Labor shortages impact the veterinary industry as well

Indianapolis, Indiana – The worker shortage is still impacting businesses and industries throughout the country, with veterinarian clinics being the latest to report that it is challenging to find and hire competent people.

A shortage of workers is an issue for the owners of this kind of business, as they say they are not able to satisfy the increasing demand for their services.

“We have definitely seen an increase in both current clients with new pets and we’ve had a lot of new clients and a lot of them have said it’s been hard to find a vet to get them in,” Dr. Christopher Robinette, the head vet at Geist Pet Wellness Clinic said.

A recent study conducted by Mars Veterinary Health shows that by the year of 2030, there would be a need for the services of roughly 41,000 extra veterinarians to fulfill the demand for veterinary care for pets.

The shortage of workers in this industry is probably because veterinary technicians and nurses are underpaid and their salaries are far less than they should be at this time. Therefore, the clinics would be forced to find a way to meet the demand by utilizing the training of support staff at the vet clinics.

As a solution to the shortage of veterinarians, experts in this field are suggesting making becoming a veterinarian more affordable.

“Student loan forgiveness is probably the biggest thing. Veterinarians come out with as much debt as human medical doctors and we get half or a fraction of the pay. So, you come out and you are a quarter million dollars in debt it takes a big emotional toll,” Dr. Robinette said.