Empathy overload and compassion fatigue contribute to the mental health woes of veterinarians, with their workload increased by pet adoptions during the pandemic.
The overwork and staffing shortages of the pandemic have affected veterinarians as much as other doctors and nurses, and dealing with the constant moral dilemmas and emotional output was driving many to burn out even before 2020. The mean salary for vets is about $110,000 per year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, about half that of physicians catering to people.