A new survey conducted by Rustin M. Moore and his associates uncovers the overwhelming challenges faced by pet owners in rural Ohio. They fail to provide meaningful access to veterinary care. The research hones in on the disparities in rural and large animal veterinary medicine. Reconnecting Communities Pilot Grant program RCPGP Strengthening the Agricultural Economy Protecting Public Health These two goals may seem unrelated, but they need not be.
Pet owners are increasingly making access to veterinary care a key issue. In fact, it is the one enduring issue that ranks as their most critical concern. To assess the availability of preventive veterinary appointments for dogs, the research team performed a secret shopper survey. Ohio State’s College of Public Health lead author Simon Haeder was the overarching effort’s primary coordinator. They acted as dog owners and called more than 5,000 randomly chosen veterinary clinics in six states.
His research team had difficulty getting appointments when cold-calling these practices. Indeed, they were successful just two-thirds of the time. Rural practices faced even greater challenges, with appointment success falling below 62%. The average wait time for an initial appointment was just 6.4 days. For those who were actually able to book an appointment, it increased to 8.6 days. The mean travel distance to the nearest veterinary practice is 6.4 miles. In our state’s largest city, for those lucky enough to have been able to get an appointment, that distance jumped to 17 miles.
The study also noted a concerning trend: in nearly 4% of cases, veterinarians reported that they could not accept new patients. While experiences varied, countless individuals struggled with the process of obtaining an appointment. Many of them reported waiting on hold for more than five minutes, or were unable to get in touch with the practice’s staff at all.
Haeder remarked on the implications of these access issues, stating, “When pets don’t receive prompt preventive care, diagnoses and treatment, both the pets and their owners suffer, and we know that living with a beloved pet can be good for health, both mental and physical.”
Furthermore, he highlighted the potential public health threats posed by gaps in veterinary access: “And gaps in access can pose broader public health threats, especially if animals aren’t protected against vaccine-preventable illnesses like rabies.”
“Access to veterinary care appears to be generally pretty good and the wait times aren’t too long, particularly if you compare it to how long people often have to wait to establish primary care, but there’s clearly room for improvement in less populated areas.”
Our Protect One Health in Ohio initiative works to intentionally fill these gaps. It emphasizes building the state’s veterinary workforce to safeguard public health and help improve the sustainability of agriculture.