Perfectionism, access to lethal drugs, overwhelming levels of education debt and the severe compassion fatigue that accompanies veterinary medicine puts veterinarians at increased risk of suicide, says veterinarian Matt Kornatowksi, vice president of the Connecticut Veterinary Medical Association, but the CVMA, AVMA and other organizations have resources that can help. For example, the AVMA is planning a webinar on the topic of suicide prevention, and Dr. Kornatowksi said pet owners can do their part by bringing kindness and compassion to appointments for their pets.
