Why I No Longer Work With Cattle and Horses

For the first 10 years of my career, I worked in mixed practice. This is the traditional James Herriot style of vet work, where you had to be prepared for pretty much anything. In a day you could have a surgery to perform on a 1000kg bull, then head back to the clinic and need to diagnose the problem with someones pet mouse. In those 10 years I treated cattle, horses, sheep, goats, rats, mice, ferrets, rabbits, cats, dogs, snakes, lizards, chinchillas, alpacas, llamas, a zebra, kangaroos, deers and various bird species. For many of these species I have been a GP, anaesthetist, dentist, obstetrician, orthopaedic surgeon, general surgeon, oncologist, nutritionist, pediatrician, emergency and intensive care doctor. The amount we are expected to know about so many species is overwhelming, and I eventually had to make the decision to either get much better at fewer species, or continue as jack of all trades, master of none.

There is a lot I used to enjoy about the large animal work. Because you would often spend whole days working on a farm, the farmers became your friends. And when the weather was nice, being out on a farm was a great place to be. Farm work is also much less emotionally draining. when we work with peoples pets over a long period of time, we become quite attached to the pet and the owner. It can really upset you when you lose a patient, where as with farm work that emotional attachment to the animal doesn't create such issues.

Over my 10 years as a mixed practice vet, I felt pet owners and farmers expectations change. They all want to know that the best person possible is looking after their animal. Despite trying my best, I eventually realised that I couldn't match owners expectations, and when I really thought about it I realised I was struggling to meet my own high standards. Something had to go.

I decided to focus on the small animal work as that was my strongest area. It's a decision I am very glad I made. My small animal medicine and surgery skills have improved dramatically. I can now offer my small furry patients a level of treatment I couldn't before, and I now am confident that I am providing a level of treatment I am proud of.