Imagine working all day treating people’s beloved pets only to then be called out after hours and spending the night at the clinic before turning up for work again the following day.
Ask Isobel Topham how vets cope with such pressure and she quips: ‘‘coffee, lots of junk food and supportive colleagues.’’
But on a serious note, stress is a major problem in the veterinary industry and there is a high attrition rate because of that. A shortage of vets is a global issue and New Zealand is no exception.
Lucy Wilson, owner of Dunedin companion animal practice Vets on Balmac, said one of the biggest issues was around those after-hours calls. It was simply not sustainable to work around the clock to provide pets with 24-hour care.
Dunedin was the only major centre in New Zealand that did not have a dedicated after-hours facility, a major factor in the city’s struggle to attract vets.
In 2019, Dr Topham, Dr Wilson and Ellen Andrews were part of a small committee that was formed and did some data collection around the demand for such a service.
The trio knew each other through the industry; Dr Topham has a varied background as an academic in epidemiology and public health and mixed animal practice and works at Green Island Vets.
A vet nurse by trade, Ms Andrews later managed Otago SPCA and is now a lecturer in animal health and vet nursing at Otago Polytechnic.
While Covid-19 initially hampered progress, the trio’s new business, Dunedin Emergency Vet Clinic, officially launched earlier this month.
Initially based at Vets on Balmac, the plan was to get its own facility as soon as possible, ideally within 12 months.
Pet owners – the service is only for small animals, not farm animals – requiring after-hours treatment would phone their own clinic and be directed to call the emergency clinic. They could also call directly, although going through their own clinic helped with patient histories.
It was open at present from close of business on Friday until opening of business on Monday, except when clinics were open on Saturday. It would operate seven days from May 12.
Four permanent vets had been employed and there were also back-up locum vets willing to support the business. There were also about 10 vet nurses on the payroll.
Dr Topham said they had been so fortunate with the calibre of the staff they had attracted. If they had not put their hands up and been brave, as the women were literally building the venture, they would not have been able to push on with their dream.
‘‘It makes me feel tearful,’’ a proud Ms Andrews said.
Most clinic owners and vets in the city were very excited about the new clinic and there had also been plenty of positive feedback from the community.
Dr Topham said people did not like ringing up and waking a vet in the night to see a sick pet but, if they knew someone was available on-site, it removed additional stress from what was an already stressful time.
Dr Wilson said the women wanted to provide vets in Dunedin with an improvement in their work-life balance and their wellbeing, so the city could retain vets ‘‘and put less pressure on everyone’’.
The trio was also very lucky with their own relationship, and how they complemented and supported each other so well. They had managed to get the business off the ground while still all doing their day jobs.
Ms Andrews described it as a huge accomplishment – ‘‘I’m so proud of us’’ – while Dr Topham said it now felt ‘‘a bit surreal’’.
‘‘It feels like somebody else’s life,’’ she said.
The women had received an inquiry about donating money to the venture. Anyone wanting to do that should instead give money to the SPCA or local animal charities. They also recommended pet owners invest in pet insurance as emergency veterinary care was not cheap.
Despite the challenges, Dr Wilson said being a veterinarian was incredibly rewarding. The industry was also changing, with a ‘‘massive focus’’ on improving its people’s mental health.
The New Zealand Veterinary Association was trying its best to do that and change things for future generations, while employers were also endeavouring to look after their staff, she said.
New graduates coming through were also taking it more seriously, learning to say no and getting that work-life balance.
There had also been a large shift in clinic ownership. In the past, clinics were predominantly owned by men but now there were a lot of women either buying or starting clinics.
‘‘It’s a bit exciting,’’ Ms Andrews said.
