Compassion, Pets, People, Complexity: Dr. Emily Swiniarski & Dr. Amanda Schnitker
By Jeff Simmons
Odds are high that as you read this your pet is snuggled next to you – with more than 65% of Americans owning a pet and 97% of those pet owners considering them as family. As our bonds with our companion animals deepen, so does our expectation of care – and key to this are veterinarians.
In this Shared Table newsletter, we explore the path of two veterinarians – what got them into the profession to the very real, complex challenges they are facing today. I recently visited Anti-Cruelty, Chicago’s oldest and largest, private, open-admission, unlimited stay humane society, and sat down with Dr. Emily Swiniarski, Medical Director of Anti-Cruelty and Dr. Amanda Schnitker, Hospital Director at Companion Animal Hospital River North and Uptown Animal Hospital, both a part of Uptown Animal Hospital, INC.
Dr. Emily and Dr. Amanda shared what inspired them to pursue a veterinary career – from helping an injured animal on the road to shadowing at a vet clinic to see animal surgeries. Their stories highlight the need for more moments that inspire the next generation to follow in their paths.
Best Quote: “You get in for the animals and you realize it’s about the people.”
Our conversation shifted gears to the obstacles veterinarians face – a major one being the ongoing impact from the COVID-19 pandemic and shutdown period. While we live in a post-pandemic world today, veterinarians are living with a ripple effect that exacerbated many existing challenges veterinarians face daily – compassion fatigue, shortage of veterinarians and technical staff and visit decline tied to new competitive care models, like online pharmacies and urgent care veterinary hospitals that gained momentum during the pandemic.
Moment to Remember: A day in the life of a veterinarian is a gnarly reality – from an emergency surgery to the shelter veterinarians MacGyver’ing solutions – veterinarians are in the trenches to provide animals with the care they deserve.
Beyond managing the health of our pets, veterinarians also manage pet owners’ emotions, expectations, devastations – it’s about people. At Elanco we say, Making Animals’ Lives Better, Makes Life Better – and without veterinarians this can’t happen. That’s why Elanco shows up every day for veterinarians, working to bring both the partnership and business expertise and an innovative portfolio that address some of their most challenging unmet needs – from parvovirus and pain to diabetes to itchy dogs. Despite the challenges veterinarians face, it’s clear Dr. Emily and Dr. Amanda find deep fulfillment in their work – especially in the moments that involve direct care and connection with animals and their owners.
Huge thanks to all of our veterinary professionals. What you do is so important. I’m inspired by Dr. Emily and Dr. Amanda, their optimism balanced in reality as well as the possibilities they see for the next generation of veterinarians.
Big Takeaway: Deep appreciation for the profound shift in perspective that veterinarians experience in their profession. Initially drawn to veterinary medicine out of a love for animals, these professionals often find their work is more about managing the emotional and practical needs of pet owners. Veterinarians must balance providing high-quality care to animals with addressing the emotional complexities and expectations of the people who care for them – while not burning out their teams or themselves. Truly no small feat!
Want to hear about the gnarly reality veterinarians face and about a projectile ball, watch the full conversation here on YouTube.
