Seventy per cent of veterinarians know at least one colleague who has taken their own life and almost the same number are experiencing mental health issues within their practice. Long hours, low pay, high stress, unrealistic client expectations, financial pressures and a lack of mentoring and support for young veterinary graduates have created a crisis for the industry, with many vets leaving the profession.
Veterinary pharmaceutical company Elanco has partnered with Animal Therapies Ltd to help tackle the problem by offering animal-assisted therapy to struggling vets. Elanco Wellbeing Lead, Dr Cate McPherson, explains why the industry is at a tipping point.