Many people think that veterinarians have a dream job. Snuggling adorable puppies and kittens—what’s not to love? Fortunately, the public is beginning to understand that our job can also be quite grueling, with life-and-death decisions being made on a daily basis.
So, with such a stressful job, a new-puppy appointment should be a ray of sunshine, right? For many veterinarians, this may be the case, but not for me. Mostly, I hate these appointments; I find them more depressing than a scheduled euthanasia.
Don’t get me wrong. It’s not the puppy who’s upsetting me, it’s where the puppy is likely to have come from. A dog lover wanted a dog, went to a pet store or found a breeder online, and bought a puppy. It may be a purebred or some made-up “breed”—say, a Chi-Pom-Poo—a mutt sold as an overpriced “designer dog.”