Farmers worry for their animals as veterinarian shortage persists in Nova Scotia

It is not just people who are waiting for health care these days, many farmers in Nova Scotia are concerned for their livestock as a shortage of veterinarians persists.

“Most of these animals are like family to us, so if we have a sick member of our family we want to get it looked after and treated as soon as possible,” said Victor Oulton, a farmer that lives in Windsor, N.S.

Oulton has been raising cattle for decades, and with a herd as large as his, he said having a veterinarian is crucial. While he cannot imagine running his operation without that kind of care, he knows other farmers in the province are not as fortunate.

“If you get away from the central part of the province out to the edges of the shore, they’re having more of a problem,” he said.

Through the pandemic, many veterinarians left the large animal practice to concentrate on household pets.

“During the pandemic, people went out and got new animals and that’s great but what has happened is that it’s put an extra draw on the veterinary community,” said Laura Wilson, a large animal veterinarian in Kentville.

Similar to the situation with family doctors, more veterinarians are leaving the system, which has left gaps.

“People have moved from large animals or even from veterinary school to small animal practice. The main reason for that is that you can be in an urban area,” said Wilson.

According to the Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture, vet shortages are affecting producers across Canada.

Alicia King, vice chair of the Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture, said with producers playing an important role in the food supply, they cannot risk having sick animals on the farm.

“We rely on them on a more regular basis for health checks, to make sure everything we are doing is following the protocols that should be followed,” King said.

Oulton said more people need to get into the profession.

“We need more availability for farmers and more clinics around the province, especially in more remote areas,” said Oulton.

The Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture has started a placement program where veterinary students have more exposure to rural areas of the province, including farms, where it has been difficult to get help tending to the health needs of livestock.