麻豆传媒AV

WAKAW — The consequences of a veterinary shortage go beyond just farmers having a hard time scheduling vet visits. A severe shortage of veterinary professionals is negatively impacting the health and well-being of the veterinary workforce and places additional pressure on the level of quality care they can provide for their clients.

The shortage of veterinary professionals is a global issue. In Canada, clinic owners and other veterinary employers face challenges in hiring and retaining qualified veterinary staff while ensuring the highest standards of care for their clients. The annual graduation rates from Canadian veterinary colleges for veterinarians are barely sufficient to meet the attrition rate within the profession. According to the Canadian Occupational Projection System, veterinarians are projected to experience labor shortages at the national level from 2022 to 2031. It is estimated that there will be 5,000 job openings for veterinarians, driven by increasing demand and vacancies, while the number of job seekers, including graduates, immigrants, and those relocating, will only total around 4,300.

Canada has five different veterinary colleges: The Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC) University of Prince Edward Island; Faculté De Médecine Vétérinaire (FMV) Université de Montréal; The Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) University of Guelph; The Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) University of Saskatchewan; and the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (UCVM) University of Calgary.

On average, 450 students graduate from Canada’s veterinary colleges each year. Around 350 of the graduates are Canadian, and the rest are international students.

A net annual increase in the veterinary professional workforce in Canada is crucial for ensuring quality service for veterinary clients and retaining professionals in the field. Given the intense global competition for veterinary talent, it is urgent to address the nationwide shortages in Canada. The Government of Saskatchewan has responded by increasing the number of subsidized veterinary student seats at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine from 20 to 25, out of a total of 88 seats available. Additionally, they have introduced a loan forgiveness program to encourage veterinarians and veterinary technologists to practice in rural Saskatchewan. Under this program, participants can receive forgiveness of 20 percent of their outstanding Saskatchewan Student Loan debt, up to $4,000 annually, for up to five years, with a maximum total of $20,000.

Moreover, some seats at the WCVM have been specifically reserved for students with an agricultural focus, who are more likely to return to rural agricultural practice. This initiative aims to help alleviate the shortage of veterinarians in rural Western Canada.

The main reason for the shortage of vets in Canada is that not enough people are entering the job market. Currently, the rate of veterinarians retiring is about the same as new veterinarians entering the job market. This, in theory, should mean that there is a new person to fill the vacancy as someone retires. However, the number of pets in Canada continues to grow each year, creating more demand for veterinarians. Two years ago, Dr. Gillian Muir, dean of the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, said during the discussion at the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS) annual meeting that one shorter-term solution is faster licensing of foreign-trained veterinarians. “Chronically, in Canada, we have not been graduating enough vets for a long, long time,” she said. 

Foreign-trained veterinarians must pass a clinical and practical exam, which is only offered four times per year at WCVM, when its regular students are not using the facilities. Muir said the four-day exam is a huge undertaking, and WCVM is the only place in English-speaking Canada that hosts it. Right now, the testing adds 50 to 60 veterinarians to the workforce each year.

As discussed in the February 5, 2025, University of Saskatchewan publication The Green & White, the WCVM is exploring a potential expansion and renewal project that would allow the college to accept even more veterinary students in the future.

As part of the expansion planning, the WCVM and the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association are investigating the option of developing permanent clinical testing and training facilities for the National Examining Board (NEB) program’s two practical examinations, the Preliminary Surgical Assessment (PSA) and Clinical Proficiency Examination (CPE), at the WCVM—the only Canadian site to administer these exams in English.

Dean Dr. Gillian Muir said this piece of the expansion puzzle has gained attention because of the waiting list of internationally trained veterinarians who must pass the NEB’s pre-surgical assessment and clinical proficiency exams before becoming licensed to practise in Canada. “We’re again facing a shortage of veterinarians similar to what was happening 60 years ago in Western Canada, but now the circumstances are different,” said Muir. “This time, we’re seeing widespread shortages across the profession. There’s a need for more vets in mixed animal practice, small animal practice, regulatory medicine, and in specialized disciplines—essentially in all aspects of veterinary medicine.”   

“Sixty years ago, our students were expected to graduate and practise in Western Canada at vet clinics that mainly served livestock producers with some small animal work on the side,” said Muir. “It’s a different story for today’s graduates. While more than 80 percent of our graduates still live and work in Western Canada, there are many more career options available to our students in private practice, public service, industry, research, teaching, and One Health. The profession’s scope, as well as the public’s expectations of animal health care, have changed so much in the last six decades.”

The COVID-19 pandemic caused a notable increase in pet ownership, which led to a higher demand for veterinary care across the country. Additionally, there are other societal trends at work. People are increasingly recognizing companion animals as family members and understanding the positive impact pets have on their overall health. Many pet owners are also open to spending more on specialized animal healthcare services.

The president of the Saskatchewan Veterinary Medical Association, Dr. Sarah Allin, said, “It is financially difficult to operate strictly as a large animal vet in a very rural area, and many have to treat companion animals to supplement their income. The lack of companion animal vets in urban areas is trickling down to rural areas.” (January 12, 2023, https://www.producer.com/news/foreign-trained-veterinarians-seen-as-shortage-solution/) The shortage of large animal veterinarians is becoming increasingly severe. Without the support of companion animal veterinarians, the situation is worsening, leaving very few veterinarians available to care for the many animals in need of medical treatment. 

To attract new graduates to large animal practices and retain current veterinarians, significant changes to the existing system are necessary. Addressing the shortage of large animal veterinarians in rural areas will be challenging unless factors such as work-life balance and strong mentorship opportunities are made widely accessible for graduating veterinarians.

Allin said new graduates need and want mentorship. “I don’t think the financial part of it is honestly the biggest issue. I think the mentorship and the after-hours are the bigger issues that need to be addressed to keep people in smaller areas,” she said.

Without enough large animal vets, farmers are left to handle more medical procedures themselves, which could increase the risk of improper treatment. Disease outbreaks, such as avian flu or bovine respiratory disease, can also become harder to contain without enough trained professionals monitoring and diagnosing issues.