10 On Your Side Examines Large Animal Veterinarian Shortage
Advertisement
Text size: small | medium | large
By Scott Leamon
WSLS10 Reporter
Published: March 7, 2008
At least seven counties in Southwest and Central Virginia have a shortage of full-time large animal veterinarians, according to several livestock producers, veterinarians, and extension agents as well as information provided by the American Veterinary Medicine Association (AVMA).
The AVMA and our research identified Appomattox County, Bland County, Giles County, Smyth County, Alleghany County, Tazewell County, and Highland County as counties suffering a shortage of large animal veterinarians.
Most of those counties have a population of more than 5,000 head of livestock.
Dr. Kent Adams, local veterinarian and president of the state food animal academy, said the local shortage is not as drastic as others nationally, but still a cause for concern.
“It is quite a worry we don’t have enough large animal veterinarians on the ground looking at these animals as they make their way through the production process,“ Adams said Friday from his practice in Montgomery County.
As the local academy president, and past regional board member of the AVMA, Adams said he was familiar with the challenges of attracting fresh vet school graduates into food animal practice.
Adams cited student loan debt as one of the main reasons many graduates pass on large animal practice in favor of small animal medicine.
“[The graduates] can’t conceive how they’re going to meet their student loan obligations on salaries that are available for food animal positions, particularly in rural America,“ he said.
There are around three dozen veterinary schools in the United States.
Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine in Blacksburg declined to participate in this story.
Adams said he was working with the academy to attract more vet school students into the field.
The AVMA is also working on incentives and strategies to increase the number of large animal vets.
You can link to the association’s website and statistics on Virginia food animal veterinarians by clicking on the links below:
Statistics on Virginia Food Supply Veterinary Medicine
Post a Comment
The commenting period has ended or commenting has been deactivated for this article.
Can't find what you're looking for? Try our quick search:
