The Order of Veterinary Physicians of Quebec (OMVQ) is turning to its retired members to try to stem the labor shortage that is hitting its ranks in the context of the pandemic and making life difficult for owners of ‘animals.
In a communication sent Friday afternoon to all of its members, including The duty has obtained a copy, the OMVQ indicates that it now offers the possibility for retired or inactive veterinarians for less than five years to obtain “a special authorization to practice for a period of three months” without having to pay the contribution to order, which usually amounts to more than $1000. This “exceptional” measure will be valid until March 15 and is “non-renewable”, we can read.
By doing so, the OMVQ, which represents more than 2,675 veterinarians in Quebec, hopes to limit the impact of “the rapid spread of the Omicron variant”, which leads to many absences among its members, continues the communication. The Order had also issued a press release Monday to sound the alarm, stressing that veterinarians “are out of breath” and are struggling to meet demand, even working overtime.
“It often happens that we take clients before our opening hours, after our opening hours and during our lunch hours”, tells the Duty Jessyca Brais, an animal health technician who works in a Montreal veterinary hospital.
Appointments must therefore be postponed and some clinics have had to close their doors temporarily or even limit their opening hours, for lack of manpower. The application of health rules, particularly with regard to the disinfection of equipment, also increases the duration of each visit to veterinary clinics, notes the president of the OMVQ, Dr. Gaston Rioux. Especially since pet adoptions soared in the first months of the pandemic, increasing the pressure on veterinary clinics.
“All of this means that the time between the consultation request and the on-site visit continues to lengthen all the time,” he says. It is therefore to limit the repercussions of this labor shortage that the OMVQ is now calling on retired veterinarians. An approach that was welcomed Friday by the Association of Veterinary Physicians of Quebec in small animal practice.
“The fact that the Order is opening up this possibility is good news because the demand is very strong. If we want to avoid doing more load shedding due to the shortage of veterinarians and the constraints of the pandemic, it is a good thing to do, ”analyzes its spokesperson, Michel Pepin.
Same story on the side of the Regrouping of Retired Veterinarians of Quebec. “If our members can be of service to animal owners, we agree with that,” indicated its president, Marcel Bouvier, in an interview with the Duty, which expects many of its members to attend.
In the meantime, the lack of veterinarians is particularly felt in remote regions, according to various testimonies from owners of animals harvested by The duty. Maryse Vallières, who owns horses and lives in the regional county municipality of Pontiac, in Outaouais, had to turn to Ontario to find a veterinarian available to treat her animals. “If I have an emergency, it’s a long time,” sighs the lady. In these circumstances, she has to travel two hours with her injured horse, which can cause a lot of stress to the animal, she says. “It’s not an obvious situation,” she slips.
Shelters suffer
Animal shelters also suffer from the shortage of veterinarians, which has the effect of aggravating the condition of the animals deposited there.
“There are people who abandon animals because they can’t get access to veterinary care,” says Élise Desaulniers, executive director of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) of Montreal. .
“We receive animals that should have been seen earlier by veterinarians. It’s not because of the ill will of their guardian, it’s because they weren’t able to see a veterinarian in time,” adds Ms. Desaulniers. The team of veterinarians at the Montreal SPCA thus finds itself faced with more “heavy cases” to treat, thus increasing their workload, continues the executive director.
Some smaller shelters, which do not have their own veterinary clinics, have to reduce the number of new pets they can accommodate. “I had to slow down my care [d’animaux] because when you can’t manage to treat cats on the verge of death [en raison de la pénurie de vétérinaires], they die in our hands,” drops Lee-Ann Lafond, who runs a cat shelter in Gatineau.
“These days, veterinary clinics are either struggling with COVID cases or the staff is exhausted […] The animals get a lot of it,” she sighs. ” It’s very difficult. »