Veterinarians and pet owners are split on which one of the country’s more than 500 accredited veterinary specialty centers is the best for their pet.
Here’s what we know.
article “You’re better off at a vet that has a good reputation, that’s proven in the community and you know you can trust,” says Dr. Jennifer S. Schafer, a veterinarian in the Cleveland Clinic who specializes in feline leukemia.
“There are a lot of vets that are really good, but I don’t think we need that many.”
Some veterinarians feel that even in the face of a lack of competition, they can still get good results by doing things like using specialty medications and performing surgery.
The problem is that the competition is fierce and the demand for vets has never been lower.
“Vet care has always been competitive, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not a competitive marketplace,” says John M. Stryker, president and CEO of the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen in the next five to 10 years when the competition goes away.”
In a bid to lure new vets to the U.S., the National Vet Association is developing an initiative to provide vets with training in animal care.
But there are many vets who feel that the process is just too complicated and expensive.
“It takes time, and it takes money, and we can’t be expected to take care of all of our patients,” says Schafer.
“You need to have the experience of someone who has gone through a lot.”
That doesn’t stop many vets from being outspoken about their dissatisfaction with the state of the profession.
The American Veterinary Medicine Association, which represents over 70,000 veterinarians, has called for better regulation and improved incentives for vets.
The AVA says it’s working on a plan to make vet training more transparent and to improve training for all vets.
But the most pressing problem facing the industry is the lack of a national certification program.
The only certification that’s really going to get vets their licenses is the AVA’s Veterinary Medical Association, or VMA, which was founded in 1935.
“We need to get some real recognition from the American public, especially from the public at large, that vet care is an important profession, and that we can be successful,” says Sauer.
Veterinarians aren’t the only ones with concerns about the lack for access to training.
The American Veterinary Nurses Association has also launched a campaign called Vet Access, to educate the public on the profession and vet care.
The organization hopes to educate vets by highlighting issues and problems in the industry and encouraging people to take action.
“Veterinarian services are essential to the well-being of pets, and a good profession that puts its members first should be an essential part of our society,” the AVRA says in its campaign.
The National Alliance of Vet Owners is also spearheading a campaign to educate and inform the public about the profession, including the problems that vets face and what they can do to fix them.
“There’s a lot more than meets the eye,” says Michael J. Gebhardt, president of the National Alliance.
“A lot of the problems can be traced back to the lack and the inequity in access to vet care, the lack in transparency and access to information, and lack of access to the resources needed to provide effective veterinary care.”