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Last month, the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association launched a new campaign and website, called “i matter.”

“Our campaign is really designed around resiliency and wellness and if you need a hand, you need to ask, you need to get help and build a network that supports you and we are trying to help with that,” said Dr. Susan Dorland, president of the association, which has about 3,100 members across the province.

The site provides information about understanding mental health and resources available to veterinarians.

Veterinarians deal with an onslaught of stress, grief and trauma, Dorland said.

“It’s a wonderful profession,” she said. “The best side of it is the relationships with patients that give you the greatest joy and satisfaction, but that can also give you the most stress.”

Perret said the standout from her research is the high levels of secondary stress — similar in symptoms to post-traumatic stress disorder — which is worse among female veterinarians.

Secondary stress occurs when veterinarians deal with animals and humans under their care who are themselves experiencing the trauma.

“The emotional involvement is very real,” she said.

The paper did not delve into the reasons for the mental health outcomes, but it’s an area of research Perret is exploring. Euthanasia is a known stressor in the field.

“I had one day a few weeks ago where I had to help three families say goodbye to their pets, consecutively,” she said with a deep sigh.

“You’re trying your best to be an emotional support for the family and be caring and that’s really draining. You grieve with them, hug them and you turn around, go into the next room and do it all again. You have to shrug all that emotion off and do you job. It catches up with you later.”

She often talks through difficult days with her husband and her colleagues.

“The word is getting out that veterinarians are struggling with their mental health,” she said. “It’s important to know that you’re not alone.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 27, 2020.