VCA Canada national medical director of specialty medicine Craig Mosley said veterinarians are adapting to challenging circumstances in pandemic.
The sector is facing an “extraordinary challenge with increased demand and reduced access to care,” according to the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association.
COVID-19 has brought with it a surge in pet ownership, along with other pandemic-related challenges limiting veterinary capacity.
Mosley, who practises out of VCA’s Veterinary Emergency and Referral Hospital in Newmarket, said staff is working hard to get through the associated backlogs, and most people are understanding. But he did not expect the COVID-19 pandemic would strain their profession, as it has those who practise with humans.
“We’re no different than our colleagues that are facing increasing caseloads,” Mosley said. “In veterinary medicine, we’ve just seen a similar surge. But it wasn’t something I think any of us were anticipating.”
The pandemic has brought an increase in pet adoption, and reports of strains in the veterinary sector across the province and country.
Mosley said Newmarket is not an exception to the trend. He said the public health limitations on their profession have contributed to backlogs, with closures and protocols adding challenges to accessing patients.
To adjust, Mosley said that has meant some triaging to see priority patients first, as well as remote care and delaying appointments when possible.
“All veterinarians have been working really hard, trying to communicate better to our clients,” he said. “We will at minimum get them in as soon as possible, but sometimes we’ll have to triage.”
But Mosley said the sector is working through those challenges. He said the value of veterinary nurses has been made more apparent, and the sector is recognizing that.
“The silver lining is going to come out of this pandemic. We are going to realize these people are super valuable, and we need to be leveraging their expertise a little bit better,” he said.
The sector is also leveraging things like telemedicine, and pet owners can access more information online for pet care, he said.
“There’s been headway. As professionals, we’re really working on it,” Mosley said. “But it does take its toll.”
Mosley said though most people understand what the sector is going through, the number of bad apples can make a difference.
“The few that aren’t great really make it hard,” he said. “If you get one of those a day, that’s really hard. If you get one of those a month, that’s easy.”
The horizon may not see a dramatic change. Mosley said veterinary demand was rising even before the pandemic, and though things may get better as backlogs dissipate, the sector still has to prepare for increased pressure in the long term.
“We’re obviously discussing it,” Mosley said. “How we get more veterinarians and how we create a practice that will allow us to see more clients, provide more veterinary care and still provide excellent service.
“As a profession, we’ve been pretty resilient over the past 100 years,” he added. “I expect we will continue to do so into the future.”
