Too many pets, not enough vets: demand for service keeps growing
Burnout, staff shortages, and pet boom part of problem, experts say
Pets are the priority at Juno Veterinary.
But there is something else the Toronto clinics are hoping to accomplish: help their professionals fall in love with the job again.
To do it, co-founder and chief veterinarian Dr. Cassandra Vlahaki says the clinics keep regular work hours, ensure adequate in-office support to avoid overwhelm, and prioritize access to mental health support for staff.
"Burnout is a big one for a lot of veterinary care teams," Vlahaki said.
It's also not a new issue. Problems have been ongoing for years, said Dr. Matthew Richardson, president of the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association (OMVA).
As of 2022, there were approximately 5,383 vets working in Ontario, according to the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) — up 258 from 2020, when the province had 5,125 vets.
During that same time period, the number of pet dogs climbed from 7.7 million to 7.9 million across the country, per the Canadian Animal Health Institute, while the number of pet cats rose by 400,000 to 8.5 million.
More pets means more care
More pets means more people needing appointments, which Richardson said "can be a bit of a vicious cycle," contributing to an overwhelmed industry and frustrated pet owners.
"We have veterinarians who are experiencing burnout, compassion fatigue, all of those things," he said. "Unfortunately, those problems often snowball."
The CVMA started to study the industry more closely in 2019 as a "sizeable proportion" of vets reported clinics at 90 per cent capacity and beyond. What the association found is that nearly one-in-five clinics planned to cut down their hours since they didn't have enough vets to fill them, and reported turning patients away "frequently."
"An eventual veterinarian supply crisis awaits," the CVMA concluded, urging the development of a long-term recruitment strategy given colleges graduate vets at a rate that only covers retiring veterinarians.
The shortages are impacting people's ability to gain access to pet care, said Phil Nichols, the Toronto Humane Society's CEO. The non-profit organization offers appointments to those needing veterinary services — particularly preventative care such as spaying and neutering, vaccinations and microchipping — with the goal of easing pet owners' financial burden.
"What we're doing in response to that is trying to evaluate and bring to the market new models of providing care that allow for a greater provision in volume and meeting the needs of the community," said Nichols.
He says that between January and September 2023, the Humane Society provided over $1.3 million in vet services across 7,871 appointments. While services may not have all the bells and whistles of a private clinic, Nichols said they do help more people access baseline care in a timely manner.
The Society is helping "significantly more" people than years past, Nichols added, noting that the high cost of living is the driver behind the ongoing "Toronto in Crisis" campaign.
Steps taken to address shortage
The Ontario government also says it's doing its part to address the veterinary shortage.
"We are taking direct and immediate action to address veterinary shortages through a multi-pronged approach, and the Veterinary Incentive Program is one component of that," said the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs in a statement.
The program gives 100 recent graduates grants up to $50,000 over five years if they care for large animals and work in underserved areas. The government says the shortage is particularly acute in rural and Northern Ontario.
At the same time, the province says it's trying to increase the number of students studying to become vets, including adding up to 80 new Doctor of Veterinary Medicine seats over the next four years.
Back at Juno Veterinary, they're using technology to help do their part.
"We have TVs in every room to help show pet owners transparent estimates of the potential plans for their pets going forward," Vlahaki said. "In addition, we have an app which provides 24/7 access to pet care."
The app can cut back on unnecessary clinic visits, she said, and allow staff to see more patients.
"I think the problem will get better over time, but it's going to be a bit of a slow process," said Richardson. In the meantime, he asked pet owners for their kindness and their patience.
"We're just so used to being able to see all the patients who want to see us on the same day," he said.
"Unfortunately, current circumstances aren't allowing that … We're doing the best we can, and we do truly care for the well-being of your pets."
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