Are Our Vets Earning Enough?

A critical look at veterinary remuneration in South Africa

- Charlotte Bastiaanse

To take a sick or injured animal to the veterinarian is not an option for most responsible pet owners, but an absolute given. We rely and trust in the vet to take care of our beloved pet and, hopefully, be able to heal him or her. In some cases, money is not an option, and people with pet insurance don’t ponder the thought at all. But, receiving the vet’s bill at the end can raise the question whether veterinarians inflate the bills. The opposite is actually true. If we stop for a moment and place ourselves in the vet’s shoes, we might want to rethink that thought. We don’t always consider the overheads that vets have to carry, and we definitely don’t think about the salary the person gets who treats our pets.

At the recent congress of the South African Veterinary Association (SAVA) and the South African Society for Veterinary Epidemiology and Preventative Medicine (SASVEPM), veterinarians and industry specialists from all over the country congregated to discuss typical veterinary issues. On the last day of the congress, all attendees gathered in the exhibition hall for a plenary session. The topic of discussion was remuneration for vets. Are our South African vets earning enough? The simple answer is no.