75% of UK vets have taken time off in the last year due to work related mental health issue. Zoetis today launches a white paper calling for collective, systemic and long-term change to address veterinary retention issues.

A new white paper from Zoetis reveals that almost half of UK veterinarians surveyed, 48%, have considered leaving the field, despite growing global demand for veterinary services. Now 78% of UK vets are calling on industry leaders, policymakers and the veterinary community to make the systemic changes needed to address the urgent retention issue.

Why this matters

It comes at a time when the demand for veterinary services continues to rise, due to factors like increasing pet ownership, the need to ensure food safety in expanding livestock industries, and the emergence of new zoonotic diseases that require veterinarian-led surveillance, prevention and control.

The research shows 75% of vets in the UK have taken time off work at least once in the last year due to work related mental health issues (70% in Europe). However, the data suggests this is not an endemic wellbeing issue, as previously thought, but rather a symptom of the working environment itself, fuelled by structural, cultural and economic factors. Focusing on individual resilience as a solution, therefore risks misdiagnosing the problem - a new approach is needed that addresses the environmental factors at play.

Three areas for change

To help address these issues and support the veterinary profession, the white paper identifies three key areas for improvement:

Reimagining veterinary practice: Just as in many other professions, there is a need for more flexible and sustainable working models within veterinary workplaces. This includes considering more flexible work rotas, utilising technology to ease workloads, and enhancing the supporting roles for veterinary nurses. Even small changes like mentorship programs and structured breaks have already shown positive results in some workplaces.

Adapting to meet client needs: With rising expectations from clients, many vets report struggling to meet the many and varied demands. The white paper recommends enhancing communication training, adopting technology for better client management, and offering more support for vets when managing emotionally challenging conversations with clients.

Broadening the professional pipeline: Cultivating a diverse workforce is key in helping to meet the long-term demands of the profession, however, the industry currently draws from a narrow talent pool, 96% white, 29% fee paying and predominantly female. To ensure a steady flow of new talent, the profession must expand its talent pool. This includes more inclusive recruitment practices.

Driving sector-wide change

Dr. Stephanie Armstrong, Veterinarian and Regional President at Zoetis, emphasises how supporting veterinary professionals requires a broader, sector-wide effort, “Addressing retention in the veterinary field requires looking beyond individual well-being to systemic factors. By fostering better work environments and providing support, we can help ensure that veterinarians continue to provide vital services to our communities.”

Julia von Gablenz, Regional President for Europe and the Middle East at Zoetis, adds, “We recognise the importance of working together with industry stakeholders to create solutions that support veterinary professionals. Addressing these challenges requires a long-term, collaborative approach that takes into account the evolving needs of the profession. This white paper offers valuable insights that can help guide meaningful change and shape a more resilient, sustainable future for veterinary medicine. We look forward to continuing the dialogue with partners across the sector to advance practical next steps.”

A call to secure the future of veterinary medicine

The Zoetis white paper on veterinary retention serves as both a wake-up call and a blueprint for action. It underscores that veterinarians’ work underpins much of society’s well-being – from the care of pets that are family members, managing the health of farm animals to ensure food safety and security, to the surveillance of diseases that can transfer from animals to humans. As the demand for veterinary services continues to rise worldwide, addressing the factors driving vets away from the profession has become an urgent public concern.

Dr. Gunila Pedersen, Veterinary Surgeon comments, “The challenge is that most of us don’t realise we’re in burnout, we just keep going, thinking there’s something fundamentally wrong with us. It’s easy to think we’re simply not made for this profession, which many of us have wanted to be in from as young as 5 years old. As vets, just ‘getting on with it’ becomes second nature, but something needs to change - we need the right tools and structures in place to ensure we’re not taking the stresses of work home with us.”

Workplace culture continues to emerge as a major contributing factor to retention challenges. Dr. Rob Williams, Junior Vice President of the British Veterinary Association, explains,

“Recruitment, and perhaps more pressingly retention, continues to be a challenge across the veterinary workforce. Whilst external factors are at play, data from BVA’s Voice of the Veterinary Profession survey show that workplace culture is a major contributing factor. Great Workplaces by BVA is helping vet businesses get to the root causes of retention issues, giving vet teams the tools to celebrate what is working well and empowering them to take action where issues are arising. Becoming an accredited practice makes good business sense – it’s good for vets and vet practices, good for clients and ultimately, good for the animals in their care.”

Zoetis urges stakeholders across the veterinary and animal health sector to review the white paper’s insights and join a collective effort to implement solutions. By investing in the people who care for animals, we safeguard animal welfare, protect our food supply, and strengthen public health for everyone. It’s vital our veterinarians continue to thrive, innovate, and contribute to a healthier future for animals and society alike – the time to act is now.

About Zoetis

As the world’s leading animal health company, Zoetis is driven by a singular purpose: to nurture our world and humankind by advancing care for animals. After innovating ways to predict, prevent, detect, and treat animal illness for more than 70 years, Zoetis continues to stand by those raising and caring for animals worldwide – from veterinarians and pet owners to livestock producers. The company’s leading portfolio and pipeline of medicines, vaccines, diagnostics and technologies make a difference in over 100 countries. A Fortune 500 company, Zoetis generated revenue of $9.3 billion in 2024 with approximately 13,800 employees. For more information, visit www.zoetis.com.

DISCLOSURE NOTICES

About The White Paper:
Transforming veterinary practice for the 21st century: Building a thriving workforce to meet evolving client expectations and support workplace wellbeing, conducted June, 2025.

The white paper draws upon evidence from a multi-phase research programme designed to capture both the breadth and depth of the retention issue facing the veterinary industry. The insight is derived from a combination of a global literature review (with qualitative and quantitative investigations), in-depth interviews with veterinarians and industry experts, a full day roundtable of industry leaders and veterinarians and statistical results from a wide-ranging survey distributed across veterinary practices in Europe. The survey panel consisted of 1,083 male and female vets from the UK, ROI, Spain, Italy, Germany, France, Belgium and Denmark. Ages of vets ranged from 22 years+ and vets were from a combination of small and large / livestock practices.