By Veterinary Hospital Kohima
World Veterinary Day is observed to honour veterinarians and other members of the veterinary profession for their dedication to animal health and welfare and to highlight the different facets of the works performed by these professionals around the world. World Veterinary Day is marked on the last Saturday of April every year since its creation in 2000 by the World Veterinary Association (WVA). This year, it falls on April 29 under the theme, “Promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusiveness in the Veterinary Profession.” The theme highlights on embracing the differences while respecting and recognising everyone, feeling safe, heard, and valued no matter the age, class, ethnicity, gender, health, race, religion, education and job level, personality traits, or other differences. It also highlights on the need to remove barriers and improve inclusiveness through diversity, equity, and inclusion policies and practices in a diverse world.
[bsa_pro_ad_space id=1]Veterinarians play a vital role in our society, and their work is essential for the health and well-being of animals. They are responsible for diagnosing and treating animals and providing preventive care. This demanding profession can be both challenging and rewarding, but it also comes with a lot of responsibility. The desire to enable animals to be as healthy and happy as possible has not altered since the profession began.
Working at a veterinary clinic can be a physically taxing job. Vets and supporting staffs are always on their feet for most of their shifts and often end up working hours that span well beyond an eight-hour shift. They are also exposed to diseases, the possibility of bites or other physical injury caused by animals. Therefore, taking precautions against zoonotic diseases is important in order to maintain working conditions and production and increase quality. Significant zoonotic diseases include bacterial diseases such as tuberculosis, tetanus, anthrax, brucellosis, salmonellosis, etc.; viral diseases such as rabies, Q fever etc.; fungal diseases such as ring worm, candidiasis, etc. Veterinarians also have to deal with the stress of knowing that their job involves caring for sick and injured animals, many of which will not survive. Vets often witness the effects of animal cruelty firsthand. They may also be called upon to euthanise healthy animals that have been abandoned or are no longer wanted by their owners. This can be very upsetting for vets, who usually become attached to the animals in their care. The job can be emotionally taxing when dealing with upset clients and sick or dying animals on a daily basis. Thus, proper protocols should be in place to ensure that staffs get proper breaks and take care of themselves mentally, physically and emotionally.
The biggest challenge for veterinary practitioner is to keep themselves updated on the changing standards, emerging trends and new drugs, therapies and treatments in the field. Today, clinicians are unquestionably more knowledgeable about the animals they treat, and better equipped to tackle the diseases they combat than any generation before them. Nevertheless, the high dropout rate from the profession and the negative impact on the mental health of many veterinarians must serve as a warning that being an animal professional in the 21st century carries with it burdens as well as rewards. The people who become veterinarians endure it all for the sheer love of the job and a deep rooted passion for helping animals.
Animals can’t speak to us and tell us what hurts. Being able to connect with an animal to determine the nature of an illness or injury takes many skills. Using those skills to help restore an animal’s health brings great joy that makes all of the stressful times worthwhile. Ultimately, for those in the veterinary profession, happy and healthy animals are the greatest reward.