New survey from Pro Plan Veterinary Diets
highlights highs and lows of veterinary practitioners
today
ST.
LOUIS, April 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- From
the childhood dream of becoming a veterinarian and saving the lives
of pets, to today's realities of practicing veterinary medicine,
the deep commitment veterinarians feel for their calling remains
unchanged. However, certain factors make that commitment
increasingly difficult. Long hours, understaffing, student debt and
fatigue can all take their toll – but nothing more so than clients
who can't afford appropriate veterinary care, according to a survey
conducted by Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets ahead of World
Veterinary Day, which is celebrated the last Saturday of April.
Survey shows altruism at odds with financial
realities
In the survey*, nearly 6 in 10 practitioners (57%) said their
desire to become veterinarians began in elementary school or
earlier, fueled by a shared aspiration to make pets' lives better.
And this unwavering commitment remains unchanged years later, with
nearly 9 in 10 veterinarians surveyed (87%) continuing to choose
saving and improving the lives of pets as a fulfilling attribute of
being a veterinarian, along with improving the lives of pet owners
(60%) and contributing to society/playing an important role in the
community (53%).
These findings are at odds, however, with the realities of
veterinary care: more than 80 percent of participating
veterinarians said they encounter clients who are unable to pay for
treatment of a pet's life-threatening health issue at least once a
month, and more than one-third (37%) said they are faced with such
situations once a week or more. In addition, an overwhelming
majority indicated that having clients who cannot afford
appropriate veterinary care is one of the challenges they
currently experience as a veterinarian, with 95% citing it as a
major or minor difficulty.
"These results reflect the sense of disillusionment we know is
felt by so many practitioners in the veterinary profession today,"
said Callie Harris, DVM, Senior
Veterinary Communications Manager for Purina Pro Plan Veterinary
Diets. "Veterinarians enter the profession because of our call to
care for pets, but economic realities frequently force us to make
painful choices about the care we can provide to certain
patients."
According to the survey, nearly all veterinarians (95%) have
encountered a situation where a client made the decision to
euthanize a pet because the client was unable to pay for a
life-saving medical treatment, while more than three-quarters (78%)
of those surveyed indicated their typical solution in cases where
clients can't pay is to significantly limit the care they provide.
Meanwhile, just under one in four (23%) said their practices
provide the needed care and absorb the cost.
All such solutions require sacrifice on the part of
veterinarians, whether the cost is emotional, financial or
professional, noted Dr. Harris. She added that the inability to
treat pets whose cash-strapped owners can't pay for services like
emergency and after-hours care, as well as conditions such as
cancer, leads almost half (45%) of surveyed practitioners to feel
they are not fully upholding the oath they took to care for animals
if they don't treat the animals.
Pro Plan Veterinary Support Mission provides relief through
REACH, Paisley Paws
Early in 2024, Pro Plan Veterinary Diets announced the creation
of the Pro Plan Veterinary Support Mission to help remove barriers
veterinarians face in practice. The brand has donated $1.2 million to date to the American Veterinary
Medical Foundation REACH (Reaching Every Animal with Charitable
Healthcare) Program, which provides grants for veterinarians who
have clients experiencing financial difficulties. The program,
available to all AVMA members, provides financial grants of up to
$2,000 per calendar year for each
veterinarian in a practice to reimburse the cost for owners unable
to pay for care.
"It's been my experience that when pet owners who are
experiencing financial hardship can be helped when a pet-care
crisis occurs, the chances that they will continue to return to the
practice for routine veterinary care often improve," said
veterinarian Christina Frick, DVM,
of Frick Veterinary Services in Larned,
Kansas. "The REACH Program has been wonderful for my
clinic."
To expand the impact of its Mission, the brand is also donating
$100,000 to the charitable veterinary
foundation Paisley Paws, which provides grants directly to
partnered clinics to assist with treatment or specialty care for
families experiencing hardship and are unable to afford the cost of
life-saving veterinary care for their pets.
"If you ask any member of a veterinary team why they started in
this industry, they will tell you it's for their love of animals,
but you quickly realize, you are taking care of the people, just as
much as you are the animals. There is nothing more heartbreaking
than having an animal come in need of life-saving care and having
to explain to the family their beloved pet will not survive without
the emergency services they need but cannot afford. Paisley Paws
Foundation has changed the way we function as a hospital, allowing
us to focus more on saving patients, and less on finances," said
Kerry Wagoner, CVT – Hospital
Director of FloridaWild Integrative Veterinary Center & Urgent
Care. "We will forever be thankful that they are now a part of our
team."
Veterinarians can visit www.ProPlanVetSupport.com to learn more
about the Pro Plan Veterinary Support Mission and to see if they
qualify for a grant under the AVMF REACH Program.
*Data was collected by Relevation Research via an online
survey from March 5-12, 2024. A total
of 301 U.S. companion animal and mixed animal veterinarians working
20 or more hours per week qualified and completed the
survey.
About Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets and
Supplements
Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets and Supplements are
manufactured or distributed by Nestlé Purina PetCare, a global
leader in the pet care industry. Nestlé Purina PetCare creates
richer lives for pets and the people who love them. Founded in
1894, Purina has helped dogs and cats live longer, healthier lives
by offering scientifically based nutritional innovations. Purina
manufactures some of the world's most trusted and popular pet care
products, including Pro Plan, Purina ONE, Fancy Feast and Tidy
Cats. Our more than 10,000 U.S. associates take pride in our
trusted pet food, treat and litter brands that feed 46 million dogs
and 68 million cats every year. More than 500 Purina scientists,
veterinarians, and pet care experts ensure our commitment to
unsurpassed quality and nutrition.
About the American Veterinary Medical Foundation
The American Veterinary Medical Foundation (AVMF) is the
charitable arm of the American Veterinary Medical Association
(AVMA), one of the oldest and largest veterinary medical
organizations in the world. For 60 years, the AVMF has been
dedicated to developing resources to advance the science and
practice of veterinary medicine to improve animal and human health.
Foundation programs and activities are designed to benefit
veterinary medicine, promote animal welfare, and enhance research
so that the profession is better prepared to deal with difficult
problems facing animal health today and tomorrow. Charitable
contributions and support to the Foundation assist veterinarians
and the entire veterinary healthcare team with helping animals. Our
funding priorities include Education/Scholarship, Disaster Relief,
Charitable Veterinary Care and Animal Health Research.
About Paisley Paws
Paisley Paws Charitable Veterinary Foundation's mission is to
enhance the well-being of pets and veterinary professionals in need
of life-saving, life-enhancing hardship support. Paisley Paws
supports three program pillars: Life-Saving, Life-Enhancing
Treatments - designed to provide financial support directly to
PAWrtner clinics during times of medical crises for pet owners who
are experiencing hardship and financially unable to afford
life-saving, life-enhancing veterinary care. Scholarship
grants to Offset Educational Debt - provides scholarship grants to
senior-level veterinary students. Betterment of Mental Health
- provides financial relief to veterinary professionals suffering
from mental distress, and are experiencing a mental health crisis
and where medical leave is necessary to enhance mental and
emotional well-being to prevent suicide. Paisley Paws is
currently PAWrtnering with 148 PAWrtner Clinics in 29 states.
Charitable contributions and support to Paisley Paws significantly
reduce hardship euthanasia, veterinary student debt and suicide
within the profession.
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SOURCE Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets