Veterinarians in Canada say they are experiencing extreme burnout and plummeting mental health due to staff shortages, a booming number of animal patients and the round-the-clock stress of the job.
Neil Pothier, a veterinarian since 1985 who runs an animal hospital in Digby, N.S., said caring for animals has never been easy, but it害羞草研究所檚 a job he害羞草研究所檚 always loved.
害羞草研究所淏ut now, all day long, people are talking about burnout and thinking of quitting,害羞草研究所� Pothier said following a meeting with veterinarians from across Nova Scotia. 害羞草研究所淲e are struggling to try and make it.害羞草研究所�
Pothier said the increased workload, which in many rural areas comes with on-call emergency care 24 hours a day, is resulting in severe stress and exhaustion that has worsened over time. 害羞草研究所淧eople are just at the point where they don害羞草研究所檛 know what to do. And there is already a high suicide rate in the country in our profession, which is terrifying.害羞草研究所�
Survey data compiled in 2020 suggests that veterinarians in Canada were far more likely to think about killing themselves when compared with the average person. The study, published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, found 26.2 per cent of 1,403 veterinarians surveyed had suicidal thoughts within the previous 12 months. Statistics Canada data from 2022 found that 2.5 per cent of Canadians surveyed had thoughts about killing themselves within the last year.
Pothier, who has lost veterinary colleagues to suicide, said the mental health of veterinary workers has been strained by a pandemic boom in pet numbers and a shortage of vet technologists, technicians and vets available to work.
害羞草研究所淚t really exploded during COVID,害羞草研究所� Pothier said. 害羞草研究所淚t seemed everybody sitting at home decided, 害羞草研究所業 should get myself a pet.害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟
害羞草研究所淎fter that, it was just out of control,害羞草研究所� he said, adding that his patient roster increased by 40 per cent in the two years after the pandemic began.
Earlier this year, his patient list grew again after two vets shut down an animal hospital in nearby Yarmouth, N.S. 害羞草研究所淭wo of them, who are in my age category, they just burned out . 害羞草研究所� They could not hire help and they walked away.害羞草研究所�
The registrar of the New Brunswick Veterinary Medical Association said stress levels among veterinary staff in the province is much higher today than it was 18 years ago when she started as a veterinarian.
害羞草研究所淲e have had veterinarians and registered veterinary technicians leave the profession entirely or go on medical leave for burnout, fatigue,害羞草研究所� Nicole Jewett said.
The province害羞草研究所檚 veterinary community was dealt a blow last summer when the sole veterinarian in a northern New Brunswick community died by suicide.
害羞草研究所淲e are a relatively small province 害羞草研究所� so it害羞草研究所檚 not just a (vet) licence number. It害羞草研究所檚 a person we all know and we害羞草研究所檝e met,害羞草研究所� Jewett said. Vets from across the province have volunteered their time to keep the colleague害羞草研究所檚 rural animal hospital open.
Some veterinary staff may feel trapped in their jobs and unable to get help, Jewett said.
害羞草研究所淯nfortunately, they might feel that the only option is to leave. So whether it害羞草研究所檚 leaving the profession or leaving, you know, taking their own life,害羞草研究所� she said.
Trevor Lawson, president of the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association and vet of 20 years, said euthanizing animals has a major impact on the mental health of vet staff, who often build long-term bonds with the pets they care for, and the pets害羞草研究所� owners.
害羞草研究所淭hat connection and those relationships are very important,害羞草研究所� Lawson said. 害羞草研究所淪o I think that end-of-life care is a fair bit of weight for our colleagues to carry.害羞草研究所�
As well, Jewett said an additional stressor is the 害羞草研究所渕oral crisis害羞草研究所� tied to the financial reality of operating a vet clinic and requiring clients to pay. 害羞草研究所淚f the client doesn害羞草研究所檛 have the finances to cover that (treatment), then that害羞草研究所檚 a very terrible feeling for those veterinarians and the staff,害羞草研究所� she said.
Jan Robinson, registrar and CEO of the College of Veterinarians of Ontario, said the veterinary sector is 害羞草研究所渇eeling huge pressures from many different angles.害羞草研究所�
Robinson said she is hearing from veterinary clinics that are struggling to hire workers and emergency animal hospitals that are understaffed and cannot maintain scheduled hours.
害羞草研究所淎nd we害羞草研究所檝e been hearing from the public that are concerned about long wait times for animal care 害羞草研究所� or the individual needs to travel quite a distance in order for their animal to receive care,害羞草研究所� she said.
Veterinary medical associations in other provinces say they are experiencing staffing shortages, including Manitoba, where the registrar said the province is 害羞草研究所渦ndeniably facing a severe veterinarian shortage.害羞草研究所�
The P.E.I. Veterinary Medical Association said there is a shortage of vets working in emergency positions, and the Quebec Order of Veterinary Doctors said it has become increasingly difficult to access vet services across the province in recent years.
In Ontario, the number of practising veterinarians has remained flat, Robinson said, but the college has noticed a change in how vets choose to work, which may be due to the strain of the job.
害羞草研究所淰eterinary medicine provides 24-7 care to animals, and it害羞草研究所檚 not a large profession 害羞草研究所�. So the attitude toward work has altered over the last five to 10 years, where individuals are more concerned about work-life balance,害羞草研究所� she said.
Robinson said she害羞草研究所檚 noticed there are fewer veterinarians who own their own practices, and an uptick in vets who work in roles that allow them to limit their hours.
害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e seeing individuals move into locum positions, which gives them loads of control around saying things like, 害羞草研究所楴o, I don害羞草研究所檛 work Tuesdays and Thursdays,害羞草研究所� or 害羞草研究所業害羞草研究所檓 only going to work weekends because I want to be around for my kids during the week,害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟 she said.
Pothier said at his age, nearly 64, he had hoped to be slowing down at work, but instead he害羞草研究所檚 putting in 害羞草研究所渁s many hours or more than I ever have.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淚 should be thinking of retirement, but there害羞草研究所檚 no one stepping up and there害羞草研究所檚 not enough new people moving into it. So we害羞草研究所檙e stuck holding the line until things change.害羞草研究所�
