The Predicament the Veterinary Industry is Facing
And how it WILL affect you as a pet owner
The veterinary industry is in absolute chaos
Right across Australia, veterinary clinics, from established family-owned general practices to emergency hospitals, are closing their doors. Some for good.
Why? They just can’t retain enough staff, nor attract new ones, to optimally run the clinic.
Honestly, I can’t speak for the industry outside of Australia, but realistically I can’t imagine it being too different elsewhere in the world.
But why?
I know, it doesn’t make sense. The pet industry has seen steady growth for the past few decades. It is forecasted to jump to an astounding $358 billion industry in the USA by 2027, from the $99 billion industry it is at present. It is an industry said to be recession-proof and pandemic-proof, made evident by Covid-19.
People just can’t get enough of having furry companions. And if people have pets, they’ll need vets, right? Thus, it makes sense that veterinarians should absolutely be raking it in.
Alas, that just isn’t happening and the vast majority of us aren’t raking it in.
But money is only part of the issue.
Issue #1 — Privatisation, Perception, and Pay-checks
The companion animal veterinary industry is basically a thoroughly privatised one. Meaning that there’s no government support for the people who work in it, nor for the clients of it.
In its simplest form, it is just like any other transactional service. Because, legally speaking, pets are considered property.
Owners of veterinary clinics have to maintain their businesses (and these aren’t cheap businesses) without government financial aid. As a result, these costs must to be reflected in the invoices to clients.
In contrast, for Private hospitals in Australia, the government “covers 75% of the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) fee for services and procedures for private patients in a public or private hospital”.
The problem in the veterinary industry is that when we see loyal clients who’ve already spent thousands or we see a client that is already doing the best they can, our hearts win out and we undercharge for our services. With that said, we already are undercharging to begin with. Over time, practices end up in the red and become unable to keep up with paying staff members well enough to entice them to stay.
Another problem is identified when addressing the decreasing value associated with veterinary services in relation to the investment required to become a veterinarian. It’s a complex relationship and is discussed by the American Veterinary Medical Association’s (AVMA) 2018 report on page 85.
In essence, it infers that part of the reason it is becoming less worthwhile to be a veterinarian is because of society’s reduced perception of our value, in spite of our increased costs of education. If the perceived value of veterinary services decreases, so does the willingness to pay for such services.
Issue #2 — Mental Health, Burnout and Gender
This has been a longstanding issue within the industry. The same AVMA report mentioned previously discusses various statistics from wages to student debt and aspects of burnout.
The report informs that burnout, traumatic stress, and dissatisfaction increased or was associated with (but are not limited to):
- The less prepared a new graduate felt for their first job
- The less support a new graduate had in their first job
- The more hours worked per week — which are increased due to decreased staffing levels
- Decreased amounts of compensation — with relatively high debt ratios compared with other medical professions (Human doctors, dentists)
- Having graduated within the past 10 years (opposed to graduating prior to 10 years ago) — the latter demographic being able to pay off their education debt relatively sooner
Other less quantifiable reasons may include compassion fatigue, dealing with tough clients or clients with unrealistic demands and not being able to see a light at the end of the tunnel.
In the USA, despite there being approximately 4000 new veterinary graduates per year, there’s approximately 2000 leaving within that same timeframe, many for the reasons above.
The AVMA article also touches on the potential effects of the Veterinary industry becoming female-dominated (76% female) and there being a reduction in total industry full-time hours (FTE) because of this. I am assuming this is related to maternity leave, taking on part-time or casual work for the sake of family duties, and their inference that females are more prone to resignation for the reasons above. Not to mention, there is also a wage gap between genders. Frankly, this topic on gender can be an article in and of itself.
Issue #3 — Pandemic Pets but Dwindling Vets
I recently came across this post by Michelle Jaqua. Her struggle to get her vomiting furbaby, Willow, assessed by an emergency vet really hit home.
I called one emergency vet hospital after another, only to be told over the phone that they couldn’t or wouldn’t see her.
Each place I called (and I called about five different places), gave various reasons why they couldn’t see Willow that day: they didn’t accept walk-ins (!!!), they were understaffed, they only accepted dogs who had been there before (again, !!!). I’d get referred to another emergency vet only to be denied from them too. The last straw was when I called a place about an hour away and they told me that they’d take her, but it would be about a 4-hour wait after I got there.
I truly felt for her and Willow. And I know there are so many similar stories out there. But every time I read something like that or see someone lament on social media about their vet, I just want to scream from a mountain top that WE ARE DOING OUR BEST, BUT IT WILL NEVER BE GOOD ENOUGH!
A study described here, by The American Pet Products Association reported that 11.38 million U.S. households have adopted or bought a new pet during the pandemic. So it’s without a doubt that general practitioner veterinarians have seen significant surges in appointments. The spillovers from which, in addition to actual critical patients, come straight through to emergency.
When emergency clinics are at capacity, in the form of physical cages or staff member numbers, we have no choice but to increase waiting times or divert elsewhere. The alternative to this is to compromise the care of the existing patients, which is an absolute no-go.
The veterinary industry has been showing signs of fracturing for all the reasons mentioned previously and likely more. The Covid-19 pandemic has undeniably added a fresh challenge to all of that. As further strain is added, even more of us will be prone to leave, which will only add to the downward spiral.
I don’t know what the solution is. In any case, nothing can , nor will, be changed overnight.
More money would be great, but money needs to come from somewhere.
To all you pet owners, waiting a week for an appointment or hours for an emergency consult may only just be the beginning.
To all my fellow Veterinarians and nurses, stay strong.
When the winds of change blow, some people build walls, and others build windmills — Chinese proverb
If this article has resonated with you, I encourage you to read more of my related works.
You can find them on my page’s index under “Veterinary Truths”, here.
Thank you for your support.