Shortages are being felt across the country, but the association’s former president, Dr Enid Stiles, believes the situation is particularly acute in rural and remote areas, as access to emergency veterinary facilities is limit.
Canada is currently experiencing a shortage of veterinarians, and the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association said it was a long-standing problem before the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the association’s former president, Dr Enid Stiles, a survey from early 2020 showed that there would be a shortage of more than 30-35% over the next 10-15 years, but the pandemic has greatly accelerated the situation.
Factors in the current shortage include vets cutting back on hours to avoid being overworked, many leaving the field in general, and the influx of people adopting pets during the pandemic.
“In Canada, we have a growing human population and these people want to have pets,” Dr. Stiles said. Sam Laprade’s show with guest host Derick Fage on Thursday, August 4.
She added that vets and their staff were suffering from mental health-related burnout, in part because of increased expectations of care.
“It’s very emotional work and the expectations are quite high now for the care and the type of service people would like to receive for their pets – so [puts] a lot of pressure on our teams,” she explained.
Shortages are being felt across the country, but Dr. Stiles believes the situation is particularly acute in rural and remote areas, as access to emergency veterinary facilities is limited.
Listen to Dr. Enid Stiles’ full interview below:
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