https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project I'm Kara, a veterinary technologist/anaesthesia technician. I am currently studying visual imaging and hope to use what is shared here as part of a visual series. The aim of this project is to challenge perceptions of the veterinary industry and highlight what veterinarians, techs and nurses go through "behind the scenes". This means sharing your thoughts, reflections, insights and experiences. Please check it out, contribute, and share with your friends and coworkers in the veterinary industry! Thanks! Comments are anonymous - please begin with "I wish people knew..." en-us 2016-10-05 08:13:22 UTC 2026-01-30 02:45:52 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/icons/Balance.png kara_flintoff https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128420763 The decisions we have to make every day]]> 2016-10-05 09:40:10 UTC https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128420763 kara_flintoff https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128425753 The guilt I feel when I lose a patient]]> 2016-10-05 10:07:09 UTC https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128425753 kara_flintoff https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128426016 That sometimes I work over 6 hours without a loo break, let alone lunch]]> 2016-10-05 10:09:07 UTC https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128426016 https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128426093 How much our hearts break everyday for our patients ]]> 2016-10-05 10:09:34 UTC https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128426093 https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128426556 How much it breaks my heart when you don't care enough about your pet to even provide it with basic care and it suffers needlessly ]]> 2016-10-05 10:12:35 UTC https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128426556 https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128426827 We are always trying to do the best for their animals with the restrictions they place  ]]> 2016-10-05 10:14:41 UTC https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128426827 https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128426863 Out the back you don't see the blood sweat and tears I pour into your animal/s. You don't know that I love your fur baby just as much as I love my own. I give EVERYTHING to ensure your animal is getting the best care I can give. It's easy for you to thank the vets but please don't forget about the nurses and techs caring for your patients around the clock. We are their voice, we speak up for them when we need to, it's our job, it's being a patient advocate. ]]> 2016-10-05 10:14:55 UTC https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128426863 kara_flintoff https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128426909 That sometimes we just had to euthanise another patient before their consult]]> 2016-10-05 10:15:15 UTC https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128426909 https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128428111 Everyone should microchip and consider getting pet insurance for their pets!!! ]]> 2016-10-05 10:21:51 UTC https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128428111 https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128428355 I spend extra hours after my shift of my own time to make sure your animal is ok before I leave work.]]> 2016-10-05 10:23:12 UTC https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128428355 kara_flintoff https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128430844 That I work 12 hour days and still do overtime]]> 2016-10-05 10:36:48 UTC https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128430844 kara_flintoff https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128431659 That if I've appeared to run late for a consult, I might have been euthanising someone's beloved pet and not wanting to hurry them through the process]]> 2016-10-05 10:40:37 UTC https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128431659 kara_flintoff https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128431763 That it's so heartbreaking to see clients elect euthanasia over something very treatable because "it's just a dog or cat"]]> 2016-10-05 10:41:12 UTC https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128431763 kara_flintoff https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128431943 That I can see through them when they say they don't want to put their geriatric pet through a blood test because it's "too stressful" for the pet -- when the real truth is that they do not wish to financially invest further in their pet's health]]> 2016-10-05 10:42:07 UTC https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128431943 kara_flintoff https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128432079 How challenging it is to go from one consult where you're breaking the worst possible news to a family, then immediately into another consult for a bright & happy paediatric vax visit]]> 2016-10-05 10:42:47 UTC https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128432079 https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128630520 How heartbreaking it is each year when we experience the "Christmas cull" where older pets whose owners don't want to pay for them to be in kennels over the holidays get them euthanised when their only ailment is old age :(

]]> 2016-10-05 19:50:35 UTC https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128630520 https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128632252 How difficult and upset they make us feel when their pet is unwell at midnight but they don't have any money, but this is somehow my fault and start yelling at us for not caring and not doing enough for animals.]]> 2016-10-05 19:56:55 UTC https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128632252 https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128640410 It's not, never has been and never will be "all about taking your money"... We are not about "taking", on the contrary we are all about giving. The unconditional and endless giving that this industry demands does have a price of sorts...a personal cost to us, the veterinary professionals. We SACRIFICE time with our partners, spouses, children and our own pets. We rarely look after ourselves and  the illusive 'work life balance' is an impossible dream for all of us. We work hours into the night for free, feeling guilty about charging for our time. Our patients come before everything. I wish people knew.....before they dealt their cruel words, judgement and criticism and caused such hurt.]]> 2016-10-05 20:34:04 UTC https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128640410 https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128650986  That getting a pet is a long term commitment not just for while it's cute]]> 2016-10-05 21:48:02 UTC https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128650986 https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128652061 How frustrating it is for clinicians too when we spend your money on diagnostics that we think might lead us to an answer and it doesn't give us one.  We aren't just trying to get more of your money - I go home and stew over it all night feeling so anxious that you will get angry with me for spending all your money or question my competence even when I am trying my absolute best. ]]> 2016-10-05 21:58:33 UTC https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128652061 https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128664903 How difficult and heart breaking our job can be. Every single day.

]]> 2016-10-06 00:28:03 UTC https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128664903 https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128664967 That actually we get paid a pittance for the amount of work we do, and that we are not in it for the money at all, no matter how much you accuse us of this]]> 2016-10-06 00:28:38 UTC https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128664967 https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128667946 That "break" is not part of my vocabulary]]> 2016-10-06 00:58:53 UTC https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128667946 https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128675157 How many veterinarians want to give up and change jobs but can't financially.]]> 2016-10-06 02:18:09 UTC https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128675157 https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128679356 The workers at the petstore are there to sell you stuff. They don't always know what they are talking about.
Why do you listen to them over trained professionals?]]> 2016-10-06 03:05:44 UTC https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128679356 https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128680647 How little we get paid and that we are definitely not in these jobs for the money, but for the love of the animals.]]> 2016-10-06 03:22:24 UTC https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128680647 kara_flintoff https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128685002 2016-10-06 04:29:00 UTC https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128685002 https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128685080 That vets don't and can't know everything.  We try our absolute best to pick the right tests to run, to make the right diagnoses, and to pick the correct treatments, but no one can get it right first time, every time, for every patient.  Please don't blame us for being human.  We are doing our best, and whenever we make a mistake we dwell on it for far longer than you can imagine.]]> 2016-10-06 04:30:12 UTC https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128685080 https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128692437 The nurses work their butts off for your pets. We may have just been doing CPR on a patient that had been rushed in and didn't succeed getting them back and the next minute we are answering the phones and greeting you at the door ]]> 2016-10-06 06:19:23 UTC https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128692437 https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128697344 That it's not funny when your animal tries to bite us.  Nor is it just "part of the job" or something we should "expect" or "suck up".  Workplace safety applies to vet staff too.]]> 2016-10-06 06:50:39 UTC https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128697344 https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128699659 The value of nurses. They are the ones in the background performing  myriad of tasks to keep your pet as comfortable, safe and fear free as possible. ]]> 2016-10-06 07:02:52 UTC https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128699659 https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128753427 That it hurts deeply when they say we don't care about animals because we can't treat their pet for free]]> 2016-10-06 11:00:25 UTC https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128753427 https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128754136 The gut wrenching feeling of making the call to inform a loving owner that their best friend (pet) has passed away.]]> 2016-10-06 11:04:04 UTC https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128754136 https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128754837 How I lay in bed at night and analyse a case over and over after losing a patient - trying to figure out what I might have done wrong or could have done differently]]> 2016-10-06 11:07:04 UTC https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128754837 https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128756573 That google didn't spend 7 years plus studying veterinary medicine, and neither did your local breeder.]]> 2016-10-06 11:14:41 UTC https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128756573 https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128768748 How many things I am doing simultaneously. I have two calls on hold, bloods in the centrifuge, meds to administer and patients to toilet, and I will still take the time to listen to you]]> 2016-10-06 12:08:30 UTC https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128768748 https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128991770 How many times I cry over animals I couldn't save...even years later...

]]> 2016-10-06 23:05:26 UTC https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128991770 https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128992818 That there is an entire team of professionals caring for their pets and  it's not  just the veterinarian that deserves respect and thanks.]]> 2016-10-06 23:20:03 UTC https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/128992818 https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/129002435 That we aren't "just in it for the money".]]> 2016-10-07 01:16:21 UTC https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/129002435 https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/129003604 A pet is a privilege not a right ]]> 2016-10-07 01:30:10 UTC https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/129003604 https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/129005784 How much pain and/or suffering they may be inflicting on their loved one (pet) when they opt not to treat or follow a treatment plan. ]]> 2016-10-07 01:53:38 UTC https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/129005784 https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/129006918 Telling me "I don't know how you can do it" doesn't make me feel good.]]> 2016-10-07 02:06:22 UTC https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/129006918 https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/129007580 Becoming a vet or a vet nurse/tech is not the best career choice for your kids; financially and emotionally. ]]> 2016-10-07 02:15:03 UTC https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/129007580 https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/129011401 That many quit practice due to burnout from unreasonable/difficult clients, including myself. It is funny how some people refused to sterilize their pets, and when the dog gets pyometra requiring urgent OVH and hospitalization, they call us money grubbers and blame us for trying to rip them off for the hefty treatment fees.

]]> 2016-10-07 03:04:38 UTC https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/129011401 https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/129013995 There's a difference between veterinary assistants and veterinary technicians. How much schooling and studying we've done to earn the title veterinary technician (or veterinary nurse), and it all seems useless when we're paid so little and go so unnoticed.

]]> 2016-10-07 03:35:45 UTC https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/129013995 https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/129033630 How much I've wanted to leave the profession just because it's so hard to do so much for so little pay and be accused of being in it for the money. ]]> 2016-10-07 07:26:53 UTC https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/129033630 https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/129044757 That when you can't bear to be present while your pet is put to sleep we are there in your place and feel that pain]]> 2016-10-07 08:43:34 UTC https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/129044757 https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/129047695 How frustrating it is when a patient has to be euthanised for something that would have been easily treatable if it had been seen right away, rather than after a week of illness and suffering]]> 2016-10-07 09:00:28 UTC https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/129047695 https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/129051979 The pressure of having a life in your hands, even if it is "just an animal"]]> 2016-10-07 09:24:10 UTC https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/129051979 https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/129052284 The internal ethical dilemma between treatment to prolong an elderly pets life and the questionable quality of that life]]> 2016-10-07 09:25:44 UTC https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/129052284 https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/129081959 That when we recommend a diagnostic test or a treatment it is because we want their pet to get better, not because we want the money. This is medicine we do, not retail.]]> 2016-10-07 12:03:18 UTC https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/129081959 https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/129262634 The truth the title of Veterinary Technician enough to ask for the credentials.  I wish they knew how many times the person performing dental procedures, drawing blood, placing catheters, running anesthesia and reading lab tests are not formally trained, but trained on the job.]]> 2016-10-08 03:14:36 UTC https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/129262634 https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/132649063 2016-10-24 11:17:26 UTC https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/132649063 kara_flintoff https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/194489107 That vet nursing is a great and rewarding career. Not in monetary value but rather the animals we care for everyday, our great workmates and the lovely people we meet.We get paid a pittance and pretty much are just rich students. We can brush the psycho breeders, got-no-money clients and rude people under the carpet just from simple thankyou, remembering our name or waiting while we have three calls on hold]]> 2017-10-05 19:51:48 UTC https://padlet.com/kara_flintoff/The_I_Wish_Project/wish/194489107