The pet boom of 2020 and 2021 has had an effect on clinics, kennels, and vets all over the united states, but it is still hitting many areas hard. These areas include the Quad Cities.

According to a COVID-19 study by the American Pet Products Association (APPA), 12.6 million U.S. households got a new pet last year after the pandemic was declared in March of 2020.

If you have tried to make an appointment for your pet in the last year, you may have noticed how long the wait time is compared to other years. I myself got a cat over the pandemic and had to be put on a 3 to 4-month waiting list to get her spayed. I was at first thrown off by how long the wait was. I grew up in a family that rescued cats and other animals. Past years had us scheduled for an appointment with only a week or two waiting. After the long wait I finally got her in, but the wait felt like forever.

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According to KWQC, The Animal Emergency Center of the Quad Cities was closed Wednesday, and will also be closed Thursday due to a vet shortage. The center put out a Facebook post saying,

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. The Emergency clinics that we would refer you to should you need immediate care and your primary Veterinarian is unable to see you would be 1) Blue Pearl in Cedar Rapids, IA. Phone: 319-841-5161, 2) Bright Eyes & Bushy Tails Veterinary Hospital in Iowa City, IA. Phone: 319-338-3605 or 3) Tri County Animal Emergency Clinic in West Peoria, IL. Phone: 309-672-1565. We will be open on Friday at 5pm and fully staffed during the weekend should your pet need attention at that time. Thank you for your understanding.

According to VPN, a study from 'Banfield Pet Hospital' revealed that 57 percent of all students surveyed had once considered becoming a veterinarian, about 32 percent changed their mind before graduating college. This along with many other factors may be why we are seeing such a shortage.

This study also estimated that 75 million pets in the U.S. could be without the veterinary care they need by 2030, this is due to the insufficient numbers of trained professionals to handle the workload.

While this is sad news and is a bit scary to hear, there are new initiatives being put into place as we speak.

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To prepare yourself for a potential incident, always keep your vet's phone number handy, along with an after-hours clinic you can call in an emergency. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center also has a hotline you can call at (888) 426-4435 for advice.

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