Regina veterinarians team up to offer overnight on-call care amid staffing shortage

Veterinarians in and around Regina are stepping up to help provide overnight emergency services as a workforce shortage drags on across Saskatchewan.

Starting this month, 11 local veterinary clinics have agreed to be a part of a rotation that provides on-call care between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. CST.

"We just feel it's an obligation to our clients," said Dr. Tracy Fisher, a veterinarian and the medical director at Albert North Veterinary Clinic, one of the participating clinics.

Fisher said the idea came about early last month, after the local 24 HR Animal Care Centre announced it didn't have the staff to continue with the overnight shift.

"Over the last year, we've been backfilling shifts, trying to fill in when we can, but it just became apparent that there weren't enough people to do that," she said.

"We're going to do the best we can with what we've got."

Fisher noted that on-call veterinarians will only be treating life-threatening cases, triaged by a veterinary technician who will be keeping a log of patients to be seen the next day. Pet owners can reach the triage line by calling the 24 HR Animal Care Centre after hours.

She said the Regina veterinarians might be able to transfer patients up to the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon in a worst-case scenario, but noted that team is also swamped.

Dr. Gillian Muir, the dean of WCVM, confirmed Fisher's statement, adding the college will only be able to provide overnight care to critical cases.

"The workforce shortage has limited our ability to manage that emergency caseload," she said.

Muir said the shortage stretches across Canada and comes down to colleges "not graduating enough veterinarians to keep up with demand."

There are currently 88 student seats at WCVM. Ten were added in the fall of 2021.

While she'd like that number to grow, Muir said there aren't enough classrooms and labs to teach more students. She said WCVM is currently conducting a feasibility study to help sort out what's needed in terms of space and resources to expand the program. 

Muir said Saskatchewan and the rest of Canada are leaning on international graduates, with WCVM being the only site in the country that currently hosts the four-day clinical proficiency exam someone from out of country needs to pass to practise in Canada.