Dr. Chris Bern
21 Years Experience
Cartersville, GA
Male, 49
I have been a practicing veterinarian since 1997, but have been in and around the profession since 1984. I am a general practitioner and see most pet species, from dogs and cats to parrots and snakes. In my job I do everything from routine vaccinations to complex surgeries and difficult medical cases. Becoming a vet takes hard work and dedication but can be very rewarding.
Unfortunately, that's a rather difficult question with no simple answer. "Suffering" is a bit subjective. We all know when a pet is really painful or sick, and we all know when they're happy and feeling well. Between those extremes is a lot of gray area. In general we look for pain, lethargy, difficulty moving, loss of appetite, and similar things. If you're concerned about a specific pet I would have him/her examined by a vet in person and talk to them about your concerns.
Share Answer: 
Spend time working in a veterinary clinic. It's a lot different than what many people think. It's a lot of hard work, you don't get paid much, you literally risk injury every day, and you deal with many gross things. You simply don't know if you can handle all of that until you spend some time working side-by-side with vets.
Share Answer: 
"Oh, you're a vet? Well my dog......" Variations on this theme are typically what I get when people find out I'm a vet. They share an anecdote about their pet, talk about a health problem, list all of their pets, or start to ask me for my opinion or advice on an issue. When I first graduated from vet school I would proudly wear jewelry or clothing proclaiming my new profession. But it quickly got old when the cashier at the grocery store or a random person in line would try and get some free advice. Over the years I've gotten more used to it and have realized that people are just very passionate about their pets. Which is a good thing! But at the same time when I'm off work I don't want to think about it much and want to try and detach myself from my job so I can think about othe rthings. To avoid some of these situations I don't make a big deal about my job in my private life and don't ask people to refer to me as "doctor".
The second question is a really good one and I've been trying to wrack my brain thinking of some specific questions. Unfortunately, I can't! I answer the same questions and discuss the same situations multiple times every day so I've gotten used to repetition. When someone asks me a question it may be the 10,000th time I've answered it (LITERALLY!), but to them it's the first time they've asked it, so they deserve to get a good answer no matter how tired I am of it. But I really don't get too tired of it because to me client education is VERY important, and when I answer those repetitious questions I'm helping the client take better care of their pets.
It's not quite a question, but one of my biggest pet peeves is people who don't listen to their voice mail message. Sometimes I'll call a client to let them know their pet is ready to be picked up and will record a brief message with a summary of what we did. Almost every day I'll get someone call back and say "Yeah, I got a call from you guys? No, I didn't listen to the message." That gets old VERY fast, and to me it seems such a simple thing to listen to the message before you return a call.
Share Answer: 
It is possible to sedate a dog for a nail trim, and I've done this many times. However, the cost can vary a bit in different areas of the country and depending on what medications are used. Ask your local vet about this.
Share Answer: 
Freelance Writer
How do you go about getting your first clients?
NHL Team Marketer
Is fighting in hockey good or bad for the game?
iPhone & iPad Technician
What's something you think Apple does surprisingly POORLY?
This isn't as simple of a situation as you might think. My first question would be "Why did the dog attack?" Most attacks happen because of a specific trigger or triggers, even if the people involved may not realize it. For example, let's say that a dog attacks a child. The first response most people would have would likely be "Euthanize this dangerous animal." But would that be the same thought if it turned out that the child had been throwing rocks at the dog? Or if the child had been picking up the dog's puppies? Suddenly the "attack" becomes a situation of having been provoked or acting protective. In these cases we can't really blame the dog and I don't think it should be euthanized.
I see aggressive dogs pretty much every day. Sometimes they're aggressive towards us but are fine at home. Sometimes they get aggressive at home in specific situations. Outside of these instances the dog acts normally. Yes, it may attack again, but only if put in the same conditions. We have some patients that are what we call "cage aggressive". When they're in a cage they are very defensive, feeling threatened, and if approached will bite. But once out of the cage they act more normal and can be handled.
Now there truly are psychotic dogs who have a problem in their brain and can attack unprovoked. I've known several of these, and they can be truly dangerous. I've euthanized pets over the years due to extreme, uncontrolled aggression, though always as a last resort.
I don't disagree with laws requiring euthanizing dangerous, aggressive animals. But I think that they need to be carefully worded to not make it automatic with an attack. I think that a healthy dose of "it depends" needs to be used in each situation, and someone knowledgeable in pet behavior needs to be consulted before such a permanent decision is made.
Share Answer: 
In order to maintain our license, we are required to take a certain amount of continuing education every year, with the number of hours varying between states. We mostly get this through attending one of many professional conferences around the country (and even the world!). In these conferences we attend lectures that both refresh our memories and inform us of new developments. Additionally, there are many journals to which we can subscribe, each of them focused in different areas and giving us the ability to read and learn about current trends and treatments. Medicine changes quickly and new drugs are released each year, so it can take a lot of effort to stay current!
Share Answer: 
We have similar malpractice insurance, but it costs FAR less than our human colleagues. What an average human physician pays for in a month would cover a vet for a year. Thankfully I've never had a malpractice claim filed against me, and hopefully never will.
Share Answer: 
-OR-
Login with Facebook (max 20 characters - letters, numbers, and underscores only. Note that your username is private, and you have the option to choose an alias when asking questions or hosting a Q&A.)
(A valid e-mail address is required. Your e-mail will not be shared with anyone.)
(min 5 characters)
By checking this box, you acknowledge that you have read and agree to Jobstr.com’s Terms and Privacy Policy.
-OR-
Register with Facebook(Don't worry: you'll be able to choose an alias when asking questions or hosting a Q&A.)
Browse Jobs
Host a Q&A
Search
Submit Your Question
Host a Q&A
Last 7
