends and Reality Begins

Emergencies at a clinic don’t follow a lesson plan. College for Vet Techs teach structure and protocols however real emergencies and critical care tend to brings chaos, pressure, and emotion. In Episode 2 of Dad and the Vet Tech, we talk about how fast it hits when you step into an emergency clinic for the first time. Emergency cases don’t arrive neat and stable. You learn quickly or you risk hesitation. Decisions have to made fast and the owners are scared. Treatments don’t always work the way the book says they should which can be eye opening for new vet techs, especially when coming straight from school.

Your first loss stays with you and no class can prepare you for doing everything right and still losing the patient. Each loss carries a different weight depending on the situation, the patient, and the people involved. Those moments shape you, especially when first starting out. After an patient passes, clients often are in a fog and their emotion blocks clear thinking. Anger can come out suddenly and it can be directed at staff. Vet techs have to carry that emotional hit while still performing their job. 

Vet techs work long shifts in high stress environments which can leave you exhausted and replaying cases in your head. You will question your decisions and wonder if there was one more thing you could have done. If you don’t practice self-care, burnout can come quickly. Mental health isn’t optional in this field and protecting yourself might mean leaning on co-workers, setting boundaries, taking breaks, or stepping back when needed. Staying in this field requires caring for yourself as much as you care for patients.

During college rotations there was one cat that stood out. For the Vet Tech. The cat was part of a cat care rotation and helped ease stress when college days were challenging. The cat was super friendly, vocal and loved to be pet. The college allowed students to adopt and that’s exactly what happened. A proper name of Stella was given and she was officially adopted and brought home after college. Stella is now a permanent part of the family.  Stella proved that some animals don’t just receive care, they also give back.

Stella joined a foster dog that also turned into a permanent addition to the family after the loss of our German Shepherds. Wilma, a wiener dog with a big personality, joined the family through foster adoption. What started as “temporary” addition became permanent and Wilma found her place with the family. Wilma and Stella are now best friends and often chase each other around like a scene from Tom and Jerry.

Episode 2 also covers the Cram Shack where we basically ask questions on anatomy and physiology pulled straight from college days. Finally we wrap things up with the 2 and 2. Two good animal stories in the news and two not-so-good ones. 

Vet tech life is demanding and can be both hard and rewarding at the same time. 

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Have a great week, we will see you next Sunday !