Saskatoon animal clinic feeling pressure from vet shortage

With veterinarians across the country facing burn out and many animal clinics struggling to recruit, industry leaders are calling on the federal government to help address the workforce shortages.

A spike in the pet population during the pandemic put pressure on veterinarians, but Vivienne Jones found ways to adapt.

“During the pandemic, we had to work quite long hours, and I think because of that we had to do things quite a bit differently,” said Jones, veterinarian and owner of Erindale Animal Hospital.

She said she had to recruit veterinarians from out of the country because of the shortage.

“At the moment they’re not licensed so they can’t practice as a vet. They have to go through a number of different exam processes,” Jones said.

She said the process can be pricey, with hiring immigration lawyers, paying flights and supporting families.

The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA), which represents 25,000 veterinarians and technicians, is pushing for a national test centre to help with the process.

“It would allow us to finally certify the credentials of the internationally trained veterinarians that come into the country,” said Tracy Fisher, vice president of the CVMA.

The University of Saskatchewan’s Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) currently holds exams on evenings and weekends.

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WCVM dean Gillian Muir said there are hundreds waiting to take the test, but there’s not enough space to accommodate them.

“We’re running that exam in the same place we’re teaching our … students, so we’re limited in the capacity we have to run that exam,” she said.

Muir says the college is also looking at ways to expand its program, so it can graduate more students.

Last week, the CVMA called on the federal government to support the national testing centre and address the shortage.

“All veterinarians provide an important service to the public, including protecting animal health and welfare, public health, and the environment,” the Canadian Food Inspection Agency said in a statement to CTV News.

“The CFIA is also supportive of the CVMA’s efforts to raise awareness of the importance of the work of veterinarians and the challenges of the shortage.”

The CVMA also called for mental health supports. It says 89 per cent of veterinarians surveyed across the country reported they were burnt out.

“It’s going to be hard to recruit candidates if we don’t address what those issues are and try understand why people are getting burnt out,” Jones said.

The veterinarian shortage is expected to last into 2031, according to the CVMA.