A rural large animal veterinary shortage is in full swing around the country and is affecting many large animal owners and veterinarians in rural communities including Wickenburg.

Two Wickenburg veterinarians, Dr. Jim Lytle and Dr. Joanne Ruisi, speak to how this shortage is affecting rural communities like Wickenburg, as well as the practice of large animal veterinary medicine, and some possible solutions.

Dr. Lytle, a practicing large animal vet since 1974 said, “At this time, over 2/3 of those of us that do ranch and food animal work are over 50 years old, with the majority being 70 years old or above. Looking at this statistic, ranchers in Arizona are facing a major problem in the near future.” This fact, posted on Facebook by the Cattleman’s Weekend organization, has garnered over 4,700 shares in the past few weeks.

Dr. Ruisi, owner and vet at Hassayampa Veterinary Services said, “We are all experiencing the 'shortage.' Whether it is the long hours, physical labor, emergency calls, the higher-than-normal risk of injury or lower than average compensation, collectively the newer generation of veterinarians just doesn't seem interested. It's tough to find the passion that drives those of us that continue to fight on.”

Similarly, the American Veterinary Medicine Association (AVMA) website states, “There are veterinarians who want to work in rural areas of America but are unable to do so—for financial reasons. The great news is that legislation pending in Congress would make it more feasible for them.”

Lytle, who is a long-time Wickenburg resident and a board member of the Arizona Cowpunchers Scholarship Fund (newly renamed the Bill Owen, Cowboy Artist, Memorial Scholarship Fund (BOCA), has started a fund to help support students who want to pursue large animal medicine for ranching and the food animal industry but are experiencing financial restraints.

“Due to the high cost of veterinary education (veterinary students have $180,000 in student loan upon graduation, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association), and an extreme shortage of rural food veterinarians in Arizona, it is my thought that if we can help defray the cost of their education, it will be easier for students to go into rural areas to practice," said Lytle. “If a veterinarian stays in a rural area for four years, it is much more likely that they will have 'set down roots.' The fund will provide a scholarship (for students) while attending veterinary school through the normal BOCA screening process. But what makes this fund unique is if the student chooses to practice in a rural area in Arizona and provide food and animal services, for each year after graduation, the Arizona Rural Veterinary Scholarship (ARVS) will offer the newly graduated veterinarian a continuing scholarship to defray their student loan payments for four years, as long as they continue in the rural ranch veterinary service.”

Also in a nationwide attempt to curb the vet shortage issue, the AVMA is currently trying to expand the current Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP) to help rural vets through a bill called the Rural Veterinary Workforce Act. The AVMA website states, “VMLRP helps veterinarians set up practice in locations designated as veterinary shortage areas by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). It does this by promising to pay off up to $75,000 of each veterinarian’s student loans if they practice in the shortage area for three years.”

Due to the lack of rural veterinarians, some states are even proposing making changes that some vets believe could negatively affect the health and safety of these large animals, such as creating a mid-level non-veterinarian position which would be allowed to treat these animals, as well as installing virtual vet appointments, which would allow for no in-person examination of the animal.

Regarding the potential changes to the VMLRP, Dr. Ruisi said, “I feel strongly that anything we can offer to attract candidates/associates is worth investigating. It is critical that those funds be used for associates who intend to stay in rural, large animal medicine and to deter applicants from leaving once their debt is forgiven. This is why I believe it is more important than ever to re-evaluate our interview and application process for veterinary school to include those from rural backgrounds.”

“The Veterinary Loan Repayment Program is helpful but has its drawbacks - i.e. you are taxed as income for money received through it as well as limitations and restrictions on practice-type limits," said Lytle.

Instead of having to rely on these kinds of funds, Dr. Lytle is hoping that rural interventions and scholarships are a better option. “It is my goal to create this fund, under the umbrella of the BOCA 501(c)(3), that will help our rural areas and ranches and would be self-sustaining without having to have massive fund raisers each year to sustain it," said Lytle. "The 501(c)(3) of the organization has extremely low overhead, with the annual cost - other than fees from the investment firm that handles the funds - at under $2,500 per year. The members of the BOCA board do not receive any type of compensation for their time and dedication. This not-for-profit organization is dedicated to their cause and dedicates 100 percent of their resources for the intended purpose. It is the perfect organization to manage the Arizona Rural Vet Scholarship and, with your help, we can rebuild the desperate shortage of food animal veterinarians in Arizona.”

The AVMA website also states multiple concerns with these proposals as well as the fact that there may not be an easy fix to the rural large animal vet shortage. The website states, “Rural veterinary workforce challenges are of particular concern in food animal production. While some have argued that adding more veterinarians to the profession’s pipeline will help ease these challenges, the reality is that about 75% of veterinary graduates become companion animal practitioners. Simply increasing the number of veterinarians entering the profession will not address the unique needs of rural, large-animal practitioners.”

Dr. Ruisi also stated that, besides the financial obligations, a lower percentage of people interested in veterinary medicine have the mentality to make large animal vets. “The dynamics of veterinary medicine has changed considerably over the past 20 years," said Ruisi. "Veterinary school classrooms used to be male-dominated and the majority of those were hard working, rural, ranch kids that understood what the profession was. They had a passion for it and a commitment to it. That is just not something you see anymore, at least not on a regular basis. Veterinary medicine is changing, and the dedication that was once a way of life appears to be declining in more recent years.”

“Arizona is not alone in rural animal vet shortage - all states are facing it," said Lytle. "With debt versus salary and living costs and a majority (96 percent of classes) now being women, the long hours with and managing calls, many women are opting for family off/on part-time metropolitan jobs versus the rural 24/7 practices that are demanding and physically challenging. The pay scale is also lower in rural practice.”

With the large financial obligation that comes with becoming a student of veterinary medicine, as well as the mentality that is needed to be successful in the field, the question of whether or not this rural vet shortage will come to an end is questionable. “I believe it is very important that veterinary applicants understand what the profession is and what it needs before going through school only to discover your heart isn't in it or you don't have the grit for it," said Ruisi. "It's tough work and you have to love it.”

For more information regarding the shortage, readers can visit the AVMA website. For information regarding Dr. Lytle’s scholarship fund or to donate, email Dr. Lytle at cowdoc52@gmail.com or call (928) 684-2872.