If you’re an animal lover, chances are you’re a fan of veterinarians too. They keep our pets happy and healthy, and they are our go-to resources when little Spot swallows something she shouldn’t have or Pickles comes home limping on a hurt paw. And while being a vet can be incredibly stressful and challenging, it can also, thankfully, be extremely rewarding.

Below, you’ll find some of the most adorable, hilarious and wholesome moments vets have experienced in their clinics that might make you wish you had chosen a career in animal health care, as well as an interview we were lucky enough to receive from Dr. Julie Cappel, the Veterinary Life Coach. Be sure to upvote the pics you find particularly heartwarming, and feel free to share any personal stories in the comments if you are a vet or have ever worked in a veterinarian office. Then, if you’re interested in checking out another Bored Panda article celebrating all of the precious patients vets get to see every day, look no further than right here.

#1 Another Vet Checkup. Another Instance Of Scared Big Boy With His Support Animal

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#2 This Swan Hugging The Vet Who Saved Its Life

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#3 Young Koala Came To Us With Dog Fight Wounds And I Noticed She Had A Lactating Nipple. It Took A Full Day, But We Were Able To Find And Reunite Her With Her Baby

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To learn more about what it’s really like to be a veterinarian, we reached out to Dr. Julie Cappel, or the Veterinary Life Coach. When it comes to what Dr. Cappel loves most about being a vet, she told Bored Panda that it’s the variety of tasks and challenges that she faces every day. “The people may be lovely or terrible, but in all cases they love their pets like family, and that makes our job so rewarding,” she shared. “We get to serve the pet owning public in a way that is unmatched in any other profession. The relationship that we form with the pets and their families lasts a lifetime and we share the highs and the lowest lows. Veterinarians are unique and wonderful.”

We were also curious if Dr. Cappel has any favorite patients or any particularly fond memories with them. “I love all of my patients – except the ones that try to bite me,” she says. “In particular, I love the parrots because they interact in unique ways – they can talk. So sometimes they say funny things or just act out when they hear my voice. One of my parrot patients says, ‘I’m scared’ when I walk into the room with her. Another says, ‘Pet the birdie! Don’t eat the birdie’. I also am very fond of all the puppies and kittens. They always bring excitement to our hospital day because they are so cute and happy, and we get to watch them grow up and capture their families’ hearts.”

#4 9-Week-Old Maine Coon Kittens, Waiting For Their Vet Check

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#5 This Veterinarian Has A Comfort-Dog Assistant That Helps Sick Patients Know That Everything Will Be Alright

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#6 This Scaredy Cat

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We also asked Dr. Cappel if she could share any funny stories from working in her clinic. “There are so many,” she told Bored Panda. “I had a client show me her knee surgery scar by dropping her pants in the waiting room. I had a gentleman come in with pet sugar gliders that he released in the room and they were jumping and gliding all over our heads, in and out of our pockets, terrorizing the veterinary technician. There have been many pets left on our doorstep over the years, some with notes attached asking us to find them a home.”

We then asked Dr. Cappel what she thinks the most important qualities of a wonderful vet are. “I think all veterinarians are great and uniquely special,” she shared. “It takes a special kind of person to take on the responsibilities that veterinary medicine brings and also keep their sense of humor and curiosity.”

#7 Ron Came To The Vet’s Clinic As A Stray. After A Few Weeks He Started Making Rounds To See Patients And Would Sit Next To Any Pet While They Were Asleep, Offering Comfort

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#8 Doug Has His Own Sign And It’s Almost The Best Part. He Was So Quiet I Didn’t Notice Him At First

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#9 When Everyone Else Has Gone Home

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“There is so much pressure put on us from the pet owning public, and our pay scale is much below that of our human medical counterparts,” Dr. Cappel added. “We also are experiencing a severe shortage of veterinarians and technicians, which adds to the daily pressure and subtracts from our work/life balance. In order to be an excellent and healthy veterinarian, someone has to have a solid appreciation for themselves and have the ability to set boundaries in order to not allow the ‘negative’ clients bring them down. Veterinarians also need to design a life outside of veterinary medicine that includes strong family and friends, and mental health support.”

#10 My Boy Got Neutered Yesterday. The Vet Office Took A Photo For Me After He Woke Up

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#11 A Very Smol Checkup

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#12 My Cat Went To The Vet Today

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“Veterinarians are incredible people, doing a very difficult job,” Dr. Cappel added. “I would love for people to realize how the profession is struggling, so that they can appreciate what veterinarians do for them. Veterinarians are not only involved in caring for pets, but they care for farm animals, service animals, provide for healthy food production, and give emotional support to the pet owning public.”

If you would like to learn more about what it’s like to be a vet or hear more words of wisdom from Dr. Julie Cappel, be sure to check out her website, the Veterinary Life Coach, right here.

#13 This Made Our Day

Image credits: Harnish Vet Service

#14 First Vet Visit. Tony Was Purring So Loudly The Vet Had To Cover His Nose To Hear His Heart

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#15 A Vet In Catstantinople, Turkey

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As Dr. Cappel noted, being a veterinarian is not easy. Just becoming one in the first place is often a long and arduous process. In the United States, for example, there are only 32 veterinary schools, and within each program, there are a limited number of spots available. Applicants have to compete against aspiring vets from all over the country to be accepted into these extremely competitive programs, and once they’ve been admitted, the challenges have just begun.

Similar to medical school, veterinary school requires a vast knowledge of math and science, but many people agree that veterinary school is even harder than medical school. Not because the work is less strenuous in medical school, both paths are comparable, but vet schools are even more selective and competitive than medical schools. And for vets who aim to earn a bachelor’s degree before applying for veterinary school, it takes about eight years to complete their education. This career path is certainly not for the faint of heart.

#16 Hammie Going For Checkup

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#17 My Sister Is A Vet Tech And Took My Dog With Her To Work, I Asked Her How He Was Doing And She Sent Me This

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#18 My Girlfriend Is A Veterinarian. This Is How I Found Her Today After Last Night’s Overnight Shift

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Because it is so difficult to become a veterinarian in the first place, it’s only fair that the job comes along with excellent perks. Vets often get to treat some of the most adorable patients you could ever imagine, as this list shows us. But there are plenty of other benefits to being a vet, as St. George’s University breaks down on their blog. For example, vets can have as much variety as they want in their daily routines. “Veterinarians don’t have to choose a specialty,” Dr. Lori Pasternak, co-founder of Helping Hands Affordable Veterinary Surgery & Dental Care, told St. George’s University. “Every day we get to be dermatologists, cardiologists, surgeons, internists, neurologists, ophthalmologists, and more.”

They can also work with a wide array of species if that interests them too. “I work with more than 4,000 animals of 500 different species in my day-to-day practice, which is incredibly exciting and fulfilling,” says Dr. Allison Tuttle, Diplomate of the American College of Zoological Medicine and Vice President of Biological Programs at Mystic Aquarium.

#19 One Of My Favorite Parts Of Being A Vet Tech Is Getting To Hold Hands With The Kittens

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#20 My Wife Is A Veterinarian And I Think This Owl Is Plotting To End Her

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#21 I See The Dogs And Cats In The Corners Of The Vet, And I Raise Our Cat, Yam. He Escapes Through The Trash Hole

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Being a veterinarian also provides pretty great job security. We all want the best care for our furry, scaly and feathery friends, so when they need medical attention, we want to find the most skilled and most reliable professionals. “As animal care standards continually increase, there is an additional need for veterinarians,” Dr. Tuttle says. And according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of veterinarians in the nation is expected to increase by 18% through 2026. This is great news for our pets as well. The more accessible veterinary care is, the better chance they have of making it through their next injury or illness that might have previously been a death sentence. 

#22 Side Pocket

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#23 I Work At A Vet’s Clinic, And This Baby Was Surrendered By Owner. I’m Now The Owner Of This Cutie

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#24 The Vet Is Very Familiar With My Boxer. They Know He’s Good Natured, So They Decided To Put A Cap On Him. They Sent Me This Picture

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Many vets also note how rewarding they find their careers. They are making a real difference in the lives of so many animals and humans, as most pet owners would be completely lost without their beloved animal babies. Lots of vets treat more than just pets though. Wildlife can often benefit from great veterinarians as well, as conservation is at the forefront of many vets’ personal priorities. “With a mission to inspire people to care for and protect our ocean planet through conservation, education, and research, Mystic Aquarium is in line with my personal passions and philosophies,” Dr. Tuttle says.

#25 A Patient Of Mine With A Heart On Its Nose

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#26 My Aunt Works For A Vet And This Guy Was Booked In For A Check Up

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#27 Cheesecake Goes To The Vet

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We hope you’re enjoying this list of wholesome and adorable moments from veterinarian clinics. We know your pets might not be thrilled the next time they have to visit the vet, but you can rest assured knowing that they are in loving, capable hands. Keep upvoting the pics that make you wish you had become a vet, and feel free to share any of your personal stories from working in or even just visiting vet clinics down below. Then if you’d like to check out our last article on the same topic, you can find more adorable pics of vets with their patients right here. 

#28 Always A Pleasure To Take Care Of Kenya

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#29 World’s Cutest Patient

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#30 This Is How Vets Listen To Your Heart When You Weigh Five Grams

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#31 A Veterinarian Helped A 12-Week-Old Parrot To Take A Flight Again After A “Severe Wing Trim” Left It Unable To Fly

The vet, named Catherine Apuli, made it happen by giving the bird a new pair of wing tips made from donated feathers.

Image credits: Caters News Agency

#32 My Aunt’s Dog Got A Little Nervous During His Annual Checkup

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#33 Benjen Was Mean To The Vet, So They Suggested We Get Him Used To Being Swaddled. Now He’s A Purrito

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#34 This Adorable Kitty Was Brought To The Vet By A Rescue For A Checkup

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#35 While Waiting At A Bus Stop, A Bird Crashed Into A Nearby Window And Broke Its Wing. Thankfully, It Was A Veterinarian’s Office

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#36 Occasionally We Do Get To Play With Puppies

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#37 Hedgehog Getting An X-Ray

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#38 My Cat Was Being A Bit Of A Jerk At The Vet Today

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#39 The Clinic Cat Got A Shirt, And He Won’t Let Anyone Take It Off

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#40 The Vet Called And Asked If They Could Use A Picture Of Our Cat For Marketing Purposes While He Was In For Dental Surgery. I Said Sure. Then They Sent The Picture

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#41 This Little Capybara Visited Us From An Island In The Delta So That We Could Check His Health. The Idea Is To Recover It And Release It In Its Natural Habitat

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#42 Cat Didn’t Eat For 3 Days, Went To The Vet Where They Did An Ultrasound Only To Find A Belly Full Of The Neighbor’s Cat’s Food

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#43 Dylan, 11-Month-Old Norwegian Forest Cat. Our Vet Tech Carried Him Around The Office To See The Rest Of The Staff For Pets And Pictures. He Was Feeling Proud

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#44 This Sweet 10-Month-Old Girl Came In Friday With A Snake Bite. She Stayed This Happy The Entire Time Even Though It Was Very Painful For Her

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#45 Vet Had To Shave My Little Man’s Legs And Ended Up Giving Him Boots With The Fur

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#46 Made My Day

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#47 Worst Job Ever. Vet Life

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#48 Bird Getting X-Ray And Being Held By Its Feathers

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#49 My Dog Insisted On Keeping His Face Like This At The Vet. Was Mildly Sedated

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#50 The Vet Thought We Came In Without Her

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#51 Hiding From The Vet

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#52 Taking Your Work Home With You

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#53 Got Her Spayed And The Vet Didn’t Have Cones Small Enough

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#54 Vet’s Business

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#55 Cheddar Was Drugged Up At The Vet The Other Day

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#56 My Friend’s Cat Is A Bit Too Spicy For The Vet. She Gets The Space Helmet With Every Visit

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#57 This Rat Getting An Ultrasound

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#58 Chicha Giving A Blep To The Vet At Her 6-Week Check-Up

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#59 Very Good And Big Boy

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#60 Head CT Of Clouded Leopard. It’s Hard To Explain What You Feel Being So Close To The Patient Like That, But I’m Sure It’s One Of The Most Amazing Experiences I Have Ever Had

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#61 My Vet Sent Me This From My Dog’s Check Up Today

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#62 We Anesthetized A Hedgehog Today

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#63 This Is What We Get Up To In Specialty Medicine During Vet Tech Appreciation Week. I Don’t Want My Nails Trimmed

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#64 I Work At A Vet And Have Had Pocket Kittens

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#65 Merry Christmas, Friends! We Went Ahead And Gave The Owners And This Puppers A Festive Little Splint Since He Will Be Wearing It Past The Holidays

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#66 Just In Case You Were Wondering What The Circulatory System In A Snake Looks Like

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#67 Lunch Time Featuring My Foster Failure

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#68 The Most Well-Behaved Chinchilla Ever. He Is Yuk Yuen, And His Name Means Meat Dumpling In English

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#69 Trip To The Vet. She Thinks We Can’t See Her

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#70 My Heart Almost Stopped When I Went To The Animal Hospital

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#71 I Work At A Vet Clinic. This Boy And His Siblings Were Found In A Box At A Park. I Gave Him His First Bath. Bestest Boy Ever

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#72 Got Greeted By My New Vet Receptionist Today. Service Was Pawsitivley Meowtstanding

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#73 Lion Going For A CT Scan. This Is From A Vet Hospital I Used To Work At. Awesome Team Of Veterinarians And Vet Nurses

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#74 Damascus Was A Bad Man At The Vet And Was Very Bitey So He Got Put In The Lizard Straight Jacket For His X-Ray

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#75 Is My Mask Pushed Right Up To My Eyes To Stop My Glasses From Fogging Up? Yes. But Did My Clear Vision Allow Me To Closely Monitor This Anaesthetized Echidna? Also Yes

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#76 Someone (Not Naming Any Names) Ate Something They Shouldn’t Have

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#77 This Duckling Suffered From Trauma To His Beak. He Was Bitten By A Rabbit. I Didn’t Know What Photo To Upload. She Came Out Beautiful In All Of Them

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#79 We Got Quarantined At The Vet And Had To Give Crouton A Little Pep Talk That The Other Dogs Wants To Be His Friends. He’s Just Too Sick To Play With Them Right Now

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#80 Pocket Pup

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#81 My Wife Is A Vet, And This Little Buddy Was Traveling Around The Clinic With Her Like This

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#82 Pet Rat About To Be Neutered Going Under Anaesthesia

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#83 Head Rubbing Is A Behavior Cats Learn As Kittens With Their Mother. It’s An Affectionate Gesture That Can Also Be Used As A Form Of Greeting And Marking You With Their Scent

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#84 Vet: “Wait, There Is A Cat In Here Right?”

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#85 Someone Dropped Off Some Found Kittens. I’m Calling Him Cow

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#86 Sometimes I Get To Have Some Awesome Patients Being The Only ER That Does Exotics In My Area

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#87 The Vet Put A Warning On My Dog’s Medicine For Him Not To Operate Heavy Machinery Or Drive While Affected

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#88 I’m Probably Exceeding Our Lift Limit

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#89 My Cat Came Out Ready To Fight Someone At The Vet

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#90 Shelter Vet Tech, How I Feel Waking Up For Work Every Day During Kitten Season

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#91 Dog Born With A Double Nose

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#92 Every Review Is A Moment Of Cuteness. Neonatal Weighing

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#93 This Girl Wears A Collar To Prevent Her From Scratching Her Wounds. Step Of Spitting Out Stuff She Had Stored In Her Cheek Pouches

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#94 The Vet Will Never Find Her

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#95 Snake Is Getting An Electrocardiogram

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#96 Our Hospital Cat Always Tries To Lay On The Drapes When We Wrap Packs, So I Gave Her Her Own Little Drape

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#97 Are We Ready To Meet This Beauty From Wild Life?

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#98 Orange Is The New Black, And Working With Alpacas Is Our Rehab

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#99 My Friends’ Cat Can’t Wait To Meet The Vet

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#100 My Favorite Post-Anesthesia Faces

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#101 I Work At A Vet Hospital. Just Left The Morning Crew A Little April Fools Surprise

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#102 My Vet Took These Photos Of My Girl After She Had A Tooth Pulled

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#103 I Raise You My Cat Mimi At The Vet

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#104 Otter Visited Our Vet Clinic

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#105 Vet Said She Needed To Take A Little Off To Get Rid Of A Belly Mat. Dropped Off A Mainecoon And Picked Up A Shaved Weasel. For A 15-Year-Old Lady, I Think She Still Looks Cute

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#106 I’m Happy Doing What I Do

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#107 Our Overnight Inpatient, Atlas, Felt Too Lonely In His Accommodations In Our Treatment Area, So We Invited Him To The Front To Help Us Greet Patients And Customers

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#108 My Friends And I Saved A Baby Ring Tail Possum! Here’s Her With The Vet

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#109 In Case Y’all Need Some Stress Relief

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#110 He Scored A Perfect Score On His Body Conditioning Test

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#111 Snuggling Under The Calming Towel At The Vet’s Office

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#112 World Dog Day. I Wish You A Nice Start Into The Week And Hope You Get In A Good Mood With One Or The Other Photo

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#113 From The Moment You Walk In, Our Goal Is To Keep You And Your Pet Together. The Treatment Room, The Exam Room, Or Even A Play Pen. We Love Keeping Family Together

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#114 Sit On The Floor? No, We Sleep On It Too

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#115 Pablo’s First Trip To The Vet

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#116 Angry Kitty Does Not Want To Give Us Our Gauze Back

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#117 Cinder Ellie And A Very Bad Day At The Vet

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#118 If I Were Asked: “Describe The Energy Of These Two Without Saying A Word”, I Would Certainly Show This Sequence Of Photos

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#119 Not Enjoying Her First Trip To The Vet

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#120 11-Year-Old Pug Presented For Arched Back And Limping. Took Some X-Rays And I Can’t Get Over How All His Rolls Showed Up

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#121 Asked Wife How The Visit To The Vet Was Going

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#122 People In Space? Rocket Doesn’t Feel Well About It. It’s Enough What They’ve Done Here, On Earth

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#123 The Endoscopy Revealed And Made It Possible To Remove 2 Suction Cups Accidentally Ingested By This Crocodilian

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#124 New Vet Tech. Pro: Accept Dog-Food Salary. Con: Just Peed Behind The Counter

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#125 When The Anesthesiologist And Cardiologist Says No And The Radiologist Has To Say, Yes Somehow

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#126 So My Dog Had To Go To The Vet Today

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#127 Luna Is Certain The Vet Will Never Find Her

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#128 My Puppy Used To Fit In The Vet’s Pocket

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#129 Pixel Hiding At The Vet

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#130 My Cat May Have “Mild” Vet Anxiety

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#131 Ernie The Emu Was Not “Emused” Following Her CT, But We Had Cuddles Which Made It Better

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#132 When A Big Friend Met A Little Friend In A Vet Clinic. My Gambian Pouched Rat Compared With The Vet’s Fancy Rat

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#133 She Was The Talk Of The Clinic At Our Last Vet Visit! They Had To Get A Step Ladder To Get Her Down

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#134 Bob Had A Bad Day At The Vet, So He Had To Wear The Hannibal Mask

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#135 POV: Your Mom’s Shaving Your Raisins For Your Neuter

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#136 My Client Wanted To End My Life Today

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#137 The Cross Of Dog And Mom Shaming

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#138 Never Thought That I’d Be The One With An E-Collar And On Meloxicam. My Patients Have Had Their Sweet Revenge

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#139 A Client Brought In A Urine Sample On A Cookie Tray

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#140 Stuffs In My Scrubs

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