Stress, pressure straining veterinarians needs to be addressed

Pet Care

Financial burdens and misconceptions

"It's this constant kind of abuse from people talking about how [vets] don't care about the pets, they only care about money, it's a huge issue."

Not trained to handle emotional burden

The road ahead for vet professionals and pet owners

Reid said a lot of students come into the program excited to work with animals, unprepared for the interpersonal aspects of the job.

To help ease the burden, Reid said, some veterinary programs are reviewing their curriculums and adding necessary lessons to help better prepare students. At Algonquin College, discussions about compassion fatigue, coping mechanisms and euthanasia are being integrated into the program.

"You lose cases that you thought were going to get better and you're a little too close," he said.