Why Is my vet so busy?

You've likely heard friends and family complaining about how they can't get their pet seen by a veterinarian the same day they call, or how an emergency veterinary visit turned into an all-night ordeal. Unfortunately, this situation is true throughout the entire country, and seems to be getting worse. The Veterinary industry is overwhelmed , and struggling to see and care for pets in a timely manner. This is wreaking havoc on patients/client/owner relationships. How did this issue come about, and what can be done to fix it? 
Covid-19 Changed Everything 
When Covid swept across the world, businesses scrambled to find innovative ways to operate, while keeping their staff and clients safe and healthy.  Many veterinary hospitals switched to curbside care, where pets were brought into the hospital, and the owner waited outside to speak with the staff over the phone. While this may be safer for Covid-19 exposure than allowing clients into the hospital, this method requires numerous extra steps, and can turn what would normally be a quick appointment into an hour or more. This means we can see fewer patients each day, which results in having to reschedule the next day's appointment, and so on until there is a backlog of patients needing essential care. 
Since curbside protocols weren't able to be ironed out overnight, many veterinary hospitals had to temporarily close, as they figured out how to serve their community without taking unnecessary health risks. Everyday problems such as illness, and needing to stay home with kids for school, made short-staffing issues worse, resulting in reduced business hours or additional days the hospital was closed. When hospitals reopened, they still likely stuck to their shorted hours or fewer days, and continued to be unable to see new patients, or those who required wellness care. A pet who needed vaccinations, or spaying or neutering, may have been put on a waiting list several months long, as pets with urges needs were worked into the schedule first. 
Some clinics are still trying to get back to "normal", staffing is still an issue. Finding doctors, techs & assistants is an ever revolving door.  Not to forget to mention the supplies and still hard to get. Backorders are a constant issue. 
"Let's get a pet"! 
While everyone was at home people dove into home improvement projects and others adopted new pets. According to a COVID-19 Pulse Study by the American Pet Products Association 11.38 million American households adopted a pet  during the pandemic. While it's wonderful that so many pets found homes, they also need veterinary care. 
In addition to pets who found new homes, existing pets suddenly were receiving their family's undivided attention because owners who were now spending so much extra time at home were noticing new issues with their pets, and seeking appointments. 
This surge of new pets and new medical problems came at the same time that many hospitals were closing or limiting their hours, and that meant that waitlists grew even longer.
Staffing Shortage is Affecting The Entire Veterinary Industry
One of the biggest reasons that you have to wait so long to see your veterinarian may be less obvious- a nationwide shortage of not only veterinarians, but also all support staff members, such as veterinary technicians, assistants, and receptionist.  This is the staff that checks in and out, draw blood, give vaccines, care for your pet during and comfort them after surgery, and so many other tasks. 
​Many people don't realize but the veterinary field is notorious for being difficult to work in. Many professionals leave the field within five years. This is partially because the field is hard on our bodies, but veterinary medicine is also hard on on our emotions. Caring for sick and injured pets and caring for suffering pet parents is mentally daunting.  It takes a heavy toll, physically and emotionally. Today, veterinary professionals are leaving the field at an alarming rate. Wether from burnout, emotional trauma, injury, or being completely fed up from dealing with difficult pet parents, keeping a veterinary hospital fully staffed is becoming increasingly difficult. 
​  Did you know that veterinary professionals have one of the highest suicide rates in the United States? Veterinarians and technicians are two to five times more likely to commit suicide, with men two to threes times more likely to commit suicide than women. The people leaving the field because they feel they have no other choice for their mental health. And these statistics were taken before and after the pandemic!
What Can We Do To Help?!
  Instead of overwhelming our team by seeing as many patients as possible during the day, we focus on quality, not quantity. This may mean you have wait a bit longer for an appointment, but rest assured we are juggling and squeezing every free minute we have to be able to get your pet in to see us.
The best way to care for your pet is to care for the people working with them. With this thought in mind, and the negativity currently surrounding the veterinary community, we're concentrating our efforts on caring for and supporting our teams mental, emotional, and physical health. We have increased wage, benefits, and bonuses, and tried to make work-life balance the number one priority.
 While we do everything we can to care for our team, patients, and clients, compassion fatigue is a serious problem plaguing the industry. As veterinary professionals, we are naturally empathetic, and we want to help every pet, but that's not physically possible. No matter how much we support mental healthcare in our practice, when an upset client yells at our team, and says that we don't care animals, or that we are heartless because we can't help immediately, it hurts us. Disgruntled clients who take out their negative emotions on veterinary professionals are an overwhelming problem, and it's only gotten worse since the pandemic.
  As veterinary suicide rates reach an all time high, the industry is desperate to support our professionals. The Not One More Vet (NOMV) movement is working diligently to transform the status of mental wellness within the profession.  This organization is making tremendous strides in the mental wellbeing of veterinary professionals, predominately by drawing attention to the critical issues affecting  our industry, and by ensuring no one ever feels alone.  
 How you can support your veterinary team 
  Despite the many issues currently plaguing the veterinary industry, as a pet owner and client, you can help by:

•   Staying on top of your pet's preventive care
•  Treating medical issues before they become serious
  
•  Be kind and empathic ​​

   

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