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What's a veterinarian's day like? Career insights from a Petco DVM.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Can you answer these questions for me? please! What is a typical day like as a veterinarian? What makes being a veterinarian interesting? When did you chose to be become a veterinarian? How did you chose to be a veterinarian with so many options? What are the best and worst moments of being a veterinarian? Do you have to have good communication skills for the job ? Can you describe a challenging situation? If I were interested in pursuing this career what classes should I take in high school

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Anna M., DVM

Answered By Anna M., DVM

Veterinarian

Published on August 20th, 2017

Hello! Sounds like you're interested in pursuing this career choice :-) I am happy to answer some questions for you, but we're limited in the length of our answer in the "free" forum here, so if you'd like a more thorough answer please request a consultation and I'm happy to go into more detail!

There are many different types of veterinarians and different careers that can be pursued. I work in a busy small animal practice, and a typical day involves either surgery or seeing appointments. Either way, it's a busy job - lots of juggling scheduled appointments, "add-on" (urgent care style) appointments, drop off hospitalized animals, and phone calls, and LOTS of paperwork as everything needs to be thoroughly documented in the animal's medical record.

What makes this job most interesting is the variety, as we see all conditions and never know what the day has in store! You might spend a morning suturing a laceration, managing an emergency, counseling an owner on training a new puppy, or talking through behavioral concerns.

I initially decided to become a veterinarian when I was a small child due to my love of animals, then solidified the decision as an adult when I realized how much I enjoy the problem-solving aspect of medicine.

The best moment of being a vet is when I am caring for a sick animal and I get to see the first tangible signs that it's feeling better. For example, when a sick animal who hasn't eaten in days suddenly shows enthusiasm about food. That's a good feeling! The worst moments are navigating the difficult decisions about juggling care and money concerns - vets all wish we could provide the best possible care for all of our patients, but unfortunately good care costs money, and this is a limitation that many owners have. If we could treat everyone for free we would! But it's just not possible to do so and remain in business.

Good communication is absolutely essential to being a good vet. Ultimately the decisions about care need to be made by the owners, and they need to understand what you're recommending and why, as well as understand anything necessary regarding follow-up care.

A common challenging situation is when we are booked with appointments, and then an emergency comes in that absolutely requires our immediate time and attention. Patients need to be triaged and emergencies need to take priority, but we also want to respect people who have appointment times and don't want to keep them waiting - so again this job requires a lot of juggling!

The most important thing to focus on in high school is taking lots of advanced classes and doing what you can to excel. Particularly focus on math and science, but all aspects of education are important at the high school level. Get as much experience with animals as you can, as vet schools will want to know that you are aware of what you're getting into wiht vet school! Shadow a vet if you can, work in a boarding kennel, etc.

Good luck! Again, if you want additional information you are absolutely welcome to request a consultation!
Vote Icon2Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

  • Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on April 24th, 2017

    I would be glad to help you with your questions!

    1. I have wanted to be a vet since I was a little girl. I've always loved animals, and have wanted to help them from a young age.

    2. My main job is working for Pet Coach, so a typically day for me is getting up in the morning and starting answering questions on the forum. I also work for a home euthanasia service, and attend calls when needed by owner.

    3. I love working from home. It gives me a good work/life balance, and I can spend a lot of time with my family.

    4. There are a couple difficult things about my field. One is the abuse we as vets get from owners occasionally. I don't see it because I work from home, but those in clinical practice can detail it more for you. People seem to think that because we love animals we should treat them for free if the owner has no money, and the vet is frequently abused verbally and online when they won't do it. Another difficult thing is seeing abuse cases. Finally, in a clinical practice, a work/life balance is very difficult to achieve due to long hours, low pay, and a high vet school debt.

    5. They need to be aware of the difficult things I mentioned above. I would speak to a vet in clinical practice to get an idea of the realities of the job.

    6. Obviously, you need a degree in veterinary medicine, but you also need patience, empathy, and good personal skills.

    7. One change I see if that some people are willing to spend more on their animals to improve their quality of life or treat illnesses. I find that a great change.

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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