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.
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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Chants of 'shame on you' greet guests arriving for the annual White House correspondents' dinner
An election-year roast of U.S. President Joe Biden before journalists, celebrities and politicians at the annual White House correspondents' dinner Saturday.
What is a 'halal mortgage'? Does it make housing more accessible?
The 2024 federal budget announced on April 16 included plans to introduce “halal mortgages” as a way to increase access to home ownership.
Here's where Canadians are living abroad: report
A recent report sheds light on Canadians living abroad--estimated at around four million people in 2016—and the public policies that impact them.
Deadly six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 sparked by road rage incident
One person was killed in a six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 in Innisfil Friday evening.
Opinion I just don't get Taylor Swift
It's one thing to say you like Taylor Swift and her music, but don't blame CNN's AJ Willingham's when she says she just 'doesn't get' the global phenomenon.
Invasive and toxic hammerhead worms make themselves at home in Ontario
Ontario is now home to an invasive and toxic worm species that can grow up to three feet long and can be dangerous to small animals and pets.
Harvey Weinstein hospitalized after return to New York from upstate prison
Harvey Weinstein’s lawyer said Saturday that the onetime movie mogul has been hospitalized for a battery of tests after his return to New York City following an appeals court ruling nullifying his 2020 rape conviction.
'We are declaring our readiness': No decision made yet as Poland declares it's ready to host nuclear weapons
Polish President Andrzej Duda says while no decision has been made around whether Poland will host nuclear weapons as part of an expansion of the NATO alliance’s nuclear sharing program, his country is willing and prepared to do so.
Central Alberta queer groups react to request from Red Deer-South to reinstate Jennifer Johnson to UCP caucus
A number of LGBQT+2s groups in Central Alberta are pushing back against a request from the Red Deer South UCP constituency to reinstate MLA Jennifer Johnson into the UCP caucus.