Pasco, Washington – On New Year's Eve, an animal hospital closed due to a shortage of veterinarians. pet medical needs. Dr. Dori Borgeson, of Washington State University's College of Veterinary Medicine, said she has never seen a shortage this severe.
“Emotional stress, compassion fatigue, and burnout,” says Dr. Erickson. “And of course, becoming a veterinarian is expensive and there is a lack of support staff.”
“The demand for veterinary education is very strong,” Dr. Borgeson said. “This year, we received 2,400 applications for 142 spots.”
The current state of veterinary medicine does not reflect the demand for education. Since 1980, the number of U.S. households taking their animals to the veterinarian has increased by nearly 3 percent annually, according to the American Association of Veterinary Colleges.
This increase is making it difficult for some clinics to cope.
“We are expanding our class sizes to educate more veterinarians,” Dr. Borgeson said. “Washington attracts a significant number of applicants to veterinary school. We want to increase the number of in-state students.”
Telemedicine is now the norm for many humans, but it is also becoming more popular for pets. According to Markets and Markets, the global television market is worth $530 million and is predicted to grow to $1.2 billion by 2028.
According to Dr. Borgeson, veterinary schoolIt is expensive, which is one of the reasons for its shortage. She said veterans are not paid salaries like doctors and students take longer to pay off their student loan debt.
The veterinarian shortage is also impacting shelters across the state.
The Tri-City Animal Shelter is at capacity. TCAS director Ben Zigan said he would only put the animals up for adoption if they were spayed and neutered.
“When we bring in a stray cat, we hold it for 72 hours to give the owner a chance to pick it up, according to city ordinance,” he said. “Then we start scheduling spay/neuter surgeries.”
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Zigan said the shelter has a part-time veterinarian on duty twice a week, but because of its size, the shelter is also seeking assistance from veterinarians around the area.
“It might not take more than a week or two to get accepted,” Zigan said. “So even if it's highly desirable and has multiple adopters waiting, the animal will be here for two weeks.”
Zigan said the delays have prompted the shelter to ask local residents to hold on to their animals until space becomes available.
YAKIMA, Wash. – Since the beginning of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, veterinary hospitals across the state have been severely overwhelmed with the number of animals in need.
Dr. Borgeson said veterinary care is not only lacking for domestic animals, but also affects many other areas of veterinary care, such as livestock.
