Dr. Franziska Meyer
Dr. med. vet. DACVECC
Board-certified specialist in veterinary emergency and critical care (DACVECC)
Dr. Meyer graduated from the University of Bern, Switzerland in 2010. After completing a doctorate thesis at the Institute of Genetics at the same university, she went on to work in a small animal clinic for 2 years, followed by an internship in Small Animal Internal Medicine at the University of Zurich. After several years working in general practice and emergency medicine in Switzerland and the UK, she pursued residency training in emergency and critical care at the University of Bern and Washington State University. Dr. Meyer became a diplomate in Small Animal Emergency and Critical Care in 2022 and joined the University of Zurich as a senior lecturer the same year.
Franzi has a genuine passion for teaching and takes great joy in guiding residents through the challenges of emergency and critical care. She creates a relaxed and supportive atmosphere where no question is too small and encourages learners to speak up and think critically. Her approachable manner makes her a mentor who is always happy to explain complex concepts in a clear, straightforward way. Whether in the lecture hall or the clinic, Franzi’s enthusiasm for education shines through, inspiring the next generation of critical care specialists.
Get to Know Your Mentor
We sat down with dr. Franziska to give you a backstage pass into her world as both a clinician and a mentor. Discover what drives her, how she navigates each critical-care case, and why she’s so passionate about teaching and supporting fellow veterinarians.
Emergency medicine is where all aspects of veterinary medicine come together. In my opinion, it is the most versatile and complete specialty there is.
It has taken me a long time and a lot of input from great mentors to decide that emergency and critical care medicine was what I wanted to do. Nobody knows everything and everyone has something to contribute. I have learned so much through questions and new ideas from interns, residents, and students fueling case discussions and topic rounds.
Mentoring is not about having all the answers, it is about providing others with tools to improve knowledge and open minds to possibilities.
Honestly? No. Emergency and critical care medicine has been the most humbling experience and although true confidence certainly is a goal, it is hard to find. Though every time a critical patient leaves the hospital with their family, I am confident that our work is worthwhile.
Favourite: The unexpected
Least favourite: Irregular sleep pattern
Biggest misconception: It’s about money
In nursery school I decided that I wanted to be a vet and this hasn’t changed since.
At the beginning of my career, I was planning on specializing in exotics.
There is nothing I would change in my career path if I had to do it all over again
Oxygen cage/oxygen source But to be fair, I am spoiled and would miss a lot of things like ultrasound, capnograph, blood gas machine and many more.
Work-life balance is something very individual and for me it means being happy when at work and happy when not at work. I value my time with my family, preferably somewhere outdoors. Work-life balance is essential to staying healthy.
That is a very difficult decision, because there were certainly many special and memorable patients. The dog that nearly starved to death and has turned into the sweetest little pup within just a few days? Or the cat with a septic abdomen that barely survived surgery and was with us for 3 weeks just to be diagnosed with FIP a few weeks later and nevertheless is still alive and doing well? Or the herding dog that had a dog toy stuck deep in its throat and that only survived because the ball had a hole that he could breathe through? There are a lot of things that make a case memorable, either it is the patient itself, the disease, or the circumstances. You work in the emergency room long enough and there are going to be lots of fun things to talk about at the dinner table.
My first patient that I go off the ventilator and home to the family, that was pretty amazing.
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