09/28/2026
A Conversation We Need to Have: Veterinary Mental Health and Su***de
When you walk into a veterinary hospital, you see professionals caring for your pet. What you may not see is what those individuals carry with them when the day is over.
Veterinary medicine is a profession built on compassion, but it also carries significant emotional demands. Veterinary professionals routinely face long hours, emergency and critical cases, euthanasia and grief, difficult conversations about prognosis and finances, staffing challenges, compassion fatigue, and the responsibility of making important decisions for animals who cannot speak for themselves.
They may also face another challenge: harassment, personal attacks, threats, and harmful interactions online.
The mental health crisis within veterinary medicine is real, and it deserves serious attention.
Veterinary teams understand that emotions can be intense when a beloved pet is sick or injured. Fear, grief, frustration, and financial concerns are very real. Clients should always feel comfortable asking questions, requesting clarification, expressing concerns, advocating for their pets, and providing honest feedback.
At the same time, there is an important distinction between raising a concern and attacking the people providing care.
A negative experience can be discussed constructively. A complaint can be communicated respectfully. A review can explain what happened without attacking someone’s character.
Repeated insults, threats, harassment, personal attacks, and attempts to publicly target an individual can have consequences that extend far beyond a computer screen.
Veterinary professionals are people, too.
They go home after difficult cases. They remember patients they could not save. They think about difficult decisions and conversations. They carry the emotional weight of families experiencing loss. And sometimes, after an already difficult day, they read what has been written about them online.
This does not mean veterinary hospitals should be immune from criticism or accountability. Legitimate concerns deserve to be heard and addressed. Rather, accountability and respectful communication can exist together.
Before posting a review or comment, consider whether you are describing what happened rather than attacking an individual; whether you have given the hospital an opportunity to address your concern; and whether your words are intended to communicate, resolve, and improve a situation rather than simply cause harm.
Positive interactions matter as well. A thank-you note, a thoughtful review, or simply acknowledging a veterinarian, technician, assistant, or client service professional for caring for your pet can have a meaningful impact.
Resources for Veterinary Professionals
If you are a veterinary professional who is struggling, support is available. Not One More Vet (NOMV) provides veterinary-specific mental health resources, peer support, education, and programs for veterinarians, veterinary technicians, students, and support staff.
Not One More Vet (NOMV)
If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis in the United States, call or text 988 to reach the Su***de & Crisis Lifeline.
The purpose of this message is not to silence criticism. It is to encourage a culture in which clients can speak openly, veterinary hospitals can be held accountable, concerns can be addressed, and everyone involved can still treat one another with dignity and humanity.
Behind every veterinary professional is a person.
We need our veterinary professionals here.
— Daya Urgent Veterinary Services
Not One More Vet is the leader in veterinary mental health. Our organization provides outreach, peer support, and educational resources to help veterinary professionals thrive.
