What you see behind the door to the consultation room is very different.
Veterinarians in Europe and the US say they have too much work, rude clients, and a lot of people killing themselves. What seems like a dream job for a lot of people is actually a job full of sadness, debt, and impossible expectations.
When your dream job turns into a pressure cooker
Most people who study veterinary medicine do so because they want to help animals. That picture is even stronger because of TV shows and social media. The vet is nice, smiles, and is always surrounded by happy owners and fluffy patients who get better.
Also, read “Landlord insists on the right to enter a tenant’s garden for fruit harvest,” which is a scary precedent that makes renters nervous.
That script doesn’t always work in real life. Veterinary medicine today is at a tense crossroads of new technology, high costs, and strong emotions. Making clinical decisions, negotiating money, and the chance of a big disagreement are all part of every consultation.
Studies from Germany and other countries show that vets are six times more likely to kill themselves than people in general.
That number is not a random number. Based on surveys:
One out of every five vets says they are thinking about killing themselves right now.
About a third are thought to be more likely to kill themselves.
Almost 30% of them show signs of depression that are important from a medical point of view.
Those numbers are a lot higher than what you would see in the general public. And they point to a job that is always very stressful for the mind.
Money, medicine, and the awkward conversation that no one sees
A lot of small-animal vets have to ask for payment in person, which is different from how doctors in state-funded systems treat people. The credit card machine is like a quiet judge between the vet and the customer.
When a pet is diagnosed with a serious illness, the vet has to explain the tests and treatments and ask, “Can you afford this?” That can change the idea that caring for animals is selfless and pure.
Many people believe that all possible procedures should be accessible, and that affection for animals should take precedence over financial considerations. You can get mad quickly when you get a bill for advanced tests on a cat, rabbit, or even a hamster.
Even though they still have to pay staff, rent, and drugs, vets say that people often act like they should work for free “out of love for animals.”
It’s not just weird to keep arguing about fees. They take away a vet’s sense of worth and purpose. Some people say that they are profiting from other people’s suffering at the same time.
The pet is like a family member, and the vet is the target.
In the last few decades, pets have gone from being friends to being full members of the family. A dog or cat may be the only emotional connection that many people who live alone have. That makes being sick and dying even worse.
People who are grieving often need something to focus on. If a vet says that euthanasia is the best option or if treatment doesn’t work, the owner may get mad at the only person in the room who is in a uniform.
They might say that the vet “gave up too soon,” “kept the animal alive too long,” or “missed something important.” People can easily share these kinds of accusations on social media without much context. Even if a vet did everything right from a medical point of view, a one-star review can hurt their reputation for years.
People often get very angry with us when we put the animal down. That’s one way they deal with their grief, but it can be hard to deal with.
Older professionals can handle some problems better when they have long-term relationships with clients. Younger vets who just graduated from college and already have a lot of student debt are more likely to be affected. They might have to deal with their first euthanasia, complaint, and public shaming in just a few months.
The emotional toll of euthanasia
Routine procedure, sadness that keeps coming back
It is thought to be kind to put animals to sleep. But for vets, they have to do it over and over again with their own hands. There are weeks when no one is put to death. Some people might bring in a lot of money in just a few days.
There is a story behind every case: the old woman whose dog is her last link to her dead partner, the child who is crying on the floor of the consulting room, and the family that can’t agree on what to do and fights while the animal has trouble breathing.
There have been new stresses in the last few years. Some owners use their phones to record the process. In Germany, one family member streamed the whole euthanasia live to relatives in another country without telling the vet first. Young professionals are very upset that their most painful work is being shared online.
Easy access to deadly means
“Means access” is one of the hardest things to study when it comes to suicide. People are more likely to kill themselves if they can easily get to very dangerous ways to do it. Veterinarians use powerful drugs every day and know how they work.
Veterinarians are sadly very likely to try to kill themselves because they are under a lot of stress and know a lot. A lot of coworkers say they lost friends in what was officially called a “car accident,” but everyone in the area knew what really happened.
Also read Goodbye balayage: Light Line colouring is the most popular style for spring and summer 2026.
Stress in the job, not just at the small-animal clinic
Veterinary medicine is not only for dogs and cats. People work with farm animals, in slaughterhouses, and for the government, where they make sure that animals are healthy and safe.
Field: Most important stressors
Working with big animals in the country, being on call 24/7, being at risk of injury, living alone, and not having much time off for illness or vacation
The government and public healthMass killing during disease outbreaks, dealing with neglect, and pressure from the government
Going to the abattoir Being around death all the time and being in charge of food safety and following the rules for welfare
When an infectious disease is found on a farm, vets from the public sector may have to watch as thousands of healthy animals are killed. People who are new to the field and still have high hopes may find that morally devastating.
People who work in slaughterhouses know that they are going to kill animals, not save them. Their main job is to make sure the rules are followed and the meat is safe. The emotional burden is different, but the sense of duty is still strong.
Shame, silence, and the need for help
Veterinarians have not been allowed to talk about mental health problems for a long time. When a vet dies, people who live in close-knit rural areas might say “crash” or “unexpected illness” instead of “suicide.” A lot of people in the field are afraid that saying they are in pain could hurt their career or reputation.
The culture is changing, but not quickly. People in professional groups in Germany, the UK, and other places have begun to talk about the numbers. People say that the most important thing about high suicide rates is that no one who is having a hard time is alone.
Veterans are starting to run helplines and peer-support groups for other veterans so they can talk to each other in a safe, private setting.
In northern Germany, there is now a crisis phone line just for veterans and their nurses. There is also a pilot crisis-intervention project going on right now. In this project, trained coworkers go to see people who are in a lot of pain at their home or practice.
Therapy isn’t always the best thing to do. Some vets need money because their clinic isn’t doing well. Some people need help with angry customers, while others need help with the law after a complaint. The new programs don’t want to give everyone the same answer; they want to connect them with the right kind of help.
Things future vets should know before they sign up
People know that it is hard to get a degree in veterinary medicine. In a lot of countries, they need to get good grades, go to class and labs for long periods of time, and do internships that don’t pay. Most of the time, the students who make it through are smart, well-behaved, and nice. They aren’t always ready for the real world of running a small business, hiring people, and getting money back.
Older veterans say that young people who want to work in this field should:
Make friends outside of work and keep them.
You should have at least one hobby that doesn’t involve animals or medicine.
Find a mentor, like an older vet who can tell you the truth about your mistakes and how to fix them.
Get a head start on learning how to run a business and handle money.
Set limits on how many hours you can work as much as the job lets you.
These steps won’t make the pain of euthanasia or the heartbreak of a case that doesn’t work out go away, but they can help you get through those times.
Understanding grief, compassion fatigue, and moral distress
Veterans often use the words grief, compassion fatigue, and moral injury to talk about mental strain.
People who don’t own something can also feel sad. A vet who has cared for a patient for years may feel sad when the patient dies. If they go to the next appointment too soon, they might still feel that way.
When someone sees other people suffer over and over again, they may become emotionally numb. A vet might notice that they are getting grumpy, distant, or cold for no apparent reason after yet another emergency. That reaction is a sign that something is wrong, not a flaw in your character.
Moral injury is the pain that comes from doing something that goes against your morals. One classic example is having to put down healthy animals during a disease-control operation or seeing an owner refuse treatment just because it costs too much when the vet knows the animal could be saved.
How to help pet owners relax
Small changes in behaviour can really help veterinary teams. Here are some examples from real life:
Ask about costs and insurance early on instead of waiting until the end to get a bill.
Advanced animal care uses the same drugs and technologies as human medicine, and it will cost money.
Please don’t film the staff or share live on social media when you put your pet to sleep.
Talk to the person directly and calmly before making accusations in public if you’re not happy.
When you feel thankful, say thank you. A short thank-you email can help make up for the bad things that people say about vets all the time.
For many veterans, these small gestures of respect and understanding can make the difference between a bad day that they can handle and feeling like the job is killing them.
The profession is starting to respond with more open communication, crisis lines, and mentoring programs. But there are still structural pressures, like the need to be available all the time and rising costs. Many veterans think about killing themselves, and how can the societies that depend on their care be ready to take care of their health?
