When Veterinary Teams Fracture: Mistreated allies become foes (#388)

In veterinary medicine, as in all professions, the strength of a leader is measured not by the title on the door or the number of diplomas on the wall, but by the loyalty of the people who stand beside them.

Veterinary teams, including technicians, nurses, junior vets, receptionists, practice managers, and academic colleagues, function on trust, mutual respect, and a shared mission of animal care.

But when those relationships are mishandled, or worse, taken for granted, allies become adversaries. And in a profession already strained by burnout, debt, and corporate pressure, such losses are especially damaging.

Veterinary medicine is uniquely collaborative. A successful case outcome doesn’t hinge solely on the surgeon or clinician. It depends on the anesthetist who monitored vitals, the tech who prepped the patient, the student who noticed the subtle behavioral change, and the Client Services Representative (CSR) who calmed the worried owner. These are your allies.

In academia, it's the research assistant who double-checks your statistics.

In corporate practice, it’s the regional manager who supported your new hire.

In emergency clinics, it’s the overnight shift who cleaned up after your case and quietly restocked your supplies.

And yet, these allies are often the first to feel unrecognized, unheard, or expendable.

How Mistreated Allies Show Up in Vet Med

The mistreatment of allies in veterinary medicine can take many forms:

• A junior vet’s idea dismissed until repeated by someone more senior.

• A technician spoken to curtly or not included in clinical decisions.

• A research collaborator dropped from authorship without explanation.

• A longtime associate replaced silently after a corporate acquisition.

• A hospital team left in the dark about financial or strategic changes.

What begins as a small oversight becomes, over time, a widening rift. Resentment builds. Loyalty drains away. And the ally, once an asset, now becomes a critic of you, your leadership, and/or the system you represent.

Leadership Blind Spots in the Profession

Veterinary medicine has historically suffered from a hierarchical structure masked by collegial language. Titles carry weight. Years of experience are sometimes confused with infallibility. And in recent years, corporate ownership has added a layer of bureaucratic insulation that distances leadership from the clinical floor.

When leaders, whether hospital directors, academic deans, or regional managers, become too removed from the daily grind of veterinary work, they risk losing the trust of those who keep the engine running.

Worse, they may fail to notice when an ally is starting to withdraw.

The Cost of Losing an Ally in Veterinary Medicine

Veterinary medicine is a small world. A mistreated colleague doesn’t just leave. They talk. They warn others. They write anonymous reviews. They start independent practices. They publish op-eds. They rally colleagues. And sometimes, they become your direct competition.

They carry not only your secrets, but your blind spots.

You lose institutional memory, mentorship, morale, and momentum. Replacing them costs more than salary. It costs reputation.

How to Lead Without Losing Your People

• Flatten the hierarchy where it matters. Technicians and assistants have insights worth hearing. Students deserve eye contact. Admin staff deserve context, not just commands.

• Name and thank people often. Whether it’s a morning huddle or an email, let people hear how their work contributes to the bigger picture.

• Offer transparency during times of change. Corporate takeovers. Staff restructuring. Policy shifts. Silence breeds suspicion. Honest communication builds trust.

• Apologize when you get it wrong. Humility is more respected in this profession than bravado.

• Invest in your culture. Continuing education is vital, but so is a culture of inclusion, respect, and support. Without that, even the most cutting-edge hospital becomes a revolving door.

Rick’s Commentary

The veterinary profession is built on trust. Between vet and client. Vet and patient. And critically, among colleagues.

If you're in a position of leadership, whether managing a clinic, mentoring interns, or shaping policy, your true influence is measured not in decisions made, but in people retained.

Don’t burn out your best people by mistake. Don’t assume loyalty will endure when respect is absent. And don’t forget that in a profession where compassion fatigue is real and workloads are immense, the way you treat your allies might determine whether they stay or walk away.

Because in veterinary medicine, as in life, mistreated allies don’t vanish.

They remember.

And sometimes, they resist.

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