I recently came across a discussion on Threads where someone claimed that many veterinarians today are incompetent, care only about money, and recommend multiple diagnostic tests only to end up with a dead patient.
Strong accusations.
And apparently, the justification is that some pet owners have experienced veterinarians who allegedly failed to provide proper care.
Let me respond from the perspective of someone who has practiced veterinary medicine for more than two decades.
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First, ordering multiple diagnostic tests is not evidence of incompetence. In many cases, it is evidence of responsible medical practice.
A dog presenting with vomiting, anorexia, and lethargy could be suffering from parvoviral enteritis, pancreatitis, renal disease, hepatic dysfunction, intestinal obstruction, or several other conditions.
These diseases may share similar clinical signs but require very different treatments.
We cannot diagnose every disease simply by looking at an animal.
That is why veterinary medicine uses hematology, serum biochemistry, diagnostic imaging, urinalysis, and other diagnostic procedures when clinically indicated.
Would you rather have a veterinarian investigate your pet’s condition or simply guess what is wrong?
Second, Let Us Address the Accusation That Veterinarians Only Care About Money
Veterinary hospitals are not charitable institutions operating on unlimited resources.
Diagnostic machines cost money. Reagents cost money. Medications cost money. Veterinary nurses and technicians receive salaries. Facilities require maintenance.
When a veterinarian recommends a diagnostic procedure, the relevant question should be whether the test is medically justified, not whether the clinic earns revenue from performing it.
Of course, unnecessary testing and unethical billing should never be tolerated.
But neither should the assumption that every recommended test is an attempt to exploit a pet owner.
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Third, a Patient Dying Does Not Automatically Mean the Attending Veterinarian Was Incompetent
This is perhaps the most dangerous misconception in the discussion.
A veterinarian can arrive at the correct diagnosis, prescribe appropriate medications, perform the necessary procedures, and still lose the patient.
Why?
Because medicine is not a guarantee of survival.
Disease severity, underlying conditions, complications, delayed presentation, and individual patient responses all influence clinical outcomes.
Even the best veterinary specialists in the world lose patients.
If death automatically proves incompetence, then every veterinarian who has ever lost a patient would be guilty.
And that is simply absurd.
Fourth, I Agree With One Important Point Raised in the Discussion
There are incompetent veterinarians.
Just as there are incompetent physicians, lawyers, engineers, accountants, and other professionals.
Veterinary medicine is not immune to negligence, poor judgment, or unethical conduct.
And when genuine malpractice occurs, it deserves proper investigation and accountability.
But there is a difference between identifying a specific instance of professional negligence and accusing an entire profession of caring only about money.
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A bad outcome is not necessarily malpractice. A high bill is not necessarily exploitation. And multiple diagnostic tests are not necessarily unnecessary.
If you believe your veterinarian committed an error, request your pet’s medical records. Seek an independent professional opinion. Ask another veterinarian to review the diagnostic findings, treatment decisions, and clinical circumstances.
If the evidence supports professional negligence, pursue the appropriate complaint.
That is how accountability should work.
Not through sweeping accusations on social media.
Trust Works Both Ways
And finally, to those who insist that pet owners should find a trusted veterinarian, I completely agree.
But remember something.
Trust works both ways.
Pet owners deserve competent, compassionate, and ethical veterinary care.
Veterinarians deserve clients who understand that medical decisions involve uncertainty, that diagnostic procedures have legitimate costs, and that even appropriate treatment cannot guarantee survival.
After more than twenty years in veterinary practice, I can confidently say that veterinarians do not enter an examination room hoping to generate an expensive bill and lose a patient.
We want our patients to recover.
We want our treatments to succeed.
We want our patients to go home alive.
Unfortunately, sometimes, despite our best efforts, they do not.
And perhaps the most important lesson here is this:
You cannot judge the competence of a veterinarian solely by whether the patient survived. You judge it by the quality of clinical decisions, the standard of care provided, and whether those decisions were medically justified.
Because veterinary medicine is a science practiced under uncertainty.
Not a business that sells guaranteed survival.
And certainly not magic.
Sharing this helps others understand what it really means to be a vet. Like and follow if you’re with us.
Dr. Geoff Carullo is a Fellow and the current President of the Philippine College of Canine Practitioners.
