A vet’s perspective: Breaking the bad news
Vets facing TB in cattle have shared their experiences of the disease, explaining the impact it has on their professional lives and what it means for the farming families they work with so closely.
Rob, Gloucestershire
“It’s hard news to deliver to somebody and they react in different ways. Some people get very angry, some people become very withdrawn. It’s not an easy thing to do, and I guess if you’re a vet it’s not really what you train to do, to tell people that their animals are going to have to be slaughtered.”
Bridget, Cheshire
“A vet’s instinct is to control disease, either by curing it or preventing it. At the moment it is very frustrating that we’re not able to do either of those things with TB.”
James, Derbyshire
“These people become our friends - you work with them so closely for so long - and it really is horrible to have to tell them they’re not going to be able to carry out their business as they wanted to.”