Michelle L. McArthur

Background Veterinarians may face various ethical decisions and potential moral conflicts in clinical practice. The ethical decision‐making process often leads to a satisfying resolution. However, when such a process is accompanied by a perceived inability to act according to a person's values, it can lead to psychological distress that characterises moral distress. Theoretical models in professions such as nursing attempt to explain the evolution of moral conflict into moral distress. In veterinary professionals, a model has been proposed to explain this pathway (the moral deliberation pathway). However, empirical data are still lacking on whether veterinary clinicians experience a moral deliberation pathway as hypothesised. Methods Using thematic analysis, this qualitative study investigates veterinary clinicians’ experiences with moral distress and aims to explain the moral deliberation pathway in these veterinarians. Results The results suggest that veterinarians’ experiences with moral distress follow a deliberation process that can be explained by the proposed moral deliberation pathway. Experiencing a moral conflict leads to moral stress, then either to moral distress or resolution into moral comfort. Limitations Self‐selection of participants and possible recollection bias may have biased the findings. Conclusions The empirical data provided by this study can inform future research and intervention strategies to identify, measure and manage moral distress in the veterinary context.