People who are considering buying a dog or cat for Christmas are being asked to check if they have access to a vet.
The British Veterinary Association is urging caution after a rise in demand for vets due to the increase in pet ownership and the new legal requirement for health checks on food exports to the EU.
The Food Standards Agency warned meat and poultry producers that the shortage of vets might impact the supply of meat over Christmas.
James Russell said the shortage of vets could affect domestic animals. If you are thinking about getting a puppy or a kitten, you should think about where you will get veterinary care for the animal.
We would encourage people to check in with their local vets to see if they are taking on new clients. He asked what happened out of hours. To make sure they are in a position to find veterinary care for their animals when they need it.
There are unprecedented demands on vets in the wake of the decision to leave the EU. All meat and fish exported to the EU must be certified by vets or veterinary officers.
The export of some fish from Scotland was halted earlier this year because of the new rules regarding the health of the seafood. The new certification process was consuming a lot of vets time. He said that the professional spent over 200 years completing export health certificates.
According to the latest report from the Pet Food Manufacturers' Association, more than 3 million UK households have brought a pet home since the start of the Pandemic.
Many of the vets working in the UK are from the EU, and that's a problem, according to Russell. We are seeing fewer people coming into the country. He added that there was a combination of both.
A senior government official told the public accounts committee on Wednesday that the UK had enough vet and veterinary officials to conduct the checks on food and animals.
The chair of the committee, the Labour MP Meg Hillier, questioned if the work with exporters was taking vets away from their private practice.
