How a national veterinary shortage is limiting emergency options in Yellowknife

When Yellowknife resident Alyssa Brown's dog got severely sick on a Saturday in October, she faced a difficult choice. 

To drive 10 hours to Peace River, Alta., or to wait until the Great Slave Animal Hospital opened on Monday.

The clinic temporarily paused its emergency after hours care in February, and on Dec. 12 a vet there said there are no plans to begin offering the emergency services in the near future, despite the desire to do so. 

"We would very much like to be able to offer it again. But right now, in order to not burn out what staff we already have, we're just not able to unfortunately," said Dr. Kaitlyn Denroche, one of two vets at the clinic. 

The animal hospital doesn't employ any veterinary technicians, the equivalent of a nurse, but has two recently hired veterinary assistants.

The lack of staff is part of an ongoing Canada-wide veterinary shortage, that leaves practicing vets like Denroche overworked and pet owners like Brown, with difficult choices when emergency strikes. 

A Canada-wide issue

Denroche said the clinic needs at least one more vet and two to three more veterinary technicians or assistants before emergency services can be offered again. The problem is the animal hospital is competing to entice potential employees with clinics across Canada.

"So it is affecting the entire country unfortunately," said Dr. Chris Bell, the president of the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association.

Although everywhere is experiencing the shortage, rural and remote communities, and small cities like Yellowknife, are facing a particular disadvantage.

"More and more people are moving to [bigger] cities and so less … veterinarians are available in the rural communities," Bell said.

He said the shortage of vets and vet technicians has been building for years, including an aging workforce and not enough graduates or foreign workers to keep up with the demand. 

"Pandemic puppies" — the upswing of people getting pets — exacerbated the vet squeeze, Bell said.

One of the most promising solutions to the shortage is colleges and universities increasing admission for students studying to become vets or technicians.

Some schools are also prioritizing rural graduates, but Bell said it will take time for the graduates to enter the workforce.

In the meantime, his organization is lobbying the federal government to fast track immigrants qualified to work as veterinarians, and recruiting Canadian veterinarians practicing abroad to return.

Burnout

Bell said they're also exploring ways to retain currently practicing veterinarians, which is becoming more difficult.. 

"One of the big issues we face is that veterinarians have been put under increased strain; there has been an increase in burnout," he said. 

On Wednesday, Denroche said she saw around 20 clients. She also worked late that night to conduct emergency euthanasia. The extra work hours have become a norm for her. 

We would very much like to be able to offer it again. But right now, in order to not burn out what staff we already have, we're just not able to unfortunately,- Dr. Kaitlyn Denroche, veterinarian at Great Slave Animal Hospital

Not having emergency services has changed the schedule for the clinic with hours set aside for emergency same day appointments, Denroche said, and a triage system. 

Life threatening issues take precedent, but so does emergency euthanasia, to spare an animal from suffering. 

Stephen Flanagan, the president of the N.W.T. SPCA, said the organization received funding for veterinary services. 

He floated an idea of opening a locum veterinary service in Yellowknife, similar to human medical care in the North. 

"Because it seems like getting people to come here and stay here is an issue," he said.

Locum's are how Iqaluit's only permanent veterinary service, NunaVet, could operate, though in late August the clinic posted on Facebook to say it had been unable to find a locum and would be closing. CBC News reached out on Friday, but received an automated response saying the clinic is closed. 

'Our biggest fear'

Currently, the N.W.T. is left with two in-person veterinary clinics both in the capital; the Great Slave Animal Hospital and the Yellowknife Veterinary Clinic. 

CBC News reached out to the Yellowknife Veterinary Clinic for an interview but did not hear back. A staff member confirmed the clinic offers emergency services but prioritizes clients. 

There's also a third option — arranging a visit from Dr. Michelle Tuma, who offers virtual appointments and housecalls across the North. CBC News reached out to Tuma, but was unable to speak with her by deadline.

When Brown's dog Jade got sick, she called Tuma, and through her service was put in touch with a veterinarian in Peace River, who suggested they drive Jade south. 

They didn't end up taking Jade to Alberta that weekend, due to an unrelated issue, but she said she stayed up all night with her dog on the couch until they could get her to a local vet on Monday. They later took her south for treatment, and she has since been doing well, Brown said.

But with the lack of options in Yellowknife, caused by the global shortage, the concern is still there.

"Basically this scenario … that was our biggest fear, right? That was exactly the kind of thing that you did not want to happen on, of course the Saturday night, because what do you do?" she said. "There's no options."