a A long-standing shortage of veterinarians in communities across the United States is creating a crisis for some pet owners. This contributed to mental health issues among veterinary staff. And experts warn that it could put the country at risk from a food safety and public health perspective.
The shortage of veterinarians and veterinary professionals is believed to be due to high admission fees, long working hours, and the stress of dealing with animal owners in life-or-death situations.
The warning comes after veterinary mental health charity Not One More Vet said it had received reports of veterans facing cyberbullying from customers. This is a worrying trend in a profession that has long had a high risk of suicide.
Laura Molgado, dean of the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine, said the causes of the shortage can be traced back more than 40 years.
“Starting around 1980, the demand for veterinary services increased with the increase in pet ownership, and the demand from pet owners for more services for their pets,” she said.
“After that, we didn't see commensurate growth in veterinary schools or growth in veterinary school capacity for a very long time, at least in the United States.”
The shortage is most acutely felt in rural areas. One reason for this is that jobs in urban areas pay better, given that veterinary school graduates have to go where the money is and often struggle with student loans. Because of this, pet owners and owners of other animals have a hard time finding care in some parts of the country, but Molgado said there's more than just pets at risk of not getting proper care. Ta.
“There are risks to things like food safety and public health. Veterinarians play an important role in not only protecting the health of individual animals, but also the health of animal populations. And we is also committed to protecting public health,” Molgado said.
“Without local veterinarians, the health of animals, people and the environment they share is at risk.”
Morgard said veterinarians serve as “early detectors of animal diseases,” including those that can be transmitted to humans. Although veterinarians first identified West Nile virus, experts have also been responsible for reporting outbreaks of bird flu, African swine fever, and bovine spongiform encephalopathy, also known as “mad cow disease.”
“Veterinarians are on the front lines of detecting and monitoring these types of diseases. And if there is no veterinarian in the area, these diseases may go undetected until it is too late,” Molgado said. Told.
Work pressure can be intense, with relatively low pay compared to professions like human medicine and dentistry that require similar levels of training. Liz Houston, a veterinary technician expert and president of the American Veterinarians Union, said support staff, including veterinary technicians, are often underpaid and overworked.
“We have a huge problem with people leaving the profession,” Houston said.
“The salary is not high. [for veterinary technicians], and for veterinarians, that's not great in relation to the debt burden. Many veterinarians graduate from school with large amounts of debt. I have $400,000 in student loans, and my starting salary after that is between $85,000 and $105,000 a year.
“Most people would look at this and say, 'Oh, that's a good wage.' , given that I don't get paid that well in relation to my professional degree and training, I think so. I think that's one piece.”
Veterinary technicians, on the other hand, must complete an education program and pass a national veterinary exam to practice, but “they are not paid a living wage,” Huston said. She said technicians and veterinary assistants often find that entry-level retail or fast food jobs pay better.
“Fast food sucks, but it also makes money. And you're not expected to work overtime, and you're not expected to make life-or-death decisions. You don't get bitten or scratched. No,” she continued. “You're not dealing with a zoonotic disease. You're not going to get sick from a hamburger.”
There's also “sticker shock” when pet owners find out how much certain treatments will cost, Huston said. Pet insurance is not widely available in the United States, so if a dog, cat, or turtle gets sick, owners can be left with eye-watering costs. They are often not satisfied with the price.
“All we want to do is help animals.” are faced with people they have to deal with,” she said.
“Many times in veterinary medicine, euthanasia is an option, so people make life and death decisions based on economic circumstances, which is fatal to the veterinary profession. Because you look at it and say, “This can be solved.'' It's fixable. But people can't pay to fix it. ”
Against this background, the suicide rate is high. A 2018 study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that female veterinarians were 3.5 times more likely to die by suicide than the rest of the general population, and male veterinarians were 2.1 times more likely to die by suicide. found.
Gigi Tsontos, executive director of Not One More Vet, which was founded in response to the death of a veterinarian in 2014, said there are a variety of reasons for the death toll.
“It's a lot of work, and it also has to do with a lot of things that happen at the clinic. You can't just go to the vet and pet dogs and cats all day. There are a lot of difficult decisions to be made. Yes, there are a lot of people involved. Let's say a family comes in and they have a pet that needs a high level of care, but they can't afford it. We talk to the family about that,” Tsontos said. said.
A CDC study found that veterinarian suicide rates have been high over the past 30 years. However, a new issue facing veterinarians is cyberbullying.
“I've heard stories of people claiming something happened to their pet and taking them to the vet. And all they do is slander the vet and vet tech on social media,” Tsontos said.
“Veterinarians are trying to do the best they can. They care about animals, and that's why they're in this industry.”
