Veterinarians in Canada say they are experiencing plummeting mental health due to staff shortages, a booming number of animal patients and the round-the-clock stress of the job.
Neil Pothier, a veterinarian since 1985, says caring for animals has never been easy, but it's a job he has always loved.
But these days, work hours at his animal hospital in Digby, Nova Scotia, are longer than ever, and he says his peers are talking about burning out and wanting to quit.
Pothier believes the mental health of vets has been strained by a pandemic boom in pet numbers and a shortage of veterinary staff.
He says the job, which in many rural areas comes with 24-hour emergency care, has become more stressful since his career began.