Can you become a vet if you have tattoos?

When I was younger, I was always taught that tattoos carried negative connotations, and that professional people didn’t have any ink.

Thankfully, that attitude is changing. Tattoos are now becoming a lot more mainstream and are seen more as a symbol of someone’s passion rather than something unprofessional.

And it turns out that vets, vet nurses and vet techs are very passionate people!

Currently, around a third of the professionals that I work with in my clinic have a tattoo! They are often subtle, and generally hidden at work, but they are very common.

The Survey

I also surveyed my veterinary peers on Instagram, to ask how many of them had tattoos. Out of the 101 responses I got from veterinary professionals, 69 of them said that they did have at least one tattoo (68%). Now I’m not suggesting that an instagram poll is necessarily representative of the entire vet population, but it goes to show that its not rare!

Collage of vet, vet nurses and students with tattoos — Vets and vet students showing off their tattoos! Credit to @razvan_soare, @thecharityvetnurse, @future_dr._moo and @caity_alyce91 (left to right).

72% of veterinary professionals said that at least one of their tattoos was animal or veterinary medicine related. Many reported they had a paw print, or an image of their favourite species.

And only 3% of responders said that a tattoo had ever caused a problem at work, or prevented them from getting a job. Most people said their tattoos were small and generally able to be hidden. A couple mentioned that their employer had a policy that tattoos had to be covered at work. However others reported their tattoos were visible and that they generally received positive comments about them.

So, can you become a vet nurse or vet with a tattoo? The answer is definitely yes!

Having a tattoo will generally not preclude you from working in veterinary environments, at least in English-speaking countries. If you think employers might take issues with tattoos, consider getting tattoos in less visible areas!

Further Information

Or have your own tattoo story to share? Leave a comment below, or get in touch on the Contact Me Page.

And don’t forget to read the other articles in this series:

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2 Responses

Shanya

19 July, 2022 | Reply

I have 3 tattoos on my neck and my aunt was telling me that I should’ve waited until I get into my career first because they wouldn’t accept me with tattoos and I just wanted to know if it was okay? I know I can hide it still.
- Kat
  
  10 February, 2023 | Reply
  
  Hi Shanya,
  
  I would say for most veterinary practices where I have worked, having visible tattoos would not cause any issues at all provided they weren’t anything offensive! In the UK and Australia, its very common for vet staff to have tattoos- some of the clients really like it too and will comment about it! However if you wish to work in more conservative countries, its probably a good idea to keep tattoos to areas that can be covered with a collared shirt, just in-case.