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In NAVTA’s 2025 release of its 2024 Demographic Survey results, 88% of respondents said they had experienced compassion fatigue at some point. That is a finding about survey respondents—not a verified prevalence rate for every veterinary technician—but it shows why prevention belongs in clinic operations as well as personal self-care. Understaffing, poor leadership, and poor communication were identified as contributors to poor wellbeing by veterinary technicians in a separate 2025 international survey. Technicians can take practical steps to notice distress and seek support; employers must also address the working conditions that can keep distress going.
What compassion fatigue and burnout can look like at work
Veterinary technicians work closely with animals who are sick, injured, frightened, or dying, while also communicating with clients and supporting the rest of the clinical team. Repeated exposure to suffering and loss can be distressing. Burnout is also a concern when the pressures of work outlast a person’s ability to recover between shifts. These experiences can overlap, and this article cannot diagnose either one. The practical question is whether distress is becoming persistent, affecting daily functioning, or making it difficult to recover.
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Possible warning signs include ongoing exhaustion, emotional detachment, distress after difficult cases, and feeling unable to reset between shifts. These are reasons to pay attention and consider support, not a self-test or diagnosis. NAVTA’s 2025 release of its 2024 Demographic Survey results also noted financial pressures, burnout, and limited time for self-care among the concerns respondents reported.
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One hard euthanasia or upsetting case does not, by itself, establish compassion fatigue. Pay attention to patterns over time: whether distress is accumulating, whether rest helps, and whether the work environment leaves room to process difficult experiences. If symptoms persist or interfere with work or life outside the clinic, speak with a qualified mental health professional or another appropriate healthcare provider.
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Why prevention cannot be only an individual responsibility
Personal coping strategies may help someone get through a demanding day, but they cannot make chronic understaffing, disrespect, unsafe workload, or poor leadership sustainable. The workplace findings in two 2025 surveys point to conditions clinics can influence—not simply to a need for individual resilience.
What veterinary technicians reported about their workplaces
In a peer-reviewed study published online on May 21, 2025, Chapman and colleagues analyzed an anonymous online survey completed by 172 veterinary technicians internationally. The survey ran from December 7, 2023, through January 31, 2024. Respondents identified understaffing, poor leadership, and poor team communication as contributors to poor wellbeing. Respectful communication, recognition, and equitable treatment were described as positive factors. These are the experiences of a modest survey sample, not a census of clinics or technicians.
In that same survey, 48% of respondents reported that their workplace had no wellness initiatives, while 37% reported an Employee Assistance Program (EAP). Those figures describe the 172 participants; they do not show how common either arrangement is across all veterinary workplaces. They do make one practical point clear: staff should not assume support is available without checking.
What a broader, multi-role survey adds
A separate online survey of 2,176 veterinary assistants, technicians and nurses, and veterinary technician specialists was distributed from September 2023 to January 2024. In the 2025 peer-reviewed study, 64% of respondents reported decreased interest in remaining in the field long term. Frequently endorsed reasons included inadequate pay, burnout or compassion fatigue, insufficient staffing, and poor leadership. Because the survey included several job categories and used an online convenience sample, this is not a forecast for every technician or a workforce-wide estimate.
That study also associated respect at work, the ability to contribute to animal wellbeing, opportunities for self-improvement and professional development, and the ability to effect change with burnout, fulfillment, and interest in staying. These findings suggest that retention and wellbeing are tied to whether technicians are treated fairly, can use their skills, and have a meaningful voice—not only to what they do after a shift.
Earlier evidence provides context, not a current prevalence figure
A 2020 open-access study of 1,642 credentialed veterinary technicians, predominantly in the United States and Canada, adds context to the occupational burnout literature. It highlights workplace respect and teamwork as potential supports and notes wellbeing resources from professional associations. Because the study is older and cross-sectional, it is best treated as background rather than as a current estimate or proof that any one intervention prevents burnout.
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What technicians can do when distress starts accumulating
Personal steps are most useful when they create a route to support, clarify what is making work difficult, or protect time to recover. They are not a substitute for adequate staffing or a safe workload. The following are practical requests and habits, not treatments proven by the cited surveys.
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- Take note of whether exhaustion, detachment, distress after cases, or difficulty recovering is becoming more frequent or lasting longer.
- Consider what is contributing: repeated exposure to suffering or loss, an unpredictable schedule, skipped breaks, conflict, workload, or something outside work. More than one factor can be involved.
- If it feels safe and useful, write down concrete examples—such as how often breaks are missed or how much time is available after a difficult case. Specific observations can make a conversation with a supervisor more actionable.
- Do not use a list of symptoms to diagnose yourself. If distress persists or affects functioning, contact a qualified professional.
2. Find out what support actually exists
Ask a supervisor, human-resources contact, or benefits administrator whether the clinic offers an EAP and how to access it. Also ask whether peer support, grief support, or access to a mental health professional familiar with veterinary work is available. Clarify who can use each service, how to arrange it, and whether there are limits to its availability. The 37% EAP figure in Chapman and colleagues’ survey is one reason not to assume a clinic has one.
An EAP or peer resource can offer a route to support, but availability is not the same as treatment or a guarantee of fit. If you need mental health care, seek a qualified provider rather than relying on a workplace resource alone.
3. Make a specific recovery request
Where possible, talk with a supervisor about concrete working arrangements rather than asking only for “more support.” Depending on what is contributing to the problem, a request might be for protected breaks, a more predictable schedule, reasonable on-call expectations, or time to process a difficult case. These are workplace measures that may make recovery more feasible; they are not guaranteed clinical treatments.
For example, you might say: “I have missed breaks on several recent shifts, and I am finding it harder to recover between them. Can we agree on a break plan and who covers my patients during that time?” Or: “After a particularly difficult case, can we build in a short check-in before I return to the next task?” Choose a request that addresses the actual constraint and is safe to raise in your workplace.
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4. Seek professional help when distress persists
Contact a qualified mental health professional or healthcare provider if distress continues, affects your functioning, or feels beyond what workplace adjustments can address. A book or course can support learning, but neither is a replacement for mental health care. If you are in immediate danger or may harm yourself, contact local emergency services or a crisis service in your area now.
What supervisors and employers should change
Clinics have more influence than individual workers over staffing, workload, leadership practices, communication routines, fairness, and access to workplace resources. Treating distress only as a resilience problem can leave the conditions that contribute to it untouched.
Assess staffing and workload
- Review how staffing levels compare with the work the clinic expects the team to complete. Understaffing was specifically identified as a contributor to poor wellbeing by respondents to the 2025 international technician survey.
- Look at whether staffing gaps routinely lead to missed breaks, unrealistic schedules, excessive on-call demands, or too little time for case handoffs and follow-up.
- When the workload exceeds available capacity, identify what can be changed—such as coverage, scheduling, task allocation, or expectations—rather than asking staff to absorb the gap indefinitely.
- Revisit workload when case volume, opening hours, or staffing changes. A one-time review will not catch every later mismatch.
Make communication respectful and usable
Build brief team check-ins into normal routines, offer a clear route for raising concerns, and give consistent feedback. Most importantly, follow through: tell staff what will happen after they raise an issue, or explain what cannot change and why. A reporting channel that produces no response does not give people a practical way to influence their working conditions. The 2025 technician survey identified poor team communication and poor leadership as contributors to poor wellbeing; respectful communication was described as a positive factor.
Check-ins do not need to become another meeting that consumes already limited time. A short, regular opportunity to flag workload, handoff, or support problems can help managers spot patterns. Make clear whether staff can raise concerns privately as well as in a group, and explain how urgent issues should be handled. The purpose is not to require anyone to disclose personal distress, but to make work problems easier to identify and address.
Recognize expertise and make room for meaningful work
Recognize technicians’ contributions and involve them where their expertise is relevant. Consider whether staff have opportunities to use their skills, contribute to animal wellbeing, develop professionally, and influence changes that affect their work. The multi-role 2025 survey associated these experiences with fulfillment, burnout, and interest in staying. It does not prove that a particular recognition program will prevent burnout, but it gives employers concrete areas to examine.
Make treatment equitable and address leadership problems
Set clear expectations and apply them consistently. Review whether workloads, opportunities, feedback, and responses to concerns are distributed fairly. When there is workplace conflict or a pattern of poor leadership, address the behavior and the underlying problem; do not make affected staff responsible for adapting to it indefinitely. Equitable treatment and respectful communication were reported as positive workplace factors by participants in the international technician study.
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Offer resources that are clear, relevant, and accessible
Put a tailored wellbeing plan in writing. Explain how to access any EAP, peer or grief support, and other available resources; who is eligible; and whom staff can contact with questions. Consider training managers to respond constructively to concerns and difficult conversations. Resources should sit alongside action on workload, leadership, and fairness—not in place of it.
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Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Veterinary wellbeing resources: what each can and cannot do
These options serve different purposes. Training and guidelines can help teams learn or plan; a book can provide further reading. None is established here as a clinical treatment or a substitute for changing harmful workplace conditions.
| Resource | Best fit | What it offers | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| AVMA Workplace wellbeing 1: Setting the foundation | A veterinary team or employer building workplace learning | Five modules covering culture, feedback, conflict, QPR suicide prevention, and diversity and inclusion; a certificate of completion is listed. | It is education, not treatment. Program details and access conditions can change; check the current official AVMA page. |
| WSAVA Professional Wellness Guidelines | Veterinary leaders, team members, and students seeking broad professional guidance | An evidence-based overview with links to professional wellness resources. | It is broad companion-animal-sector guidance, not a personalized care plan. |
| When Helping Hurts: Compassion Fatigue in the Veterinary Profession, Revised Edition, by Kathleen Ayl | Veterinary caregivers seeking further reading | Texas A&M University Press lists the revised paperback with a publication date of September 29, 2026. | A book is supplementary information, not an intervention proven to prevent burnout or a replacement for organizational change or professional care. The publisher listing does not establish retailer stock. |
For older occupational context, the 2020 open-access study of credentialed veterinary technicians discusses workplace respect, teamwork, and professional association resources. Its age and cross-sectional design mean it should not be treated as proof of a specific prevention program’s effectiveness.
Choose a resource according to the problem you are trying to address. AVMA’s Workplace wellbeing 1 is a team-learning option that covers workplace culture, feedback, conflict, QPR suicide prevention, and inclusion. WSAVA’s guidelines offer broader professional guidance for leaders, team members, and students in the companion-animal sector. Kathleen Ayl’s revised book is individual further reading for veterinary caregivers. These differ in audience and format, but none replaces staffing improvements, a respectful workplace, or professional care when needed. Check the relevant official or publisher page for current details and access before relying on it.
A practical way to decide what to do next
Start with the source of the strain, then choose a response that matches it. A personal coping tactic cannot solve an unsafe staffing level, and an employer program cannot replace individual clinical care when that is needed.
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- If distress is persistent or affecting functioning: contact a qualified mental health professional or healthcare provider. If you may harm yourself or are in immediate danger, contact local emergency or crisis support.
- If a concrete work condition is contributing: identify one specific concern—such as missed breaks, unpredictable scheduling, or poor case handoffs—and, if safe, raise it with a supervisor alongside a practical request.
- If you do not know what support is available: ask how to access an EAP, peer or grief support, or another relevant resource. Confirm eligibility and how the service works.
- If you supervise a team: review staffing, workload, communication, fairness, and recognition before treating distress as an individual resilience issue. Make support routes clear and report back on concerns raised.
Prevention is more credible when it includes both a way for people to get support and a willingness to change the conditions contributing to distress. A technician should not have to manage a chronic workplace problem alone.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I prevent compassion fatigue as a veterinary technician?
Look for patterns such as ongoing exhaustion, detachment, distress after difficult cases, or difficulty recovering between shifts. Find out whether your clinic offers an EAP, peer support, grief support, or access to a mental health professional. If it is safe to do so, raise specific needs—such as protected breaks, a more predictable schedule, or time to process a difficult case—with a supervisor. These steps can help you seek support, but they do not replace adequate staffing or professional care when distress persists.
How can veterinary technicians avoid burnout?
Prevention is not only an individual task. Technicians can notice what is driving distress, seek available support, and discuss practical recovery needs. Employers should review staffing and workload, address poor leadership and communication, treat staff equitably, recognize technician expertise, and provide clear routes to support. A 2025 international survey of 172 veterinary technicians identified understaffing, poor leadership, and poor team communication as contributors to poor wellbeing.
How can I recover emotionally after euthanasia at work?
A difficult euthanasia can be upsetting, but one case alone does not establish compassion fatigue. If useful and available, ask for a brief check-in or time to process the case, and find out whether peer or grief support is offered. Pay attention to whether distress accumulates or continues between shifts. If it persists or affects your functioning, speak with a qualified mental health professional or healthcare provider.
What can a veterinary clinic do to prevent staff burnout?
Review staffing against expected workload, including whether gaps lead to missed breaks, unrealistic schedules, or excessive on-call demands. Build respectful communication routines and follow through when staff raise concerns. Recognize expertise, apply expectations equitably, and make EAP or other support information clear. In Chapman and colleagues’ 2025 survey, 48% of respondents reported no workplace wellness initiatives and 37% reported an EAP; these were respondent figures, not estimates for all clinics.
Is an EAP, course, or book a substitute for mental health care?
No. An EAP or peer resource may provide a route to support, while AVMA’s Workplace wellbeing 1 and WSAVA’s Professional Wellness Guidelines offer education or professional guidance. Kathleen Ayl’s veterinary compassion fatigue book is further reading. None is established as a clinical treatment or a substitute for qualified mental health care, and resources do not replace changes to harmful working conditions.
The Bottom Line
Preventing compassion fatigue and burnout takes both individual support and workplace action. Notice persistent distress and seek qualified help when needed, but do not expect self-care to compensate for chronic understaffing, poor leadership, disrespect, or an unsafe workload. Clinics can start by reviewing staffing, making communication respectful and actionable, treating people equitably, and ensuring support options are clear.
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