Dangers of being a Vet

[CarpeDiem89]

Hey everyone,

I was talking to a vet recently and he discouraged me from becoming a equine vet because of the danger that goes along with treating horses. He kinda made it seem like I would die if I became a equine vet.

I was wondering if anyone on here has had a experience where the vet has become injured due to crazy horses. I have personally witnessed techs get injured but the vet was a huge guy who could muscle the horses around and he never got injured.

Is the profession really that dangerous? I am a very small person and when I am dealing with horses that misbehave I just cannot control them... I just do not have the physical strength to control a horse that does not want to be treated. Will this hinder me from becoming a equine vet?

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[CurrySpice]

I was having an identical discussion at my small animal clinic last week. Both vets used to do large animal and switched to small animal a few years into their career for lifestyle/money. Many of their colleagues have broken their backs and incurred a number of injuries.

They advised me to take a bunch of SA classes in vet school even if I track LA so that I can switch professions when I'm tired of being beat up! LOL.

 

[lostbunny]

A vet I shadowed with had a serious concussion from one of her equine patients, and that knocked her out of a few months off work. She said she started out in cattle and wanted to stay in that field, but she just didn't have the strength and burliness to do as well in the field as she wanted, so she switched to equine only to soon be kicked in the head!

But in SA, one of the vets I used to work with got scratched across the face by a cat and needed stitches, another was bit by a large dog in the arm and also needed stitches.

So all in all, you could easily be killed or seriously injured, but same goes for diving a car, or walking to the bus stop on a rowdy street after a concert or night clubbing.

If you want to become an equine vet, and feel you don't have the strength to control a 1200 lb animal, don't forget that you also have a team working with you whether its the owner, another vet, or even an aspiring student who is shadowing you. So if you do get injured, not to worry there will likely be someone around to call an ambulance 😉

 

[CarpeDiem89]

So if you do get injured, not to worry there will likely be someone around to call an ambulance 😉

hahahah this made me laugh. Omg that is so scary though. I think that a few stitches is far better then getting kicked in the head 😕

I also heard that there are less injuries in cattle work...

Maybe because you use a lot of fences and head gates. But I do know that getting kicked by a cow hurts way way way less then getting kicked by a horse.

 

[equitate]

Equine med is my desired field and this is actually something I was asked during my interview at Mississippi State in February. The Clinical Professor of Equine Surgery made a small joke about the dangers of equine med asked me if I had a back-up plan in case I got injured on the job and could no longer treat horses (FTR, my back up plan is teaching - something I'd love to incorporate into my future regardless). Is it a potential issue? Sure. Horses are large, powerful animals. The best you can do is to always stay aware of your surroundings, give yourself clear escape routes, have someone you trust restrain the horse and use common sense. It certainly isn't without risk but I won't let it deter me (and I hope you won't, either!).

Another one FTR - I am 5'3" and 110lbs = I can't manhandle, either 😉 Size and manhandling abilities are unnecessary (and the latter shouldn't be done, anyhow) when it comes to earning the respect of a horse.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

I also heard that there are less injuries in cattle work...

I kinda doubt that. The cow must not have been kicking you very hard 😉 I think horses and cattle are about equal. Horses may even be easier, because most (not all, but many) horses are at least somewhat trained. VERY few cows are "trained".

One year of food animal practice is pretty much the equivalent of 2 seasons in the NFL. Sure, a lot of the time you're doing chute work with beef cattle (unless the owners expects you to help round them up, which also definitely happens), but that doesn't mean you won't get shoved into gates, stepped on, etc.

The worst work-related injury I ever had, (besides catching RMSF from a tick on a sick dog in another ward) was from a dairy cow who was actually even in a headcatch: I was drenching her, one arm around her neck to hold her head up, and the other holding the tube, and she violently jerked her head up and down, lifting me off my feet and slamming me back against the catch. I had a bulging disc for a month and basically couldn't bend over at all (had to manage it medically, which is why it lasted so long). Necropsy is much safer 😉

But yes - the physical ability to manhandle, while nice, isn't 100% required. That is what technicians and proper physical/chemical restraint are for.

 

[lostbunny]

I also heard that there are less injuries in cattle work...

Maybe because you use a lot of fences and head gates. But I do know that getting kicked by a cow hurts way way way less then getting kicked by a horse.

I honestly don't have a lot of cattle experience, but from that vet (head-kicked one) she said that cattle work in general is tougher on the body. Its very physical, and you have to be able to do things like flip a calf around with one arm while it still in the uterus. She said she suffered from constant aches and pains, and as a result (in addition to her smaller stature) just couldn't perform as well as a 200lb muscley burley man.

So less injuries in cattle work, I really have no idea. But if this is coming from a study, or a person... think about the injuries he/she (likely a *he* lol...) didn't report 😛

 

[CarpeDiem89]

I honestly don't have a lot of cattle experience, but from that vet (head-kicked one) she said that cattle work in general is tougher on the body. Its very physical, and you have to be able to do things like flip a calf around with one arm while it still in the uterus. She said she suffered from constant aches and pains, and as a result (in addition to her smaller stature) just couldn't perform as well as a 200lb muscley burley man.

So less injuries in cattle work, I really have no idea. But if this is coming from a study, or a person... think about the injuries he/she (likely a *he* lol...) didn't report 😛

Uggg why cant I be burley like??? I will have to start body building lol

 

[equitate]

That is what technicians and proper physical/chemical restraint are for.

👍 Yes, yes, yes.

 

[LetItSnow]

So less injuries in cattle work, I really have no idea. But if this is coming from a study, or a person... think about the injuries he/she (likely a *he* lol...) didn't report 😛

It's been decades since I've been kicked by a parlor queen, but I'm thinking that whether a horse or a cow hurts worse all depends on where you get kicked. All I remember is that sometimes it didn't hurt too bad and sometimes you thought you were gonna die.

But there were so many other ways to mangle yourself on a farm that the cows really seemed kinda secondary. Maybe farms are safer places nowadays, I dunno.

The worst work-related injury I ever had, (besides catching RMSF from a tick on a sick dog in another ward)

Wow. Doesn't RMSF sometimes make you dead?

 

[bunnity]

I don't think that when you're working with 1000+ lb animals it's going to make a big difference whether you are 100 or 200 lb. The animal can still crush you if it wants to. Good knowledge of behavior and good reflexes seem like it would be much more important.

 

[lostbunny]

.

 

[jtom]

The vet I work for has been kicked a few times and broke his arm a few years ago. About 3 months ago I had to call an ambulance because the owner got kicked in the head while we were treating her race horse. Just before that happened he nailed me in the left knee cap. My knee was swollen for several weeks. So yes it is not exactly the safest field in vetmed.

However, I personally am attracted to equine medicine for these reasons. I cannot stand being inside all day and I religiously lift and do cardio. I find the more physical demands of horse/cattle vet med to be my kind of work and when things start to get interesting, I get excited.

 

[CarpeDiem89]

I kinda doubt that. The cow must not have been kicking you very hard 😉 I think horses and cattle are about equal. Horses may even be easier, because most (not all, but many) horses are at least somewhat trained. VERY few cows are "trained".

I have seen the most calm well trained horses freak out over treatment.

Anddddd then there are the other horses... like the client that wants you to castrate her 3 year old colt that is in that pasture and had never had even a halter on... good luck trying to sedate it!

From my experience there are less gates and restraints with horses... and I have seen horses that are in veterinary clinics rear up and put holes in the ceilings...

Sometimes its just freak accidents. I have seen someone give a horse penicillin and the horse had an allergic reaction and fell on top of the tech. She was out of work for months.

I know you give cows shots generally in the chute. Its way easier.

But one thing for sure is that I do not want to die trying to treat a horse or a cow....

 

[lostbunny]

high 5 to tick-related illnesses! I got paralysis ticks in the bush here in Australia and was hospitalized!

 

[lostbunny]

I have seen the most calm well trained horses freak out over treatment.

OMG, and its not even necessarily 'treatment'.... my horse hated the vet and at one event the vet (his vet) was at the check after cross country. All he had was a stethoscope, and my horse wouldn't let him get near, was mini rearing and freaking out. Wouldn't let him get a heart rate so we just had to walk for the 10 minutes and hope for the best lol.

 

[CarpeDiem89]

OMG, and its not even necessarily 'treatment'.... my horse hated the vet and at one event the vet (his vet) was at the check after cross country. All he had was a stethoscope, and my horse wouldn't let him get near, was mini rearing and freaking out. Wouldn't let him get a heart rate so we just had to walk for the 10 minutes and hope for the best lol.

wooooow. See thats the kind of horse that scares me!!! And I am the type of person that if I want a heart rate I will do everything to get that heart rate even if I have to tackle an animal. But with horses... they would kill me haha. I guess I just have to learn to back off when its dangerous.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

I know you give cows shots generally in the chute. Its way easier.

I'll remember that the time time I hear of wrists and arms being broken in chutes when you're giving a shot and the cow decides to slam you against the side 😉 Hah....not trying to be mean, just telling you it's a lot different than it sounds. We've evidently had different experiences, but I have seen many more cow-related injuries than horse. I would surmise they are pretty much equal in actuality.

Actually, most dairy work is done just as horse work - ie minimal restraint. Halters and leads, maybe a very simple head-only catch if you're lucky. Only in beef do you really use chute systems with any regularity - at least the the vast majority of East Coast operations I saw.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

high 5 to tick-related illnesses! I got paralysis ticks in the bush here in Australia and was hospitalized!

Damn, sucks!

Yeah...RMSF was literally the most painful experience of my life. A raging systemic vasculitis is no picnic. My entire body was on fire with pain - my boyfriend at the time actually had to carry me into the clinic so I could demand doxy.

 

[lostbunny]

Damn, sucks!

Yeah...RMSF was literally the most painful experience of my life. A raging systemic vasculitis is no picnic. My entire body was on fire with pain - my boyfriend at the time actually had to carry me into the clinic so I could demand doxy.

yikes okay you win your experience was worse then mine lol. I was working on a research station eating beans and rice for 2 months living a very (VERY) rustic lifestyle in a hovel, so when I *got* to go to the hospital it was like a holiday; real milk, TV, a BED. . .

 

[awaring1]

There are going to be dangers associated with handling horses in any aspect (showing, training, breeding etc.) They are large, unpredictable animals.

I grew up with horses and until this past year have never been kicked. Of course, to make up for lost time, it was quite a doozey. An 18 month old research horse that I was walking decided to bolt forward and strike back with both feet. Caught me in the ribs about 8" below my armpit. Compressed my lung and left a very impressive bruise (especially considering ribs don't bruise easily). It was a really mentally traumatic thing for me because this horse had aimed to injure and and I had never dealt with a horse that actually wanted to hurt me. It was a great (yet painful) learning experience.

Maybe the reason that people associate less injuries with LA is because you can do more in the stocks? Any LA people feel free to correct me (since I have pretty much zero experience) but I feel like with horses you are more likely to rely on someone holding the animal. Yes, stocks can be used, but it is not everything that every horse farm has.

While I am still young, I like to wear my bruises as badges of honor. Once I am older... well, my plan B is research/teaching.

 

[PocoCalypsoQH]

I don't have a lot of shadowing with equine vets, but all the time I did spent was pretty uneventful as far as potential injury. They were all pretty well-behaved and were often given sedation for anything more than shots. I do have LOADS of experience working with horses otherwise, but I have not been seriously injured out of the saddle (I have had a couple unpleasant falls over the past 2 decades). I would say the worst thing that has happened is that I was releasing a school horse (who all have somewhat mediocre ground manners) into a pasture and he bolted before I could get his halter off and it caught my thumb and ripped it out of joint 🙁

Now cows...well it really depends on the facilities. The majority of places still are not quite up to par as far as I am concerned with regard to handling facilities. A lot of small farmers still expect you to do everything with just a halter on, and half the time you are expected to catch it when you get there too. But a lot of the newer, larger facilities have really nice handling systems for you to work with, and hopefully that is the direction that the dairy industry is going for the vets sake at least 🙂

 

[kas9ey]

I've had horses for 10+ years, had an Off-the-track TB, broke my own 3 year old hot-headed mare and now have her 3 YO filly, and have "test-rode" the naughtiest youngsters. I've been thrown, trampled, kicked, smashed, stepped on, drug and rope-burned. What I've learned is you have to know when to let go of the rope, where the kick zones are and most importantly to sense for that "explode" moment when legs go flying in all directions. The only way you learn all that is through experience. You have to know how all the panic snaps and knots work, all the twitching places, all the ways to thread a chain through a halter, it never ends!! Like everyone else said, you have to acknowledge the risk and do what you can to minimize it. Eyes up and a sturdy pair of boots!!

(That said I'll probably get launched across the barn by the 3 YO tomorrow, hope not)

 

[Braki]

But one thing for sure is that I do not want to die trying to treat a horse or a cow....

Serious injury is a risk when working with horses and cows. They're very big and they're very powerful. I think deaths are rare, but at the same time, it is possible and there have been vets who have been killed working with large animals. You have to decide if the risk of injury is worth it. However, I don't think that your size is going to be a huge factor in this. As someone else said in this thread, it doesn't really matter if you're 100 lbs or 200 lbs when you're going up against horses and cows.

 

[libster06]

So all in all, you could easily be killed or seriously injured, but same goes for diving a car, or walking to the bus stop on a rowdy street after a concert or night clubbing.

Not really. I think equine medicine is a little more serious than to be equated with a mundane task such as driving or walking to a bus stop. Equine medicine can be considered dangerous given the unpredictable nature and enormous size of the animal you're dealing with and there is likely more of a chance of getting injured with that line of work than there is other things, especially if you're not really considering the dangers and safety precautions that apply when treating horses that wouldn't apply to other areas of work and life. However, it's not something to deter someone from equine medicine, but rather something to be aware of in practice. It really becomes dangerous when you forget about the power and temperament that goes along with horses, and put yourself in a vulnerable position to be injured. That's not to say you can't or won't get hurt- accidents happen and an occupational hazard of equine medicine is that it's going to hurt if you're injured, much more than any number of occupational hazards of small animal medicine. I worked with a vet who was kicked by a horse and had a concussion and brain swelling afterwards. She however did not chalk it up to the horse's fault, but rather hers for not staying aware and being in the wrong place/position at the wrong time. Equine medicine (and large animal med in general) can be dangerous, but as long as you're smart about it and stay on your toes the danger can be greatly minimized.

 

[awaring1]

Interesting blog relevant to the subject. (No I have not had time to read it all)

http://blog.lib.umn.edu/haak0020/vetinjury/

Edit: Found a paper on the issue

http://occmed.oxfordjournals.org/content/56/3/199.full

"Over half (51%) of veterinarians reported that they had sustained a significant work-related injury sometime during their career (Table 1). Veterinarians in large animal and mixed practices were more likely to have sustained a significant injury (65% and 59%, respectively). Less than half (42%) of small animal practitioners had sustained a significant injury. After adjusting for gender, year of graduation and university of graduation, large and mixed animal practitioners were ∼50% more likely than non-clinical veterinarians to have sustained a significant injury during their career"


"We found that large animal practitioners were more likely to report recent and significant injuries than veterinarians in other types of practice. In Finland, equine practices seem to have the highest injury rates [7], while in the United States large animal practitioners did not report significantly more injuries than other groups [6]. There has been a general improvement in the veterinary facilities used for large animals, especially yards and crushes and so the probability of injury may have decreased over time."

 

[lostbunny]

Not really. I think equine medicine is a little more serious than to be equated with a mundane task such as driving or walking to a bus stop. Equine medicine can be considered dangerous given the unpredictable nature and enormous size of the animal you're dealing with and there is likely more of a chance of getting injured with that line of work than there is other things, especially if you're not really considering the dangers and safety precautions that apply when treating horses that wouldn't apply to other areas of work and life. However, it's not something to deter someone from equine medicine, but rather something to be aware of in practice. It really becomes dangerous when you forget about the power and temperament that goes along with horses, and put yourself in a vulnerable position to be injured. That's not to say you can't or won't get hurt- accidents happen and an occupational hazard of equine medicine is that it's going to hurt if you're injured, much more than any number of occupational hazards of small animal medicine. I worked with a vet who was kicked by a horse and had a concussion and brain swelling afterwards. She however did not chalk it up to the horse's fault, but rather hers for not staying aware and being in the wrong place/position at the wrong time. Equine medicine (and large animal med in general) can be dangerous, but as long as you're smart about it and stay on your toes the danger can be greatly minimized.

Yes, actually. I was using the example not to deter the OP from equine medicine, but to say that yes, in fact you can get injured working as an equine vet, but why would you let that deter you. Just as you can get injured by doing something else, like driving- but you wouldn't let the fact that it is possible to be injured and thus avoid driving all together. (Not including people who actually have a fear of driving/being in a moving vehicle)

I agree that "It really becomes dangerous when you forget about the power and temperament that goes along with horses, and put yourself in a vulnerable position to be injured." but this goes with everything else you do. Its not every day you're going to face a dangerous horse, just like its not every day you're going to crash a car. But I was simply using it as an example that YES it is possible to become injured, but that shouldn't have to be a reason to really question if you want to go that route of vet med, of all things to question.

We should consider all aspects of the job we want to do, but I was trying to point that this doesn't have to be a fear or deterrent from getting into equine medicine if its something you are passionate about doing.

That is all.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

As someone else said in this thread, it doesn't really matter if you're 100 lbs or 200 lbs when you're going up against horses and cows.

Excellent post. When you are dealing with 1000 to 2000 lb animals (biggest bull I dealt with was pushing 2300 and let me tell you, you could be Ahnold and not subdue him), it doesn't make that much of a difference.

 

[sunshinevet]

I have seen the most calm well trained horses freak out over treatment.

Anddddd then there are the other horses... like the client that wants you to castrate her 3 year old colt that is in that pasture and had never had even a halter on... good luck trying to sedate it!

From my experience there are less gates and restraints with horses... and I have seen horses that are in veterinary clinics rear up and put holes in the ceilings...

Sometimes its just freak accidents. I have seen someone give a horse penicillin and the horse had an allergic reaction and fell on top of the tech. She was out of work for months.

I know you give cows shots generally in the chute. Its way easier.

But one thing for sure is that I do not want to die trying to treat a horse or a cow....

As someone who works regularly with horses and loves working with cows, I think you are grossly underestimating cows.

I don't like horses. They're too dumb and panicky for my liking (NO OFFENSE TO HORSE LOVERS!!!) But the majority of horses are fine, and easy to work with. The worst injury ive ever sustained is having one accidently stand on my foot. And most of the time, if its getting really bad... chemical restraint is your friend...

Cattle, on the other hand...
I've been slammed against head bails more times than I care to remember. It really knocks the wind out of you and one time I cracked some ribs. I've been kicked heaps - but if I stand close enough to get kicked I always stand right up behind them, so it doesnt hurt. The amount of times I've nearly had my arm/hand crushed trying to inject/eartag/drench etc. In all fairness though, I've done a lot of cattle work on extensive stations in northern australia, where the cattle only see humans once a year, for the muster. These cows dont play nice, lol, and it certainly doesnt matter if they are in a chute! the chute is over 2m tall, and then some of them still jump out!!!
Not only that, but a lot of horse practices have horses come to them, and if you are really in a tight spot with a horse on a farm, you can usually get it transported to your practice where you should have stocks. No such luck for cows - I've preg tested cows in a race before, with no headbails, no kickgate and nothing to even stop the cows going backward and running me over... there was a lot of pushing and grunting and swearing that day!

Either way, big animals are exactly that. Big. no matter how nice they might seem - equine OR bovine - they have the potential to kill ANYONE who works with them. It doesnt matter how big you are or how strong you are - when it comes to restraining 500kg of whatever, if that 500kg decides it wants to go elsewhere, NO human has a chance. Sometimes being small in LA is actually an advantage - small hands, slender arms, and - I'm 6 foot - no awkward sway-backing when you preg test. I love love love cattle work, but after a day preg testing, your arms ache and so does your back. It doesnt matter how strong you are, how big you are, large animal work of any kind is tough on the body. And you have to be prepared to accept that.

NB: I've worked as a SA tech for 6 years. I've got some cracking scars from cats, and I know a lot of people who've suffered significant injuries from dogs (ie, dog bites that have developed into tendonitis). So everything has its risks.

 

[CarpeDiem89]

As someone who works regularly with horses and loves working with cows, I think you are grossly underestimating cows.

I do not think that I am underestimating them. All I was pointing out is that you use more restraints with cattle. Such as when you vaccinate horses you have to restrain them usually with just a halter and lead rope. Very dangerous if they freak out.

Cows on the other hand you have them in a chute where you can just vaccinate and step back if they freak.

I am not saying that they could potentially not hurt you, but just the fact you usually have more equipment to handle them. Some people use sticks or dogs to herd cattle and push them to where they want. Some people use cattle prods (which I think make cattle wilder) but however you do it theres just more protective things to keep the cattle away from you.

If you used any of those things on someones horse I think the owner would be pretty upset.

 

[twelvetigers]

If you used any of those things on someones horse I think the owner would be pretty upset.

But you can twitch a horse...?

Really, any animal that weighs that much is going to be dangerous. You learn to read them well and react fast... and you will probably get hurt anyway. But if that's what you want to do, then I'm assuming you'll come to terms with it, right?

 

[LetItSnow]

Cows on the other hand you have them in a chute where you can just vaccinate [...]

That has not been my experience. (But again, my experience with cattle is antiquated, so I 'spose it's possible times have changed.)

 

[CarpeDiem89]

But you can twitch a horse...?

Really, any animal that weighs that much is going to be dangerous. You learn to read them well and react fast... and you will probably get hurt anyway. But if that's what you want to do, then I'm assuming you'll come to terms with it, right?

Ya a few broken bones or trips to the hospital... I can come to terms with it.

 

[CarpeDiem89]

That has not been my experience. (But again, my experience with cattle is antiquated, so I 'spose it's possible times have changed.)

At all the barns I have been at it has been with chute and we have used gates and stuff to protect us. But at some farms, you are probably right.

 

[libster06]

Yes, actually. I was using the example not to deter the OP from equine medicine, but to say that yes, in fact you can get injured working as an equine vet, but why would you let that deter you. Just as you can get injured by doing something else, like driving- but you wouldn't let the fact that it is possible to be injured and thus avoid driving all together. (Not including people who actually have a fear of driving/being in a moving vehicle)

I agree that "It really becomes dangerous when you forget about the power and temperament that goes along with horses, and put yourself in a vulnerable position to be injured." but this goes with everything else you do. Its not every day you're going to face a dangerous horse, just like its not every day you're going to crash a car. But I was simply using it as an example that YES it is possible to become injured, but that shouldn't have to be a reason to really question if you want to go that route of vet med, of all things to question.

We should consider all aspects of the job we want to do, but I was trying to point that this doesn't have to be a fear or deterrent from getting into equine medicine if its something you are passionate about doing.

That is all.

I agree, I'm sorry I wasn't trying to stir up anything. I understand where you're coming from now. Can't live life being a worry wart or you'll miss a lot of opportunities. I think that's just a good rule of thumb for life in general.

 

[sunshinevet]

I do not think that I am underestimating them. All I was pointing out is that you use more restraints with cattle. Such as when you vaccinate horses you have to restrain them usually with just a halter and lead rope. Very dangerous if they freak out.

Cows on the other hand you have them in a chute where you can just vaccinate and step back if they freak.

I am not saying that they could potentially not hurt you, but just the fact you usually have more equipment to handle them. Some people use sticks or dogs to herd cattle and push them to where they want. Some people use cattle prods (which I think make cattle wilder) but however you do it theres just more protective things to keep the cattle away from you.

If you used any of those things on someones horse I think the owner would be pretty upset.

I work once a week taking blood from horses, and because we work at the races, when we do the 2yo's (stupid, stupid 2yos!!!) it can be horribly hard. But if one is being really difficult, we cross tie it in a stall and someone twitches it and we all stand right back. There's more ways of killing a cat and all that... and a lot of the time i find you can actually do more stuff with horses (restraint wise) that you could never do with cattle because they're more used to being handled. Also I've found a lot of owners with stroppy horses are used to it, and warn you about it and encourage more harsh restraint etc.

The biggest problem i have with handling cattle (in a herd sense, and this relates to the cattle prod) is that in my experience, horses wont ever really attack you...? Like, if you come at a horse shaking a bottle of rocks, it will run away. A cow wont always. And the cattle prod wont save you...

 

[sunshinevet]

Ya a few broken bones or trips to the hospital... I can come to terms with it.

Its funny, most of the LA vets I speak to dont have a problem with broken bones etc... its the back damage they get after doing it for years? Anyone else experienced that?

 

[GellaBella]

Its funny, most of the LA vets I speak to dont have a problem with broken bones etc... its the back damage they get after doing it for years? Anyone else experienced that?

That's been my general impression. I have like basically zero large animal experience, so I went with friend who leases a horse to help groom some of the horses and just get some general experience around them. Well I ended up working with this HUUUUGE horse, with hoofs the size of dinner plates. Holy crap! picking those things nearly broke my back. If I had to do that multiple times a day I would die.

The worst work-related injury I ever had, (besides catching RMSF from a tick on a sick dog in another ward) was from a dairy cow who was actually even in a headcatch: I was drenching her, one arm around her neck to hold her head up, and the other holding the tube, and she violently jerked her head up and down, lifting me off my feet and slamming me back against the catch. I had a bulging disc for a month and basically couldn't bend over at all (had to manage it medically, which is why it lasted so long). Necropsy is much safer 😉

Haha this actually just happened to me the other day, minus the bulging disc part. We went out to the dairy to learn how to give PEs to the cows etc and one of our tasks was to pass a tube into the cows rumen. The cow had its head through these bars, so I put one arm around her neck and lifted her head up to put the tube in and dammit she started slamming me around everywhere. picked me right off the ground and then slammed me backwards into the bars. I felt like a ragdoll. Maybe being a little taller would help a bit (only 5'1) but I don't think strength would have helped me fight her that much. she didn't want that tube down her throat (who can blame her really) and she was having none of it.

 

[that redhead]

That's what sedatives and twitches and the like are for, generally 🙂 And if it's just a badly behaved horse and the vet tells the owner they won't deal with that ****, the owners seem to get their horses behaving pretty quickly.

 

[alliecat44]

Not gonna lie--large animal stuff scares me to death. I never grew up around cattle and so had no experience with their behavior prior to vet school...and it's truly amazing what they can do with just their head (!!!) when they're in a headgate. I do think beef cattle are much more difficult because they are handled so infrequently. (Dairy cows scare me, too, and I about fell on my rear end when one just shifted her weight as I was attaching the milking machine!)

I grew up riding horses so felt comfortable handling them in the hospital to a certain extent--but I always said that I know NORMAL horse behavior, not SICK horse behavior--which is actually kind of different.

It's very true that in ambulatory practice, what you have to work with restraint-wise is completely unpredictable. LA folks need to be creative MacGyver types! 😎

Apparently, equine vets have the highest disability insurance rates (as well as the highest liability insurance). One of our LA professors said that the average career in LA medicine is 6 years due to bodily injury/wearing out.

One of my classmates got double-barreled in the solar plexus by a foal down in isolation. It was an hour before anyone went to check on her. Made her go to the hospital b/c a student at another school had the same thing happen....and died the next day from a slow bleed-out, having not gone to the doctor. I know of another veterinarian who died instantly when a horse kicked him in the head with no warning. They have you read articles about injuries/death arising from working with cattle on day 1 of your food animal rotation.

Agghhh.....I'm just not confident enough that I can predict their behavior well enough to keep myself safe.

My hat is off to anyone who does it for a career. 🙂 Seriously. It's incredibly difficult work.

 

[Ben and Me]

And if it's just a badly behaved horse and the vet tells the owner they won't deal with that ****, the owners seem to get their horses behaving pretty quickly.

That's my plan.

There is absolutely no reason for me to be expected to deal with your unhandled 3 year old stud colt. I'm not here to teach your horse ground manners -- I'm here to provide veterinary care. And if I can't get within 3 feet of your horse without it striking out or acting like a general *******...well, that's not my problem, especially not for an elective procedure that the owner has scheduled weeks in advance (and has therefore had fair notice that their horse needs to be halter broke and handleable).

My health and livelihood are, IMHO, worth potentially losing a few clients over.

 

[EllieGirl89]

This is interesting, because in my Principles of Animal Health class today we had a guest speaker. He is one of the ambulatory vets at the OSU Marysville center, so he takes a lot of the 4th years out on their farm rotations. He asked us to raise our hands if we were going to be vets, keep them raised if we wanted to do large animal, keep them raised if we were female, and keep them raised if we thought being female would put us at a disadvantage when working with large animals. All the girls' hands went down, and is response was "that's excellent." He gave us a lecture about how being female puts us at no disadvantage in the small animal realm except that we might have a harder time getting the good ol' boys to take us seriously (and said we should tell anyone who doesn't take us seriously after we do a good job to hit the highway). He said that when dealing with an animal that is, say, 120 times as strong as a woman, it doesn't give him much of an advantage as a man because that same animal is going to be 110 times stronger than him. He talked about how strength has very little to do with large animal medicine and I agree.

I think that what's more important is a sense of "feel" and paying close attention to the animal's body language. I think the vet's approach has a lot to do with things too. I can hit a vein on my mares while they are loose in their stalls. My vet, who is big and burly and a little gruff, has to wrestle with them a little because he's got a different demeanor. There's a lot to be said for assessing the individual animal you're working with and adjusting your behavior accordingly.

And finally, the two large animal vets I've worked with have had one mantra: "Drugs are good." As a veterinarian, I'm not going to be any help to an animal if I'm injured. Therefore, my first order of business is to make sure I stay safe. If that means sedating an animal for treatment, I'm all for it. Not all owners are, but as was previously mentioned-I'm not going to get killed over your rude, fractious stud colt. I'm happy to not treat your critter if you're not going to a.) teach it to behave around me or b.) let me do what I need to do in order to keep everybody safe.

 

[eventualeventer]

Apparently, equine vets have the highest disability insurance rates (as well as the highest liability insurance). One of our LA professors said that the average career in LA medicine is 6 years due to bodily injury/wearing out.

I not surprised about the insurance, but I think the 6 years bit is more complicated than just the physical demands of the job. I wonder what the number would be without other factors like lifestyle, location, on-call, compensation, mentoring, etc.

As an unexpected - to me - injury from LA repro work, one of the equine vets I know has elbow and shoulder problems from doing zillions of rectal exams, since it's hard on your arm when you're shoulder-deep in a mare and she moves suddenly or strains forcefully. You do get a ripped forearm from doing lots of rectals, though.

 

[libster06]

There is absolutely no reason for me to be expected to deal with your unhandled 3 year old stud colt. I'm not here to teach your horse ground manners -- I'm here to provide veterinary care. And if I can't get within 3 feet of your horse without it striking out or acting like a general *******...well, that's not my problem, especially not for an elective procedure that the owner has scheduled weeks in advance (and has therefore had fair notice that their horse needs to be halter broke and handleable).

I sure wish I could tell the owners of some 150 pound unruly dogs that... teach manners or no vet care for you!

 

[lareinesoleil]

I sure wish I could tell the owners of some 150 pound unruly dogs that... teach manners or no vet care for you!

👍

ESPECIALLY considering that I've been hurt most often and most severely doing......nail trims, so I didn't even feel like it was worth it (as in "yeah I've got a gash in my arm and 6 huge bruises, but I helped the vet save that dog's life!" Nope.)

 

[Bill59]

Cattle and horses are both dangerous, but horses scare me more -- they are less predictable.

Pound for pound though, cats may be the worst. I once missed almost a month of work from a cat bite in my finger that turned into a joint infection. And it could have been worse because the word "amputation" was thrown around more than once.

 

[luplodw]

A vet I used to work for got kicked in the head and almost died...

 

[jlm179]

I guess I am the odd woman out. I have very little fear associated with horses. And yes I have already been kicked in the head.😉

Don't get me wrong, I fully realize the dangers associated with being an equine vet, but growing up with horses and now working daily with them for over 3 years gives you a good insight into their body language and how to stay safe around such a large animal. My own mare has probably been the best experience ever. She has a screw loose well maybe more than one. She used to try to kill me to give her shots etc, but she is now great 99.9% of the time. Not for my vet, but he just hands me the shots most of the time so he doesn't have to deal with her. She is about 60% better for strangers/vet. I was so proud of her when she got her vaccines a few weeks ago, she let the vet tech do it and in her chest to boot. It was a proud moment for me. I really am not exaggerating about her. I have had two vet suggest putting her down to me as she can be that unpredictable, but after years, I have her pretty well lined out. You really just need to know how to deal with rank horses and also know when not to.

I am 5'8" and about 135 and to tell you the truth I can manhandle a horse pretty well. I know how and where to use my strength against their weaknesses. Not saying I can lay them down or anything like that but you can use your body and their body to you advantage. Also twitch and sedation goes a long way...

In today world though, it seems like if vets are doing anything more than a lameness exam or vaccines/coggins than a horse get sedated. You know what I don't blame them. My vet once he knows a horse will inject it without sedation and just with a twitch, but there are the ones you never trust.

I have more fear towards cats/dogs than horses. I have grown up with each but they are way smaller and can bite you a lot faster and do more damage. And cats have those darn claws. Believe me if you gave me a choice between dealing with a rank cat/dog or a horse. A horse would win.

All the food animals stuff, I am also not as comfortable with. Cows kinda freak me out and lets not get started on Alpacas and lamas.


If you are going into the field, you should know the dangers, but if you are familiar with horses than you already know the dangers associated with them. I am alone most of the time dealing with 18 horses. I am well aware one could lay me out if they so choose that why I am cautious around them and use common sense.

I will also be taking SA classes, so that when I am too old to deal with horse then I can do that. Always been my plan.🙂

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

Yeah, I guess it all depends what your experiences are and what you are comfortable with. Spending lots of time with a particular species gives you better insight.

I can read cows pretty well, which is why I am much more comfortable around them than horses. Even though I have been butted, trampled, slammed against gates, tossed to the ground, etc - I fear them much less, because much more often than horses I can see it coming and react appropriately. Hence while even though I've been tossed around a lot, I have not been injured too badly. Horses I can't predict at all besides ear movements, which is why I'm quite nervous around them and have sustained many more injuries at their hands (hoofs? 😉 )

Dogs and cats I'm pretty good with, birds freak me out.

 

[jlm179]

Yeah, I guess it all depends what your experiences are and what you are comfortable with. Spending lots of time with a particular species gives you better insight.

I can read cows pretty well, which is why I am much more comfortable around them than horses. Even though I have been butted, trampled, slammed against gates, tossed to the ground, etc - I fear them much less, because much more often than horses I can see it coming and react appropriately. Hence while even though I've been tossed around a lot, I have not been injured too badly. Horses I can't predict at all besides ear movements, which is why I'm quite nervous around them and have sustained many more injuries at their hands (hoofs? 😉 )

Dogs and cats I'm pretty good with, birds freak me out.

Yup, thats why I am not comfortable around cattle. I have spent little to no time around them and don't know how to read them. A horse, I can read very well and know in general what they are going to do when they react etc...

I am more comfortable around cats(I have 3) than dogs. I am not sure why but I have never been much of a dog person. I agree birds freak me out too!