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SD has shortage of large animal vetsPIERRE, S.D. (AP)--South Dakota's state veterinarian, Sam Holland, says a bill to help ease a shortage of large animal veterinarians likely will come back before the Legislature. In the last session, the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee voted 7 to 4 to table a bill that would have set up a loan repayment program for veterinarians. Holland said it's likely such a bill will return in the 2009 session. "That's liable to come back at some point," he said in an interview. The American Veterinary Medical Association says that in 2007, South Dakota had more than a dozen counties with more than 25,000 food animals but no food-animal veterinarians. According to Holland, students graduating from veterinary schools often enter the work force with a mountain of debt. "We're like the rest of the country. Veterinary medicine is a long period of schooling at a tremendous cost. These kids are coming out of eight years of school having college debts of $100,000 plus--as much as physicians are. The opportunities in veterinary medicine are tremendous. But the opportunities for generation of income aren't quite as tremendous," Holland said. "The economics of veterinary medicine, particularly in food animal medicine, just aren't there, and haven't kept pace, probably, with the cost of education." Holland said efforts have been made to remedy the shortage of large animal vets. The Veterinary Medical Services Act at the federal level will provide some education assistance, and another measure helps colleges graduate more veterinarians, he said. South Dakota has 400 licensed veterinarians. Some are retired, some care for small animals and some are federal inspectors, Holland said. His office lists 180 veterinary clinics in the state. 9/22/08 Date: 9/17/08
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