Veterinary Medicine is currently in crisis. We do not say this to garner sympathy or pity, but simply to make you aware of the current state of this industry. The crisis stems from 2 major sources; one, it is understaffed, and two, it is overwhelmed and overbooked. These problems do not seem to be specific to our industry but are debilitating and demoralizing all the same.
Over the course of the last 18 months, pet ownership in the United States (and likely the world) has skyrocketed as people have been spending more time at home and are looking for companionship and oftentimes a distraction from the state of the world. At times, many animal shelters have been empty as all pets have been adopted to new homes. This is fantastic for all these wonderful animals that now have loving families and for all the people that have come to experience the joys of owning a pet. But the downside is there are simply too many pets for veterinarians to see in a day. This problem is compounded by the shortage of veterinarians and veterinary support staff.
This area in particular has always been short veterinarians. It can take years to find a new veterinarian to add to your staff. Recently, the problem of finding new veterinarians has become even more critical as many currently practicing veterinarians are leaving the industry due to the stress, emotional toll, and financial toll this job can have on you. We have been lucky to not only have a wonderful team of veterinarians, we have also hired 2 new veterinarians since January. But this does not mean that the shortage of veterinarians and veterinary support staff has not affected us deeply. Despite multiple rounds of interviews, hiring, and training, we have struggled to have a full schedule of support staff for over a year. This has put extra stress on the staff that we do have as they have had to work overtime, do the job of multiple people, and generally shoulder a much heavier burden than they should have to. The veterinarian shortage means that other clinics in the area are unable to see as many patients. The local emergency clinics are struggling so much to find staff that many of them have had 6-8 hour wait times, are unable to stay open 24 hours, and are turning people away because they are unable to see them. So, if we are unable to see a patient, in many cases there is nowhere else for them to seek care.
This job is difficult. We know it’s difficult and we can handle difficult, but lately, it has been getting so much more difficult. And the single most difficult part of this job is the abuse that we receive on a daily basis. We are regularly yelled at, cussed at, threatened, insulted, and disrespected by clients that are unhappy with our wait times, our COVID policies, our costs, their pet’s illness, and anything else you can imagine – we’ve heard it all. This abuse is the main reason that veterinarians and support staff are leaving the industry in droves. And it has to stop. So, what can you do to help?
First, BE PATIENT! If your pet does not have a life-threatening emergency and will not be suffering if it waits until our next available appointment, we are booking out about 5-6 weeks. Please plan accordingly if you need vaccines for boarding or travel. Once you have actually arrived for your appointment, you may be waiting 45 minutes to an hour plus to be seen. We are inundated all day with calls for animals that cannot wait 5-6 weeks and we have to squeeze them into our already busy schedule since like previously mentioned, if we don’t see them, there is no one else that can. This means we are struggling to stay on top of our schedule and can easily get behind. If you have any significant time constraints, please schedule your appointment on a different day or time when you will be more available. We cannot make any guarantees about how long your wait will be and we cannot start letting people jump the line because they need to be somewhere.
Secondly, be upfront about financial constraints. Everything that we recommend, we recommend for a reason. But that does not mean that every diagnostic procedure and treatment protocol is absolutely necessary. We can tailor our plan to your personal preferences and requirements. If you are not upfront about financial concerns, we cannot make these adjustments.
Lastly, BE KIND. We understand that you may be stressed or upset that your beloved pet is not feeling well, and our first priority is to help them. But there is absolutely no reason to yell, swear, threaten, or insult any of our staff members. Doing so will result in your termination as a client at this practice. If you are unhappy with any of our services, please remain calm while expressing your unhappiness and we will do our best to resolve the issue.
We appreciate your kindness and understanding during this difficult time, and we look forward to many more years serving you and your pets.
