NEWS & OPINIONS
Your Vet is a Hero! Digging deeper into India’s veterinary crisis
The Indian Veterinarian battles enormous odds everyday to provide medical care to our dogs and cats. Read to find out why they are suffering & why we need to be worried
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Why do I say that? Let me explain.
India is among the most underdeveloped countries with regards to providing medical care to our companion animals. From education to basic infrastructure, average pay to burnout - Vets battle a myriad of existential challenges every single day, to be able to do what they do. All of this is additional to the fact that the Veterinary profession in itself is one of the toughest. Even in a developed country like the USA, suicide rates amongst Veterinarians is 50% higher compared to the general population. This is the US, we are talking about where the Pet care space is almost 300x bigger than India (in monetary terms at least). Can you then imagine what the Indian Vet has to deal with?
We wanted to get to the bottom of the issue and understand why our Vets struggle so much. So we spoke to a number of industry professionals, to find out more. Here is what we learnt -
We wanted to get to the bottom of the issue and understand why our Vets struggle so much. So we spoke to a number of industry professionals, to find out more. Here is what we learnt -
Indian Vets are truly special (Pic courtesy - Indspireme.in)
SEVERE shortage of Veterinarians in India
By latest estimates, India has about 100,000 trained vets that are practicing today. The population of our livestock is 500 million and companion pets are nearly 35 Million. So if you summed up all of them, India boasts just 1 vet per 5350 animals to be cared for. This ratio is amongst the lowest in the world and is indicative of the severe stress that vets face in caring for them.
Experts say it is common for good vets to work long hours and burn out or suffer from Compassion fatigue after just a few years of practice. All of this leads to vets quitting over time to pursue other things, further exacerbating the shortage.
Average Pay for Veterinarians is Terrible
The average vet in India earns just 39k per month. This is if they are lucky enough to get placed in a government institution or a reputable private practice. For those who are not so lucky, pay can be highly variable given their only option is to set up their own practice and work with people directly. For comparison, in the human doctor profession job opportunities are 10x more and average pay is also 25% higher.
That’s really low for someone who must study a minimum of 5 years spending lakhs in the process, to qualify as an undergrad Veterinarian. It’s no wonder then that very few medical professionals pursue veterinary medicine.
That’s really low for someone who must study a minimum of 5 years spending lakhs in the process, to qualify as an undergrad Veterinarian. It’s no wonder then that very few medical professionals pursue veterinary medicine.
Each year only 3-5k new vets are added in India, compared to 300,000+ pets brought into their homes by people
Standard of Veterinary Education in India is Poor
Given that India has traditionally been an agriculture driven economy, the ability of our vets to care for cattle and farm animals (cows, buffalo, goat, sheep etc) has been considered of prime importance by the Government. This is why the Veterinary curriculum is predominantly focussed on large animal care while small animal care (dogs, cats, birds and more) has not been given attention. Additionally, we also found out in our recent interview with Dr. Illona Otter (Director of Training, WVS) that a critical skill like surgery is not taught in most undergraduate Veterinary schools are unable to perform basic procedures like neutering or spaying.
Vets who are serious about learning companion animal care undergo additional training on their own by volunteering institutions such as WVS, PfA etc. A lot of them even travel abroad, on their own money, to pursue advanced but essential medical certifications like Physiotherapy, Nutrition and more. Many of these vets eventually choose to stay abroad, given the higher pay & better working conditions.
Vets who are serious about learning companion animal care undergo additional training on their own by volunteering institutions such as WVS, PfA etc. A lot of them even travel abroad, on their own money, to pursue advanced but essential medical certifications like Physiotherapy, Nutrition and more. Many of these vets eventually choose to stay abroad, given the higher pay & better working conditions.
Education in India severely lags global standards, pushing serious vets to migrate abroad
Non-existent Veterinary Support Staff in India
Veterinarians need a lot of support in delivering the right quality of care to our pets. Think of how a human doctor is assisted by trained nurses, physios, radiologists, and so many other medical professionals. Similarly, veterinary doctors also require help from vet nurses, physios, radiologists, anaesthesiologists, etc. – professionals who are qualified in specialized aspects of medical care.
It should come as no surprise by now that India doesn’t have a single accredited course in Veterinary Nursing, Veterinary physiotherapy, Vet technicians and other important support fields. This leads to added pressure on our doctors and general practitioners, reducing the quality of care and increasing the risk of burnout.
It should come as no surprise by now that India doesn’t have a single accredited course in Veterinary Nursing, Veterinary physiotherapy, Vet technicians and other important support fields. This leads to added pressure on our doctors and general practitioners, reducing the quality of care and increasing the risk of burnout.
The State of Vet Tech is Abysmal
This point is perhaps well known to every pet parent who has faced health issues or travelled abroad with their pets. Veterinary technology in India is shambolic and inadequate, and is not comparable to the more advanced countries in the world. And by technology, I do not mean sophisticated procedures like MRI, Ultrasound or Laparoscopy.
DNA testing is still not available for disease screening even though the government has mandated the same for breeding. Local clinics in India do not even have reliable blood test devices or x-ray machines, posing severe challenges to our vets. It is so bad in fact that multiple countries across the world (European Union, Australia, Malaysia etc) do not accept Indian tests for their formal processes with regards to pet relocation, and require parents to get the tests done from accredited labs in the UK or elsewhere.
DNA testing is still not available for disease screening even though the government has mandated the same for breeding. Local clinics in India do not even have reliable blood test devices or x-ray machines, posing severe challenges to our vets. It is so bad in fact that multiple countries across the world (European Union, Australia, Malaysia etc) do not accept Indian tests for their formal processes with regards to pet relocation, and require parents to get the tests done from accredited labs in the UK or elsewhere.
Typical Indian Pet clinics lacks basic technologies for proper diagnosis and care
To sum it up, India has a severe shortage of vets, who are underpaid, work long hours and have limited assistance in supporting infrastructure or staff. And YET, when we go to our vet with our pets, we never hear them complain. There is an urgent need to educate more vets and empower them with the right tools and supporting infrastructure to do their best for our companion animals. It is time for our Government to step in and help out.
Thank you Dr Tanaya Pai, our in-house super vet
Despite all the challenges, your vet is still doing their best and helping out in whatever way they can. They spend hours on the job and hours off it as well, just to help people understand their pet’s health better, educate and support them in providing the right care. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Vets even doubled up as human physicians and supported doctors in delivering necessary care for everyone in India. Now you see why, they are the real unsung heroes of the Petcare space in India. More needs to be done to recognise them and supporting them both professionally and personally
So the next time you visit your pet clinic, take a moment to thank them. They truly deserve it.
And even if you are unhappy with your vet for whatever reason, please never be rude. We pet parents cannot even begin to comprehend what our Vets go through on a daily basis. They are truly amazing and more needs to be done to support them and improving the state of Veterinary medicine in India. This is essential for our dogs and cats to lead a happier, healthier life.
So the next time you visit your pet clinic, take a moment to thank them. They truly deserve it.
And even if you are unhappy with your vet for whatever reason, please never be rude. We pet parents cannot even begin to comprehend what our Vets go through on a daily basis. They are truly amazing and more needs to be done to support them and improving the state of Veterinary medicine in India. This is essential for our dogs and cats to lead a happier, healthier life.
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