Veterinarian healthcare in the Far South Coast is at breaking point. The doctors and nurses caring for our precious pets are under incredible pressure.
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Of the estimated three million Australian adults who live with depression or anxiety every year, studies show that veterinarians are proportionally over-represented.
Last year, an Australian Veterinarian Association's (AVA) survey of 2,500 vets found "working as a vet comes with long hours, staffing shortages, financial pressure and increased expectations from pet owners ... all of which take a significant toll on mental health". Rates of anxiety, depression, stress, burnout and suicide are high.
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High attrition rates, particularly three to five years into practice, further intensify stress among the remaining vets.
Dr Bronwyn Orr, president of the AVA, said the issue is affecting all English-speaking countries.
After studying for five to seven years, Australian vets typically graduate owing $50,000 to $70,000 of HECS debt. Their starting salary is $60,000, lower than graduating doctors, engineers or pharmacists. No wonder vet student numbers are falling.
At the same time demand is rising. Dr Orr said 70 per cent of Australian households now have pets, the world's highest rate of ownership.
Owners' expectations are also higher. "Dogs have moved from the backyard to the bedroom," Dr Orr said. "People expect the level of healthcare you have for a family member."
The regional perspective
As to be expected, the issue is more acute in regional areas. There is the usual difficulty of attracting qualified vets and nurses to the area, compounded by the lack of housing.
Dr Kate Le Bars, who heads Montague Vets in Narooma, said "we can't offer competitive salaries compared with the cities."
Dr Orr said the financial pressure on vets stems from the very high costs of running vet practices.
"Particularly in regional areas, they have to operate like a mini-hospital, with X-ray, operating theatre, pharmacy and consulting rooms. While GPs operate as contractors, vets are generally employees of these practices that run like a hospital so costs are high and that impacts wages," Dr Orr said.
Dr Le Bars said there was no emergency centre on the Far South Coast "within striking distance". Canberra is the closest.
"So the regional practices have to try to provide 24/7 care while still working very long days," she said. "That is not going to help attract vets to the area."
Dr Orr said the mixed vets who treat pets and farm animals in regional and rural areas "are absolute heroes and so critical to their communities".
She said the after-hours care in these areas "is a massive problem".
Dr Le Bars added that at Montague Vets, after-hours care rotates between two vets. Being on-call for long periods of time "is quite a mental strain".
"Yet the duty vet has to be fresh and alert the next day to consult and perform surgery. That is where we have to focus our energies" she said.
"It has to be sustainable otherwise practices close and then people have to drive for hours for veterinary care."
The next article in this series examines the solutions the AVA is working on and how pet owners can support their local vets.
