By TIM THORNBERRY
Kentucky Correspondent

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A special committee formed by Kentucky Farm Bureau (KFB) has met for the first time in an effort to combat the problem of a dwindling supply of large animal veterinarians throughout the state.

KFB President Marshall Coyle appointed the committee, comprised of livestock producers, commodity organization leaders and state veterinary officials, to examine the problem and offer up possible solutions.
The first meeting also brought interest from the state legislature by way of three of its members.

House Appropriations and Revenue Committee Chairman Harry Moberly, Jr., Agriculture Committee Chairman Tom McKee and Representative Don Pasley (who serves on both committees) expressed concern about the problem and predicted that the General Assembly would be receptive to solutions.

Pasley, who raises cattle, described the large animal vet shortage as “a crisis that can only get worse.”

Mobley said state lawmakers “want to look at whether we should have some type of specialty program” to entice vets.

The trend of losing large animal vets to small animal practices, seems to be a national inclination as well mostly due to economics.
Small animal veterinarians generally make more money than their large animal counterparts.

According to the American Veterinary Medical Assoc., there has been a 25 percent decline since 1990 in the number of vets who focus on large animals, with less than 10 percent currently focusing on that type of practice. “We need to find ways to recruit more vet graduates to the farming areas to ensure the highest level of care,” said Coyle.

Currently the state has no veterinary college but participates in a 50-year-old program with Auburn University’s College of Veterinary Medicine in Alabama that provides a subsidy for Kentucky students to attend that school and pay only the in-state tuition, which is $20,400.

The state pays the remaining $22,000 to cover the school’s full tuition for non-residents of Alabama. The program is administered through Kentucky’s Council on Postsecondary Education.

Dr. Timothy Boosinger, who has served as Dean of Auburn’s vet school since 1995, participated in the Farm Bureau meeting via teleconference and expressed interest in expanding the annual number of Kentucky enrollees from 34-40.

According to Auburn’s records, less than a third of the Kentuckians who graduated from its vet school in the past five years took a position in a large animal practice.

Rep. McKee said he felt the legislature should approve funds for expanding the number of students at Auburn plus look at providing incentives such as grants and low-interest loans to vets starting up a large animal practice.

State Veterinarian Dr. Robert Stout serves on the committee and said the USDA anticipates a chronic shortage in regulatory practitioners for farm animals in the years ahead.

“We’ve been talking about the educational issue,” said Stout, “But the economic issue may be even more important. We have to look at the practitioner; they have to make a living.”

Another committee member, Debbie Reed, said she closed her vet practice in Jackson County last year when she took a position with the Breathitt Veterinary Lab in Hopkinsville.

No other veterinarian wanted to buy the business, she said.
Kentucky Veterinary Medical Assoc. President Dr. Aaron Goodpaster told the panel that 25 Kentucky counties currently do not have a large animal vet.

Goodpaster also said in a past interview that food animal practices, in particular beef and dairy cows, goats, sheep and poultry, are generally where the greater shortages exist, which could affect food safety if the situation continues.

“If this problem doesn’t change, it will get harder and harder for producers to obtain vet services. That could create the potential for a health risk,” he said.

Kelly Thurman, a McLean County dairyman, said the nearest dairy specialist to his area is located about 70 miles away in Russellville. “If we have an emergency on our farm we’re pretty much on our own.”

Committee Chairman John Hendricks, a Clark County farmer and KFB’s Second Vice President said the group needs to meet with veterinarians to get ideas on financial incentives.

“We must look at all the options to deliver this service to (livestock) producers,” Hendricks said.