Where have all the vets gone?

I am having trouble finding a dentist. They've mebbe all gone to the same place

AND of course there was the rush to buy puppies during lockdown which also stretches vet's time.
However, to those of you who are vaccinating annually, you might want to rethink.
The World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) guidelines are to give core vaccinations - Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvovirus - every 3 years.
Leptospirosis is a bit like the flu vaccine. It's advised annually BUT it often doesn't last for 12 months, and it only covers 2 strains. Some vaccines (Lepto4) cover 4 strains but there has been a lot of bad reactions, I personally wouldn't use it on my dogs. Also, Lepto is easily treated with antibiotics if caught soon enough. The ONLY reason my dogs are vaccinated for Lepto is because boarding kennels have to have proof - because the council tells them to!
So, give the vets a breather, don't stress on vaccines. Leave them to do the more pressing stuff.

Recently moved area, took my dog to the local Vet, a one man band, for his boosters. A great experience, laid back, not trying to flog me unnecessary tests, food , meds. Not a computer in sight. The bigger companies pressurise the Vets to become sales people ( do they have sales targets?), and the through put of Vets is hopeless when you want continuity of care. But then I could say that about GPs. Took my breath away recently as the quote for dog insurance renewal was over £500. This one is probably my last pet, Vet bills getting crazy.

Depending where you are, there is an ’All Creatures’ chain. Our local one near Norwich is open from early morning to 12am 7 days a week. I pay a monthly fee for one full check up per year and all the de-fleaing,worming remedies - the scheme also offers 10% off normal fees.

Vet in my family's who was in partnership with two other vets (two practices). Ill health caused him to sell his share. Other two didn't take to new shareholder. Like many other private practices they were bought over by a huge company that seems to be buying up and down the land and cutting staff. Suppose a lot may be foreign vets who worked in private practices but have since been made redundant and gone home.

Horses no problem ring and they come out, no masks, we are lucky in that we are registered with the Cambridge 'vet school' as its locally known. Different practice. 9Emergency with the dog, had eaten something nasty, couldn't go in with him, in the vets for 2 nights, had to bring him home with meds as he wouldn't eat, knew he would if at home, all well. Spanish and Portuguese vets.

My nephew (straight As at A Level) dearly wanted to be a vet since a young child. Couldn’t get into vet school so went into (human) medicine instead.
Kevincharley, a friend of mine, of the anti-annual vaccine school of thought, just had her animals vaccinated as pups, just lost her lovely, and very fit and active, 4 year-old Australian shepherd to Lepto. Got ill and died within a week.

There's been a 'dearth of veterinary surgeons' for years. I left the RCVS in 2009 and the problem had been reported in the vet press for years. So not all down to Brexit but exacerbated by Covid.
The shortage of Librela is down to manufacturing process & unprecedented demand.

Reading this, I’m really grateful that our vet’s is still functioning. It’s local, not a big chain and it covers large and small animals.
DD says the nearest Pets at Home will see you if you are already registered. She doesn’t know if they are taking more on.

Just back from the vet, where we were able to have a 20 minute chat as we were the last patient.
Vissos is correct. Many veterinary practices have been or are being bought up by MediVet and other companies. This was happening before Brexit and covid.
Many of the vets they took on were young Europeans who wanted overseas experience and who invariably could be emoyed for a lot less money. As these vets have now left the UK this leaves a gap for more younger British vets to come along who will benefit because they will be paid higher salaries in order to keep them.
Nice to hear it from the horse's mouth!

*employed not emoyed

I’ve had to wait 4 weeks for a routine vaccination appointment. Usually get one within days.

I left Bristol vet school in 84, practices were struggling to get assistants even back then (although as I recall most of us wanted large animal or mixed practice so easier for those). That's changed! When I relocated in 1990,the young vet doing most of the work (2 of us assistants were part-time & then there was the practice owner) was from Belgium. She went back home when she had 2 years' experience to her name. So no, not a new problem, and of course Brexit will make it harder for newly qualified EU vets to come here and plug the gap.

There is a shortage of vets due to Brexit according to a relative who is a veterinary nurse. Many went home.

My neighbours dog died of lepto from rats contaminating his water bowl which was in the garden. It was a great Dane.
All my dogs have always had lepto 4 vaccine annually with no reaction at all.
It's not always successfully treated and often fatal.