As animal hospitals struggle with vet shortages, pet owners worry about access to care

[Auggie]

San Francisco Chronicle, 9-29-21

(condensed from link):
The frantic search for emergency veterinary care has in recent months become a familiar process for animal shelter administrators across the Bay Area and throughout the country.

Pet owners across the region say they are frustrated and concerned about a worsening shortage of available pet care providers, especially in time-sensitive emergencies. Many have taken to social media to chronicle their distressing experiences trying to find care for their beloved companions, describing long trips to distant cities and nightmare wait times, sometimes upward of six hours.

Many animal hospitals have stopped accepting new patients as they make their way through a backlog of appointments with fewer employees. Even for existing patients, the wait for a standard wellness appointment can be weeks, and for a specialist, up to a couple of months.

While pet adoptions across the country do not appear to have risen during the pandemic, overall pet ownership and the number of vet appointments booked have, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. Despite the increased demand, veterinarians say the shortage of care providers is really a symptom of underlying problems within the veterinary industry, and the still-raging pandemic has only exacerbated them.

LINK (paywall): https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/As-animal-hospitals-struggle-with-vet-shortages-16495018.php

From the link:

• Turnover among vets in the United States stands at about 16% — twice that of physicians in medical practice.

• Turnover among veterinary nurses is at about 26%, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA).

• Vets and veterinary nurses suffer from relatively high rates of depression, anxiety and compassion fatigue. Female veterinarians were 3.5 times as likely, and male veterinarians 2.1 times as likely, to die from suicide as the general population.

• A 2020 study out of Banfield Pet Hospital, a national veterinary practice chain, predicted that a “critical shortage” of veterinarians could cause an estimated 75 million pets in the U.S. to lose access to veterinary care by 2030.

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If you're a pet owner in the U.S. you might have already experienced this or know someone who has. We lost our feline over the summer due to this care shortage. It's the #1 reason I will not get another pet.

[FM123]

1. A must read for all pet owners!

[jimfields33]

2. First I've heard. I guess we're lucky

We have a wealth of veterinarian clinic and hospitals here. Obviously the population needs to be nicer to the veterinarians as they are getting severe depression and leaving and worse. Treat them better.

[Thunderbeast]

3. Much of the same stress, expense, and debt of medical school.

Compensation not adequate to repay loans.

[Laurelin]

4. Speaking as the mom of a vet

Gah. That's just terrifying.

[Skittles]

29. I've noticed no issues where I live

but I would freak out if I needed a vet and one was not available.....vets are right up there with docs and dentists in importance, to anyone who has a pet!

[Blaukraut]

5. Our vet has dental appointments booking out to a year

They put our cat on the wait list with a note that he is in the semi urgent category. Meanwhile he has to take antibiotics every other month just to keep him from being in pain.

The vet recommended calling around to specialty vet clinics to see if they can see him sooner. Nope. Same problem.

Our animal hospital had 8 veterinarians pre-covid. Now they're down to five. They've also lost techs and assistants. When I called about Boris for his dental, the assistant told me a pretty eye-opening and horrifying story:

They have finally hired a new veterinarian who has been employed at an emergency veterinary hospital until now. The reason she left wasn't pay. Each veterinarian there gets paid much more than at regular animal hospitals, but the job is soul killing. She had to euthanize an average of 5-6 animals each day simply because the owners couldn't afford the treatment. So she decided she would rather take a smaller paycheck than have to live through that on a daily basis.
She also said that emergency veterinary hospitals have been culling doctors from regular clinics since covid, enticing them with better pay, flexible hours, safer workplace, etc. So this also contributes to the vet shortage.

[tblue37]

33. I once thought of becoming a vet. Then I realized I love animals too much to deal

with being around so many suffering, ill, & dying animals, or with having to be the one to actually euthanize them.

[Permanut]

6. Twelve hour wait in Portland Oregon..

A week ago for our little 11 year old rescue dog who was having problems with what seemed to be a sore foot. Turned out to be more complicated, but when we finally got Jake in for care, these people were absolute angels in caring for him. I can't say enough about the skill, dedication and compassion shown by the vets and staff.

[MissB]

13. I posted downthread

I assume you mean Dove Lewis. My vet said there was a 12 hour wait recently.

Dove Lewis is amazing though. Anytime we’ve had to use them, they were worth the wait and cost.

[Permanut]

14. Have been to Dove Lewis many times..

You are exactly right they are amazing. This time was at Tanasbourne Veterinary Emergency west of Portland. Same amazing level of commitment and service.

[MurrayDelph]

31. Tanasbourne Emergency took excellent care of our sasquatch 2.5 years ago.

He need round-the-clock care, which isn't available on the coast

[Klaralven]

7. Vet services consumed per pet has increased substantially

Vets now convince owners to spend rather large sums on drugs and medical treatments to keep alive chronically ill and/or geriatric pets.

[Bantamfancier]

10. That's a pretty broad brush you're using there.

The vets I know, one happens to be my daughter, don’t push anything. They lay out the options and whatever the client chooses is what they do. Unfortunately, in a lot of cases that does include euthanasia. If someone spends 5,000 bucks on an animal that’s their choice, not the doctor’s.

[Klaralven]

15. Perhaps "convince" wasn't the right word

But by laying out the "options", which now include the $5000 treatment, the emotionally vulnerable and distraught pet owner is too often inclined to max out their credit card on a forlorn hope.

I grew up on a farm, and farmers always compare the prospective vet bill with the future income stream from the animal.

I'm astounded by what pet owners are willing to pay when the money would be better spent on themselves, their children, or a new pet. The new pet might then have a nice life instead of being euthanized as surplus at an animal shelter.

[Skittles]

30. pets are not furniture

people may spend too much money on a pet but that might be because that is preferable to knowing they traded in the pet for a new one without doing everything possible

[madville]

8. No way I could do that job

They probably have to put down many pets simply because the owners can’t afford or are unwilling to pay for treatment. It would be heartbreaking everyday.

[Bantamfancier]

11. Wish it was that simple.

Majority of the time, if the client can’t afford the preferred treatment, they take the animal home with a bottle of antibiotics and/or pain meds and hope it’ll get better. Very rarely works. The vets I know accept the fact that they will be asked to euthanize otherwise healthy animals.

[Bantamfancier]

18. Them's fighting words.

Very few kids go into vet school for the money. It’s the love for animals that drives them. Many graduate with enormous loans (>200K).
Starting salary is more in the neighborhood of 70K. How many fresh graduates have the capital to open or buy a clinic? Maybe an option once they pay off the loans, buy a truck and a house. But that’s 10 years down the road.
Oh, and one last thing. Who is the doc that will get out of bed at 2 am to see a sick animal? Every damn time.

[madville]

21. It is a business just like any other, have to make money

110k isn’t what it used to be either, especially if they are also the business owner that also requires years of specialized education. I was making $125k a year when I retired from the military and make about $100k with great benefits/retirement plan at a power plant now, with just a high school education and a technical school certificate.

[Auggie]

9. Not mentioned in the link, but private equity is buying up vet clinics and hospitals

It's extremely lucrative and could be one of the reasons behind the current vet shortage. See my other post: https://www.democraticunderground.com/100215906048

[MissB]

12. The local vet told me recently that the bug emergency vet clinic has a 12 hour wait

Because they’re so inundated.

When my pup hurt his paw recently, I had to decide whether or not it was worth the wait.

[NEOH]

16. I Just Made a Vet Appointment for my Cat

I just made a vet appointment for my cat. Vet said he needs to come in sometime during October, and normally I make the appointment about 2-4 weeks in advance.

...This time, they could not schedule the cat until Mid-December! Ugh...

[Stinky The Clown]

19. Reading this on my phone in my vet's parking lot

Full staff. But protocols for COVID makes it necessary to allow more time per appointment.

I waited less than 2 minutes to be called into the office. Right on time. Actually a few minutes early.

[gojoe12]

22. I only get

senior rescue animals. I've always gotten rescue but because of my age I only get senior rescue now. I don't want to leave any behind when it's my time to climb the stairway

[leftyladyfrommo]

23. The incredibly high prices for everything are what

is threatening my pet care.

One of my customers just had a dental done on her dog. They pulled 3 bad teeth. It was $1,000.

That is the reason a lot of dogs are going without dental care.

[Auggie]

24. $5000 to find out our cat had an internal injury

By the time we received the diagnosis survival was estimated at a 50/50 chance IF we spent an additional $7000 for surgery. We opted to euthanize given those odds. It was one damn difficult decision that brings tears to my eyes still. Fucking vets wasted weeks, maybe months, in missed diagnosis that, had we caught it early, may have been treated by antibiotics. Lousy local vet.

[leftyladyfrommo]

25. Oh, man. That's awful.

I don't have thousands to spend. I just have to do the best I can. I buy top quality food and my old dog gets joint pills.

I just lost my old dog. They almost had to bury me with her. I think the grief may gave caused me to lose my mind. She is now with me all the time. It's so comforting that I don't care if it's crazy. I think she will stay as long as I need her.

[Auggie]

27. Sorry for your loss

There’s nothing quite like a dog. Nothing. It’s not crazy. Kudos for buying the good food. It really makes a difference.

I made a memory box of favorite toys and other odds and ends and put up photos around the office. It helps. But I still catch myself thinking about her welfare during the day. Feeding, litter boxes, grooming … and then reality hits.

[leftyladyfrommo]

28. It just takes a while.

The other 3 dogs I lost over the years sit in the backseat because they like car rides.

I'm old. I can be odd and nobody pays any attention.

[lindysalsagal]

26. Duh. Anti-vaxxers are bad for the economy.

How can these so-called free market bastards not figure that out?

[Raine]

32. I'm lucky, my friend of 30+ years is a veterinarian

she's a RW Fundie but we've agreed to disagree on politics and religion. We keep clear of those subjects and are able to remain friends. So far my critters haven't needed vet care since the pandemic. it's a relief though to know I can get help if needed.

[Deminpenn]

34. Emergency vets are one thing, regular vets are another

The independent ER vet/hospitals are being scooped up like crazy. A very good local ER was bought out by Blue Pearl, a subsidiary of Mars, a few years ago. The costs are astronomical now, easily into the $1,000s for relatively routine surgery or treatment.

[Auggie]

35. I had an estimate of $12,000 to remove a lung obstruction ...

and clean out accumulated pus to avoid septic shock. Chances of survival were 50/50.

I'm not getting another pet. I'd like to. But I'm done dealing with clinics and hospitals. I'm donating $ to animal shelters instead.

[Deminpenn]

36. Been there

Spent more than half that unsuccessfully trying save one of my pets.

[leftyladyfrommo]

37. That's the problem. Anumals aren't people even though

we love them and are really attached to them. They don't live to be very old. A lot of the time the kindest thing is to treat the pain and let them just stay at home where they are comfortable.

I am appalled by what some of these clinics are guilt tripping people into. Some people can afford it no problem amd that's fine. But you can spend a fortune and six months later the animal dies from something else.

They aren't people. We need to respect that.

[milestogo]

39. Yesterday I called the vet to make an appt for a Bordetella vaccine shot for my dog.

They had sent me a reminder that it is due. But the appointment is over a month away. This has never happened before.

I asked why and they said staffing issues.