Over the past year and a half of pandemic life, people across North America have turned to their pets for comfort, exercise and companionship. Many people spent the first few months of the pandemic welcoming a new furry family member to their bubble.

Veterinary clinics in rural areas have felt the pressure of this pandemic-related pet boom. Issues that were already taking place in the industry have been compounded. Clinics are under-staffed, over-worked and taking on more clients than they can handle.

Andrew Skaien, Director of Administration with Steeples Veterinary Clinic in Cranbrook, says thereB次元官网网址檚 an industry-wide squeeze taking place that is affecting clinics.

B次元官网网址淩ight now there is extra pressure on primary care facilities. This issue is fairly unique to our area because in places like Calgary, for example, they have big, 24-hour emergency care facilities,B次元官网网址� Skaien said. B次元官网网址淭hose types of facilities just donB次元官网网址檛 exist here, so the pressure falls on our smaller, primary care clinics.B次元官网网址�

He adds that since the beginning of the pandemic, there has been a massive pet boom which means demand for veterinary services goes up.

Approximately 12.6 million U.S. households got a new pet in 2020, according to a COVID-19 pulse study by the American Pet Products Association.

Both Skaien and Dr. Ruth Sawatsky speculated that there could be a number of reasons for the boom in pets.

B次元官网网址淚t could be that more people are spending time at home, giving them the opportunity to train new puppies or spend time with new kittens,B次元官网网址� Skaien said.

B次元官网网址淧eople have also spent more time with the pets that they had before the pandemic, so they may be noticing things that they didnB次元官网网址檛 before,B次元官网网址� Dr. Sawatsky explained.

Jeff Cooper, Practice Manager with Tanglefoot Veterinary Services in Cranbrook, agrees that everyone feels the pressure of being short staffed right now.

Tanglefoot recently hired a new vet, and one of their technicians has agreed to a full-time position once their practicum is over. The clinic has also put out a call to hire another veterinarian.

They have also called in reinforcement; vets from other clinics in the area have offered to help with emergency services as clinics try to stay afloat on the amount of calls coming in.

Cooper says TanglefootB次元官网网址檚 call volumes have increased exponentially, leading them to hire more front-desk staff, too.

B次元官网网址淲e looked at the schedule and thought how can we help our community? We are so grateful to have the support of these other vets and the support of our community. ItB次元官网网址檚 really amazing,B次元官网网址� said Cooper. B次元官网网址淏ut we have to make sure our staff doesnB次元官网网址檛 get burnt out. We want to be there for the community as well, but we have to find that balance.B次元官网网址�

Skaien explained that at Steeples, their front desk receives around 500 calls per day.

B次元官网网址淥ur calls have gone up exponentially. I recently checked our records and they showed an average of 500 calls within a nine hour day,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 one call per minute, every minute. Within the first 20 minutes of opening B次元官网网址� we have 50 calls come through.B次元官网网址�

Skaien says that the pandemic is only part of the reason clinics are feeling this pressure. Another factor is a lack of professional veterinary programs.

B次元官网网址淭he solution is to hire more vets, but thereB次元官网网址檚 such a shortage. Add to that the fact that there are not enough veterinary programs here, so there arenB次元官网网址檛 enough graduates going into the industry.B次元官网网址�

Clinics in Kimberley, Cranbrook and surrounding areas are able to offer medical services to all kinds of animals. Whether itB次元官网网址檚 your dog, cat, horse, pig, chicken or cow, the vets in this area are constantly responding to emergencies, while also ensuring their regular, non-emergency patients are cared for as well.

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Both Tanglefoot and Steeples are currently booking four to six weeks out for non-emergency visits, depending on the severity of the situation.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e currently booking four to six weeks out, depending on the urgency of the case. People need to know that they might have to wait a little longer for an appointment, or wait a little longer in the parking lot for us to come get their pets,B次元官网网址� said Cooper. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e absolutely doing the best we can, but we also need to set priorities. If your dog has an appointment for a check-up but someone comes in because their dog just got hit by a car B次元官网网址� emergencies take priority. It happens; emergencies happen. Not once a month, but daily.B次元官网网址�

Dr. Sawatsky says that staff, technicians and veterinarians are doing everything they can.

B次元官网网址淲e just ask that people are patient, kind and polite,B次元官网网址� Sawatsky said.

Skaien felt similarly, B次元官网网址渋t has been a rough year and a half for everyone in this industry. Our staff are sometimes dealing with frustrated customers and we really need to ask for patience and understanding.B次元官网网址�

Cooper felt the same, echoing the now-famous words of Dr. Bonnie Henry to be kind, be calm and be safe.

B次元官网网址淎ll vets are in the same boat right now,B次元官网网址� Cooper said. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e doing our upmost to make sure everyoneB次元官网网址檚 animals are safe and cared for. So all I ask, is to be kind.B次元官网网址�

corey.bullock@cranbrooktownsman.com
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