Abattoir fears Hi Emma, I am about to apply to Bristol and The RVC in September to do the BVetMed. I have been gaining work experience at my local RSPCA branch and at a small animal practice. There is just one problem. I’ve been reading through the course curriculum on both websites and I'm more than a tad worried about doing a meat hygiene course in an abattoir. I know it must sound like nothing to you but the thought of going to such a place even for a 'visit' let alone a whole week is really worrying me. I’m vegetarian for a start so even going to one conflicts with my own morals so much! I know that being a vet isn’t just about helping all the fluffy kittens and I know there are always going to be difficult decisions to make and horrible things to see but I just can’t get my head around this. Basically I just wondered if you could tell me more about a vet's role at an abattoir (my guess is the whole disease thing) and why it is a must for this to be included in the curriculum.Finally I just wanted to say that your website is so fantastic for students and people like me who are interested in all things animal and veterinary related so Thank You!
Steph Delbridge Firstly, thank you so much for your kind words about the site; it is always good to hear we’re helping in some way or another. Thanks also for your contribution to the site costs- always much appreciated. Your question is really interesting too and I totally understand your feelings of conflict and difficulty reconciling things in your mind. Vets actually have many roles in abattoirs and slaughterhouses and in the whole food animal production chain. Obviously after qualifying you could choose never to do anything to do with food animal production but all students need a rounded and complete view of the process and all aspects of animal care. Aspects of veterinary work in this field starts with the animals arriving at the abattoir where the onsite vets are responsible for checking they are fit and well if intended for food and have not been caused any suffering in transit or prior to being transported. They are responsible for the good welfare of the animals as far as is possible up to the time of death and also to make sure that the procedures in place to ensure death is as humane as possible are carried out by those working at the plant. Vets also oversee the inspection of the animals for signs of injury and disease post mortem as well as ante mortem. Once the carcasses are prepared the veterinary inspectors must examine various body parts and organs and lymph nodes and so on to make sure there is nothing apparent that could affect the human food chain. Although meat production and consumption may seem abhorrent to some it is one of the many conflicts of interest that can arise in our work. Even in small animal medicine you may be regularly faced with situations where people are not looking after their animals in a way you find acceptable and some may keep animals you don’t think they are qualified or deserve to have. Ultimately our prime purpose is to ensure that the quality of life of the animals under our care is as good as it can be for the length of that animal’s life. In the case of food animals this may be a short life but the vets working in food animal production have an incredibly important role to play for those animals in ensuring their end is as dignified and humane as possible while safeguarding the health of the ultimate consumers. I understand your fears and I did find some of what I saw very upsetting during my time in processing plants but I believe having the experience makes me better able to speak about these issues and choose where I buy our food from. Death is a huge part of veterinary medicine and is something many struggle to deal with on a day to day basis but as long as we make it our goal to make every death as good as it can be then we have done a good job. It might be worth trying to go to a local abattoir just for a couple of hours or a morning before you complete your application because if it is something you simply cannot bring yourself to do then it might be worth rethinking a different career with animals. This sounds awful if you are desperate to be a vet but it is vitally important you’re sure it’s what you want before you embark on a very long and hard journey! I really do wish you all the best and I hope this helps in some small way. Please do let us know how you get on and what you decide to do. Good luck.
Emma
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