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CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — P.E.I.’s veterinary regulatory body says veterinary clinics and hospitals in Prince Edward Island may need to change after-hours care in an effort to serve patients and clients. 

The decision comes after considering several factors, including understaffing and increase in demand for family pets, Dr. Gary Morgan, registrar with the Prince Edward Island Veterinary Medical Association, said in during an interview with SaltWire on May 4.

“We work in a risky profession, there is a lot of stress. We’re dealing with life and death situations,” said Morgan. 

P.E.I. veterinary clinics, like many around the world, have seen a dramatic increase in the demand for care over the past years.

Veterinary medicine has also seen an exodus of skilled individuals leaving the profession, only adding to the workforce shortage. 

COVID-19 had an impact as well, as the number of requests for pets skyrocketed, Morgan said.

“It was a trend we were seeing anyway as more families want pets, but the pandemic really brought that along. The interest in having a family pet grew exponentially,” he said. 

Another factor is a cultural shift in the proper treatment of animals. 

“Things I used to do 40 years ago in practice would not be considered a sufficient level of care today by the public,” he said. 

Changes in after-hours care are being seen nationwide for these same reasons. 

“Over the past number of years, veterinary education has not kept pace with increase in demand for services,” said Morgan. 

In the last 20 years, we have not had the capacity to do much more than replace those who are retiring.

Teaching hospital

The Atlantic Veterinary College’s (AVC) veterinary teaching hospital in Charlottetown announced earlier this week it will no longer provide overnight small animal emergency coverage for P.E.I. veterinary clinics as of May 1.

The AVC will continue to offer daytime emergency service coverage from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week. However, hours may be reduced due to staff illness, leaves or high caseloads.

Staff will prioritize critical cases to ensure that patients with life-threatening conditions receive immediate attention. If the hospital reaches capacity, cases may be turned away and asked to return the following day.

For clients with small animals, community practice at the veterinary teaching hospital will continue to provide care and coverage for specialty services after hours.

Pet owners without a primary care veterinarian in P.E.I. should call the nearest clinic in case of emergencies. A list of the 13 primary care clinics can be found on the P.E.I. Veterinary Medical Association’s website. Updates on wait times and closures will be posted on the hospital’s Facebook page.


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