Senior Spotlight: What Retiring Baby Boomers Means For Pet Owners

Did you know that veterinarians are needed now more than ever? 

You know how much we love working with seniors – and how much we love coming home to our pets. This week, we have a hand-picked topic that pertains to both!

KPNX News (an NBC station) recently revealed that there is a greater need for veterinarians as more & more Baby Boomers are retiring. To make matters more challenging, more older veterinarians and vet techs are retiring at the same time that more pet owners are making pet health care a higher priority.

Similarly, the American Veterinary Medical Association predicted a shortage of veterinary professionals several years ago. With Baby Boomers representing 39% of veterinarians and the mean age of new veterinary graduates increasing, fewer professionals and shorter practice lengths are driving present & future animal medicine shortages.

Other contributing factors include the existence of only 28 veterinarian schools in the country, coupled with a 4-year doctorate degree cost of $200,000 - $300,000. Throw in the fact that pet ownership has increased 20% since 1988 and that 68 million households (and growing!) have pets, you can see that the need for veterinary care is outpacing the supply.

Dr. Melissa Thompson, Vice President of Medical Operations for the Arizona Humane Society, wants potential students to know that there are some public loan forgiveness programs if you work for a non-profit post-graduation.

Moreover, Dr. Thompson asserts that veterinary medicine is ”… the best profession in the world. Just knowing you make a difference in both an animal and humans’ life – it’s a fulfilling profession. So, there is nothing like it.”

Resources Used:

Greater Need For Veterinarians As Baby Boomers Retire

Census Of Veterinarians Finds Trends With Shortages, Practice Ownership

Pet Ownership Statistics