The veterinarian sector has reached crisis point due to a massive shortage of staff.
There's concern about the mental health of those who are working longer hours. And it's partly due to a surge in Kiwis owning pets.
Adam Hittmann has been working as a vet for 35 years and this is the worst he's ever seen vet shortages.
"That's created a crisis situation where veterinary practices are low on staff and some are closing," he says.
He's in charge of 55 vets across eight Waikato clinics and has vacancies at four. Some jobs have been advertised for more than 18 months because there's no one to fill them.
So vets are working longer hours and more weekends on call, struggling to keep up with demand.
"That can lead to mental health issues and potentially burnout, so it is a problem for our industry. I think we are all worried about it," he says.
"This is not a sustainable level of work that's going on at the moment, and there have been a few cases of people needing to take some time out. We've got a situation where people just haven't had a break, so it's been really challenging," adds NZ Vet Association CEO Kevin Bryant.
The sector relies on hundreds of overseas vets working here every year - but just 120 have been allowed in since the pandemic began. It's a shortage that farmers are feeling.
"This is the most I've ever seen them stressed out or making decisions only because they are short-staffed, I've never seen it this bad before," Waikato dairy farmer Chris Lewis says.
A key factor is the surge in Kiwis purchasing pets. In 2020 dog registrations were up 11 percent, and last year dog and cat ownership soared by 23 percent - which all means more work for vets.
"They are prioritising urgent cases over non-urgent cases, so be kind. Clients are having to be told we may not see your animal exactly when you want it to be seen, but we will see it and urgent cases are always seen," Bryant says.
The number of vet students has risen by 13 places this year, and it's expected to be boosted again in 2023. But it takes five years to train a vet so it's no short-term fix and farmers are worried.
"There'll be a wellbeing issue for our livestock, so it's not great outcomes all round," Lewis says.
The sector desperately hoping an influx of migrant vets is on the horizon as New Zealand's border creaks open.
