Ensuring sustainable veterinary services

It is important that in Australia we maintain and improve the long-term sustainability of veterinarians and veterinary services in Australia. Having a viable and thriving veterinary profession is an essential precondition to preserving and advancing Australia’s biosecurity, food safety, livestock industries and pet ownership.

As veterinary medicine has developed, treatment options have expanded along with an increasing reliance on sophisticated technology and therapies. Pet owners now consider their pets as members of the family and want the same treatment options available to other members of their family.

This ability to do more, the highly sophisticated equipment involved and the fact that there is no government-funded Medicare for animals, might make it seem that you are paying more for your pet's treatment. However, when you compare veterinary fees with other professional service fees, they are really not excessive, and the reality is that remuneration for veterinarians is at a much lower level than those working in other professions.

It’s also important to remember that your veterinarian is not only your pet’s GP but also their surgeon, radiologist, dermatologist, neurologist, oncologist, and pharmacist as well.

So, if you own a pet, make sure you plan ahead for planned and those unexpected veterinary expenses, so you can provide the best for your best friend.

Veterinarians work with farmers every day to identify biosecurity, animal, and human health risks and advise on systems to prevent, monitor, and manage diseases in their livestock.

A disease outbreak in a herd or flock comes at enormous short- and long-term costs to agricultural businesses. Prevention and risk management is essential to protecting livestock against disease. It’s essential that there are sustainable veterinary businesses in rural and regional areas to support farmers and Australia’s all-important agricultural industries. These veterinary businesses employ the frontline responders in the event of an emergency animal disease outbreak, who are increasingly important in the face of an ongoing decline in the resourcing of government veterinary services.

To ensure the health and welfare of all species of Australia’s animals, and the safety of our communities and food sources against disease, veterinary practices must be economically sustainable and veterinarians must be adequately rewarded for their work.