Burdens and Burnout

My veterinary friend Pam sent me this news article. She lives far away and we console each other on the ever challenging state of vetmed. She is a true friend. The kind that sticks by you no matter how muddled in the mire you get. She also understands. Empathy holds tighter when you know another soul really gets you.

Kingston

Email from Nov 22, 2025, 5:50 PM 

Not such a nice way to frame it I hope you’re doing ok. From FB seems maybe you are suffering from compassion fatigue? Or perhaps you always are, like many vets

Pam XXX DVM

This article is from News 5 Cleveland;

Veterinary bills are rising, but so are the chances your pet will survive

By: Elizabeth VanMetre

CLEVELAND — A single social media post asking whether viewers had noticed their veterinary bills increasing quickly became one of News 5’s most-engaged call-out posts ever, prompting hundreds of Northeast Ohio pet owners to share their struggles with affording care.

Some comments described heartbreaking choices between paying for a pet’s treatment and covering basic household expenses.

Veterinarians said the rise in prices is real.

Dr. David Wong and Dr. Victoria Smith, veterinarians at PetVetWell in Mentor, said their work has evolved dramatically in recent years.

“Generally with exams, too we don’t only talk about pets," said Dr. Wong. "We get to know the clients really well.”

Smith said the shift largely stems from how pet owners see their animals.

“Our pets are now viewed as part of our family and sometimes our children,” Dr. Smith said.

That deeper emotional bond has led many families to pursue more advanced treatment options, even when the cost is steep.

Jennifer Rogers, a Northeast Ohio pet owner, shares her home with two bunnies, two cats and three birds. She considers them her lifeline.

But the price of caring for them, and for pets she has lost along the way, has pushed her deep into debt.

Rogers estimates her veterinary expenses total roughly $50,000.

“We’re looking at six maxed-out credit cards from my son," Rogers said. "Two from me. It’s to the point where there is no more credit cards to pay. So it will come down now to do we make the mortgage payment? Do we make the car payment?”

According to the Consumer Price Index, overall prices are around 25% higher than they were five years ago. During that same period, the cost of veterinary services rose approximately 41%, according to U.S. Labor statistics.

Veterinarians said that the increase reflects the fact that they can provide better medical care than ever.

“We’ve seen a lot of advancements in veterinary medicine, I’d say even in the last five years," Dr. Wong said.

That means the veterinarian you see today has more training and more options than ever to treat your pet.

“We’re running the same diagnostic approach you get when you go see your doctor. The blood work. The x rays. I mean we can do CTs. We can do MRIs in this field. Which is something we haven’t been doing in the past," Dr. Smith said.

The investment in equipment, medication and specialized staff has raised operating costs for clinics.

“More modern equipment [and] more advance treatments all end up costing a little bit more,” Dr. Wong said.

As costs continue to climb, veterinarians say communication and early care are key to avoiding overwhelming, unexpected bills.

Tips to not Waste Your Money on rising vet costs

1. Consider pet insurance: Monthly premiums can help offset emergency or long-term treatment costs. Use comparison tools like Pawlicy to match coverage to your pet’s age, breed and medical history. Not all plans cover the same conditions, so read the fine print.

2. Don’t skip yearly exams: Many costly health problems, from dental disease to organ issues, are cheaper and easier to treat when caught early. Preventive care can save hundreds or even thousands of dollars over your pet’s lifetime.

3. Ask about payment plans: Some veterinary clinics offer in-house payment arrangements, CareCredit, or other financing options. Establishing a relationship with a trusted vet makes these conversations easier.

4. Price-check medications: Pet prescriptions can often be filled at human pharmacies for less. Ask your vet if a generic or alternative medication is safe and available.

5. Build an emergency fund for your pet: Even a small monthly contribution can help cushion unexpected care. Setting aside money consistently reduces reliance on high-interest credit cards or loans when emergencies happen.

While I agree with almost all of the above advice, I will add my own derivations. You get back what you put in. If your relationship with your pet is one of the most important and vital parts of your life there are people who understand and relate. Build impenetrable bridges with them. Your vet should be a local, capable, independently owned business who gives back. Every town has one. 

Pippin

Here is my reply to her.

Hello,

God only knows what I am suffering from. Life as an empath in a world full of greedy assholes. 

Compassion fatigue is a constant. A constant motivator and detriment. 

I am not going to lie in my grave feeling anything other than accomplished. I am really grateful for all of it. Even the hard parts. I won’t be angry or feel cheated. I asked for all of this and turns out the universe is delivering. 

Where there is struggle there is also hope. And I know I am not alone. Which honestly is the most consoling part. I’m just not afraid to speak up. Bear it all. Be vulnerable. But it isn’t a sign of weakness or resignation. 

I appreciate that you think about me. And send these along. I am here. Anything you need just reach out. 

Take good care of yourself. 

Xoxo 🐾

Krista. 

Sadie

Why am I sharing this? Well, because it is honest. So many people feel that vulnerability, honesty, and being outspoken about any or all of it is a show of weakness. A red flag of imbalance. A reason to resist less, be more self-centric. Me, well, there are too many souls out there in need of help who don't have a voice. Who aren't given a place of compassionate liberty. I will not stop until I cannot continue. On my own terms in my own time. 

Am I incredibly grateful to have friends who reach out? Absolutely! I am most grateful to those who also walk in my shoes and know how real the burden is.

The Best Advice For New Team Members

There isn't one of us in vetmed who didn't start out as a kid with a dream. Typically we were a kid who wanted more pets in the house and parents who weren't consenting to acquiring more of them to the degree we longed for. 

I am asked daily to allow a young pet enthusiast to visit the clinic.

Volunteer. Start there. Don't expect me to give my time and skills without you giving the same, or more, back. (P.S. The secret to thriving in a profession built on compassion is to always give more than you have to,, and be fulfilled in giving more than anyone else. Especially if you are in vetmed, because no one ever gives more than our patients do).

Cookie. She is always the most generous hugger in the building.

Here is the advice I gave this morning;

"Here’s my first piece of advice for being the best vet tech ever;

Always start every new interaction with a pet and their parent with a genuine hello and a smile on your face. The best techs in the world are not the smartest, or the ones with the most accomplishments (like certifications and letters after their names), or the ones with the most diverse skillset (we can teach you all of that), but the ones who are the kindest and the most compassionate. You don’t have to go fast, or know everything but nothing will ever make you more valuable and appreciated like being kind.

It also really helps to say hello to your patient. You don’t have to let or touch them (they might be scared and a caution). People always want to feel like they are at a place that cares about them and their pet and you are the first (or second) person they see. So you make a huge first impression.

See you later!"

Seraphina. My WHY,

Veterinary Ethics Bio

Kisses from Cookie

I was asked to do a podcast from the Vet Ethics Committee. With that I had to add a bio. ChatGPT helped. It was an odd way to add an unknown perspective to a life I have outside of the clinic and its reach. Here's what I submitted...

Dr. Magnifico is an innovative veterinarian and passionate animal welfare advocate. She hopes to continue to build a legacy of being known for her commitment to an innovative, ethical and a patient-centered approach within veterinary medicine. She sees every animal, and their caregivers, as being worthy of compassion and is committed to preserving and maintaining the bonds we have with the pets we call family. She is currently specializing in the management and treatment of FUO/blocked cats by utilizing a minimum database, managing costs with outcome and budget as the starting point, and never giving up regardless of the obstacles presented. In essence she practices the way her patients need her to; the old fashioned way when integrity, loyalty and trust were all paramount to longevity and viability.

As the owner of Jarrettsville Veterinary Center, Pawbly.com, founder of the Pet Good Samaritan Fund (a 501c3) and Not One More Pet, Dr. Magnifico operates with a strong ethical foundation, prioritizing compassionate care and client education. A key area of focus is finding solutions to economic euthanasia, where financial barriers often force difficult decisions for pet owners. By offering a spectrum of affordable care from the onset, Dr. Magnifico ensures that every animal, regardless of their owner’s financial situation, has access to the veterinary services they need, thereby preventing unnecessary suffering and premature decisions.

Dr. Magnifico is an advocate for fair access to care, transparency in treatment options, and informed consent in every facility, in every case. She has proven that you can do good and do well in your practice. For every act of kindness, good will, and pro bono care the return has doubled. She shares her cases, challenges, and obstacles on multiple social media outlets and has built an Army of change who support others in kind. It is possible to be ethically driven and financially successful. She has also proven that it is also possible to wear your grubby, fragile, intense heart on your sleeve and be peacefully content within your practice. It is possible to be the vet your little girl self dreamt of becoming.

With a dedication to both medical innovation and ethical integrity, Dr.  Magnifico works to shape a future where veterinary practices are accessible, sustainable, and rooted in compassion for both animals and their families. 

Thank you again for considering me and for all that you do to help others.

With gratitude,

Krista

The Ethics Of Choosing Welfare Over Profits

One.

There isn't one hour of any day that we don't discuss the financial impact of veterinary care and its influence on the pets we share our homes with. 

The strategy for balancing care and cost is to prioritize animal welfare and focus on providing the most effective, cost-efficient care possible. This may involve recommending alternative treatments or procedures that are less expensive but still effective, or working with clients to develop a treatment plan that meets their needs and budget.

I have been asked to give a talk on ethics in vermed to the SVME, or, Society of Veterinary Medical Ethics. Now maybe every veterinarian doesn't spend as much time in the veterinary mire as I do, but, every veterinarian, heck, every human is muddling through this minefield every day.

For me it comes down to who I am. Why I am here. What veterinarian did I set out to be all those years ago. The years when I was small, helpless, feeling overlooked in a world of other meek beings who were always at the mercy of someone bigger and stronger. The perspective of need was the place I dwelled. I was alone in a world that had other creatures around me in the same bucket of existence between luck and mercy. I grew up primarily on a farm. For all of the beauty and joy it held there was disease, suffering and death. I was never a child to go quietly into the night. I was, as those around me taught me to be, resourceful, resilient, and determined. Every dog, cat, sheep, horse, bird, bug and other showed me how to be at one with my surroundings yet waiting for fate to come challenge you at your most vulnerable. I learned this at a very early age. I learned value was relative. It came with a perspective that dictated fate based on the pocketbook, whim, and emotional value its own placed upon them. I also learned too early, that I had little to say in matters of care when a bill was included. When our dogs found porcupines and cried in the laundry room all night awaiting the vets office to open. When the cat got stuck in a fence but wasn't worthy enough for surgery. I never accepted that my dearest companions were any less worthy than any other being around us. I failed miserably at state fairs, thanksgiving dinners, and any other event/entertainment that allowed animals to be used for amusement or waste at our expense. I was shaped by so many instances of seeing the world differently because the animals who insulated my life brought love and I couldn't be a part of cruelty to any of their brothers or sisters. 

I was, and remain the same girl. The girl who looked so deeply into the eyes of her sheep and horses that she saw a reflection of herself within them. At least a reflection of gentle kindness she wanted to be. Those moments of companionship for comfort were my first biology, anatomy and ophthalmology lessons. I was learning as I was being cared for and to them I owe lifetime of debt.

When medicine came I knew that I was here for more than a professional reimbursement. I was here to put them, their health, happiness, and liberties above profit and gain. For as much as vetmed emulates and follows human medicine we have lost the connection that binds us so passionately to our professions purpose that we cannot be dissected from it. My mission, the seed of the soul of who I am and why I am here is so metastatically entwined with how I practice that I would walk away from medicine before I would surrender her to it. There are few cases where a humans life is endangered by my patients, these are the choices that I struggle with. The behavior cases, the rabies suspects, the ailing parents who cannot manage their pets care and cannot see that they are incapable of seeing the part their forgetfulness plays in their pets lives. These are the ethical dilemmas I call my minefield. These are the places I cannot tell if I am enabling cruelty albeit disguised as loyalty and ownership.

If human medicines primary ethical obligation is to the patient, why then can't mine be the same? Why would I put a Standard of Care above the ability to provide care? Why does money always find itself at the root of all evil?

If this profession wants to reap the benefits of following in human healthcare, all of the advancements, miracles and yes huge profits then maybe it's time to remind ourselves why our clients are willing to seek, and yes, pay for them. Maybe it's time to remember that our clients come to us because they, just like the little girl I was, and am, want to protect the being in their lives that give it peaceful acceptance and purposeful worth. Maybe it's time to gaze into our clients eyes and see a reflection of ourselves as we want to be seen.

Cookie. How I adore this girl.
Addisonian. The purpose lies within

The physician’s first professional obligation is to his patient, then to his profession. His ethical obligation to his community is the same as that of any other citizen.

The Avenues Of A Legacy

We are open from 8 am to 8 pm Mon through Thurs. On a typical day, I'll pick yesterday as an example, I see about 11 appointments in 30 minute slots and then as many emergencies as call and need to be seen. Yesterday 3 vets, all working a 12 hour shift, saw 17 emergency same day fit-ins.

At 745pm a 9 year old up to date on its annual exam and vaccines presented for an acute onset of lethargy, inactivity and inappetance. Within 1 minute of the physical exam my gut told me this dog was in trouble. It is the gut feeling that you get with experience. I spoke to the owner. I had to have a quick, frank, troubling conversation without any diagnostics to lean on.

"I am worried about your pup. We are dehydrated, the gum color is mucky, and our belly looks distended and is painful. I think you need to go to the ER." She shook her head in agreeance. 

"I just knew something wasn't right." She replied.

"Ok, I am going to go make some calls."

I called the two local ER's both are about 30 mins from the clinic. 

In the days of the ER's opening and inception the primary objective was to honor the referrals of the local general practices. We were the bread and butter of their business model. There was an understanding that if we referred it meant these cases took priority and needed to be there. The acute episodes of milder emergencies would be deferred, or wait. Last night when I called to transfer both places refused to take the case.

I called both of them the next day to try to understand.

I was given very different answers, neither I expected, from the veterinarians who are the medical directors.

The first ER told me that when they say they are full they are full. Hard stop. She did add the perfunctory exception. "We always take the euthanasia's. We don't want to make them wait." Now, it might sound like an act of basic compassion, and in some cases it is, but, it is the easiest money a veterinarian makes. If you cannot make room for patients that are trying to live but dying, versus the dying and can't afford other, then I am skeptical. Disturbed. Irritated. Do I understand the reality of over extending and over burdening an engine? Hell, yeah! There are times where I know I cannot add one more case to the day without repercussions. There are moments that I want to run screaming from the building, ripping my scrubs from my body to be thrown in the trash as some last desperate act of freedom. But, then I remember who I am and why I worked so hard to get here. And, so it remains that many of our emergency patients won't, can't, refuse to go elsewhere. 

The other provided an apology. "We always take veterinary referrals. It is our first obligation." Well, thank you. Thank you very much. I reiterated that I would only send them on after we were unable to provide care. I also promised to go over expected costs and scenarios so the pet parents wouldn't be caught off guard. There is a painful reality to being sent elsewhere with a potentially dying pet and then being given the news that you cannot afford to be here. You have no options and the vet that you knew and felt you could trust has been responsible for it.

The subject of emergency care at our general vet practice is a harried history so long that it bears context and consequence to discuss it.

Jarrettsville Vet has been around for over 80 years. A long, long, long time. Over that time we have been the place for all things animal related. We have seen the transition from farm animals as our primary patients to dogs and cats that are now provided every luxury a human has. We have grown from a clinic with 2 exam rooms renovated from a single story home, to an 8 exam room facility open 7 days a week. We have done (almost) every surgery imaginable. Open chest, transfusions, horrible accidents, wounds, and cruelty. We have worn every hat from every specialty because we had to. We can transform from a bleached, pressed, white coat to a trauma center in seconds. We are still the people of the place this has always been. A rural, humble, practice built upon longevity and honesty. 

We, the team at JVC, has learned together that there isn't much we cannot do. We are never alone in our cases and we never abandon each other. Maybe that is the marrow of a legacy that 80 years grants you? Maybe it is just the collective fabric of a group that has always understood their place, their importance, and the legacy that time and dedication grants you.

Resting

 

Resting

I don't own a comfortable chair.

...something is unsettling about becoming settled.

"no rest for the weary" meets "idle hands," and all the bad lot that follows.

I have always run along a timeline. Able to see the hourglass sands finding their way to gravities desires and not complacent in its calling my name aloud. Running so fast the destination is as obscure and fleeting as the journey. The days fly by as the clock with its unyielding and unforgiving schedule gets fatter, fuller, and more demanding. Most days I wake up on Monday only to find it Thursday afternoon. 

While I don't have a soft inviting chair, I do have a cloudy resplendent bed. It is the only place I go to rest. The rest is, well, kinetic chaos to complete a task list that includes peaceful compassion to allow every living thing to flourish. I don't seek accomplishments only a dreamers canvas. There has to be sleep even in the obsequious near absence of relaxation.

Wally. Cats and hair ties.. 

Over the top is what best describes it. Over the top is what describes it all. Every last moment is so full I cannot ever look back with regret or remorse. I filled every day with all of it. Every intention to be as full as it could be. Ask hard questions, look for challenging answers. Never walk away from someone or something you can help with. Push so hard there is just a wall that reminds you this is the end. Doesn't everyone want their end to be simply because there was no gas left in the tank?

Maybe being a veterinarian, the profession with the highest suicide rate, the most compelling reasons for death, is exactly the place to know how fragile it all is. Maybe seeing the reflection of your own soul in the eyes of every other soul that comes to you is the best mirror. Maybe this life was meant to be so full of need that you didn't have time to ask yourself if you ever needed the bullshit that floods social media. Maybe the billionaires seeking more stuff are so lost the clutter is a way to fill a hole that just gets bigger from indifference? Maybe the secret to life is living it in all of its hardship while you make the moment last just a little longer than everyone else can by giving it all away.

Perla, pyometra

I'm not wishing for anything other than what I have. I wouldn't do a single second of it any differently. I am, however, looking for a more peaceful plod through it all. A way to be grateful, purposeful, and feel alive. I don't want to go back, do it over. Find the pieces easier the next time, but it would be appreciated to not feel so worn out by Friday. There is the key I am missing as I chase the sands through the bottle neck to settle in the shore of time.

The Insulation of Greed.

I routinely post the same content on multiple social media outlets.

For the last 15 years here's what I have noticed.

The more we become insulated as a society, community, country, (the list goes on), the harder it is to relate to others who are not in our position. I also believe that some of us choose to take from those who have less as we (believe) we all have to fight for the same pieces of wealth.

Why does such a divide exist when there is so much wealth around us? Why would we choose to take more, deny more as we continue to try to insulate ourselves from some unknown fear? We are not living in poverty. We have a home, clothes, possessions, people who love us and yet we spend so much time and effort trying to deny others the same? It is so difficult for me to understand.

I recently chose not to put up a flagpole because I am not going to be told to fly the flag for a domestic terrorist who made friends with the like, and not lower it for those who actually do deserve a military honor. I would have lowered it for Jane Goodall. A universal symbol of unity, peace, and kindness. My husband and I have both worn a uniform and sworn an oath to the constitution. We have more right to posting that big flying flag in black and white with "We the People" etched on it than all of the white men in trucks who paid to have it put there and never once took a second to contemplate protecting justice, tranquility, general welfare, but merely to defend their bunker of assault weapons that has only made school children more afraid, and likely to die from mass casualty shootings. I could go on, and on. 

Jarrettsville Vet has created this sanctuary for its people. We are a wide brush safety net for our patients and clients. When I post about the despair present in vetmed. The collateral consequences is insulation that despair happens to others. Routinely people show up at a veterinary medicine facility and cannot afford much, if any, of the treatment plans offered. 

When I do put up a post about economic euthanasia in vetmed on our JVC facebook page it gets no views. It feels like it is not relevant. It makes me wonder if I am insulating and fueling the indifference?

"Hope is about action." Jane Goodall. 

Hope is not wishful thinking. It is observing a problem, rolling up your sleeves and working hard to achieve the thing you are hoping for. I am hoping for compassion, kindness and sharing all so that we all can thrive.

To all of those I work with on a day-to-day basis in rescue you understand. Encouraging people to go to the shelter, save a life without a breeders lineage tree, (and price tag which for reasons I find mind-boggling insinuates that they are "more desirable," "less likely to have X-Y-Z problem" (which is total idiocy) is arduous and exhausting. The fact that people think they are getting a better guarantee of anything (insert hypoallergenic, no behavior issues, special, etc. with a higher price tag is ludicrous. Rescue people, vet people, know this. The idea that shelters/rescues house animals with hidden defects is also fundamental biased, prejudiced, and wrong. I had a recent equally ridiculous discussion with a person upset that they couldn't take one of the kittens we were helping "for free" and would instead have to adopt them through a local rescue for $150. I tried to remind them that $150 adoption fee is a $350 savings from the price tag of care through JVC for three cat visits, vaccines, spay/neuter, deworming. They could only see "free" which leaves me to question whether that kitten was ever going to get any care after possession. Live a day in the trenches of rescue, factory farming, puppy mills, deforestation, genocide, and let me know how safe you feel.

Here is the post I put on JVC Fb that got no traction. On a rescue page, professional outlet it received both comments, shares, and scrutiny because it is relevant and relatable.