It might take you weeks or even months to get an appointment at a veterinary office, depending on where you are. Labor shortages are being seen across the country, and there are about 7,000 openings for veterinarians nationwide.
But it's not because of an adoption pet boom. Worker burnout and an increase in pet appointment due to a backlog from the pandemic has exacerbated the problem.
In order to help alleviate the problem, the USDA is looking to identify veterinary shortage areas by Nov. 8 and a bill has been reintroduced in the Senate to help reduce veterinary student debt, which is about $188,000 on average.
