From beef cow calf weekly
Facing Up To A Brewing Rural Vet Crisis?
A recent article in the Wichita Eagle by Associated Press writer Roxana Hegeman reflects growing national concern that the U.S. livestock industry may be facing a crisis in the availability of rural veterinarians. The shortage of rural vets, writes Hegeman, has worsened in recent years as more old-timers have retired.
There's no question a shortage of rural vets, particularly those willing to burn up and down the roads and highways of the Midwest and West, makes things tough for the day-to-day needs of livestock producers. Yet, who can blame young vets for eschewing the helter-skelter, jack-of-all-trades pace needed to make a living in the country. Life becomes a lot easier (and more lucrative) for those who can settle in pet-rich suburbia or concentrate their efforts in specialized practices.
And while the path that vet medicine as an institution appears to be taking may leave many ranchers high and dry, as pointed out by Hageman, there's more to the story. With increased concern about the emerging issues of biosecurity and agroterrorism, the fear is livestock-producing states may become less capable in early detection of animal diseases.
"We need veterinarians to alert us if there's any sign of foreign animal disease (FAD)," Kansas Animal Health Commissioner George Teagarden tells Hegemen. "If a producer has a problem and can't get a vet until the next day that may be too late for us. ... If there is an unusual disease, we need to know about it."
Hegeman says the vet shortage also is affecting such government agencies as USDA's Veterinary Services branches that protect U.S. ag from FAD threats.
The shortage is expected to worsen in light of the national trend toward a higher vet school enrollment of city kids compared to students with livestock ag experience.
"The issue is: There aren't enough vets out there to serve, and many of our existing practitioners are getting to the age they want to retire and can't find anybody that wants to buy their practice and maintain their practice," Teagarden said. "We're running shorter and shorter of veterinarians."
The American Veterinary Medical Association says that just 4% of the nation's vets in private practice treated large animals exclusively in 2004, while slightly more than 5% treated mostly large animals.
This is a critical issue the livestock industry - in collaboration with the organized vet community - has to address the next several years. In fact, the cattle industry should plead with the organizations representing bovine practitioners, bovine consultants, state animal health officials, and universities with pre-vet and veterinary schools, for a plan to address the needs of rural livestock America. We sorely need this valuable resource -- our country vets -- to remain woven into the fabric of our small communities.
And, if the creation of a new paradigm in rural animal health care, and the related fields of livestock management and reproduction, including biosecurity, is in order, let's go to work sooner than later to address the realities we face.
-- Clint Peck
Facing Up To A Brewing Rural Vet Crisis?
A recent article in the Wichita Eagle by Associated Press writer Roxana Hegeman reflects growing national concern that the U.S. livestock industry may be facing a crisis in the availability of rural veterinarians. The shortage of rural vets, writes Hegeman, has worsened in recent years as more old-timers have retired.
There's no question a shortage of rural vets, particularly those willing to burn up and down the roads and highways of the Midwest and West, makes things tough for the day-to-day needs of livestock producers. Yet, who can blame young vets for eschewing the helter-skelter, jack-of-all-trades pace needed to make a living in the country. Life becomes a lot easier (and more lucrative) for those who can settle in pet-rich suburbia or concentrate their efforts in specialized practices.
And while the path that vet medicine as an institution appears to be taking may leave many ranchers high and dry, as pointed out by Hageman, there's more to the story. With increased concern about the emerging issues of biosecurity and agroterrorism, the fear is livestock-producing states may become less capable in early detection of animal diseases.
"We need veterinarians to alert us if there's any sign of foreign animal disease (FAD)," Kansas Animal Health Commissioner George Teagarden tells Hegemen. "If a producer has a problem and can't get a vet until the next day that may be too late for us. ... If there is an unusual disease, we need to know about it."
Hegeman says the vet shortage also is affecting such government agencies as USDA's Veterinary Services branches that protect U.S. ag from FAD threats.
The shortage is expected to worsen in light of the national trend toward a higher vet school enrollment of city kids compared to students with livestock ag experience.
"The issue is: There aren't enough vets out there to serve, and many of our existing practitioners are getting to the age they want to retire and can't find anybody that wants to buy their practice and maintain their practice," Teagarden said. "We're running shorter and shorter of veterinarians."
The American Veterinary Medical Association says that just 4% of the nation's vets in private practice treated large animals exclusively in 2004, while slightly more than 5% treated mostly large animals.
This is a critical issue the livestock industry - in collaboration with the organized vet community - has to address the next several years. In fact, the cattle industry should plead with the organizations representing bovine practitioners, bovine consultants, state animal health officials, and universities with pre-vet and veterinary schools, for a plan to address the needs of rural livestock America. We sorely need this valuable resource -- our country vets -- to remain woven into the fabric of our small communities.
And, if the creation of a new paradigm in rural animal health care, and the related fields of livestock management and reproduction, including biosecurity, is in order, let's go to work sooner than later to address the realities we face.
-- Clint Peck
