Shortage of veterinarians in Saxony-Anhalt: Patients have to wait a long time!

Shortage of veterinarians in Saxony-Anhalt: Patients have to wait a long time!

A lot has happened in veterinary medicine in recent years. While the number of veterinarians in Saxony-Anhalt is continually increasing, there is a noticeable lack of available appointments for pet owners. The situation is becoming increasingly precarious, especially in rural areas such as Bad Schmiedeberg, where sole entrepreneur Sabine Meumann is the only veterinarian. Loud MDR There are always problems with the opening hours of practices, as many veterinary doctors do not work in the afternoons or only offer appointments on certain days of the week. This means that pet owners often have to wait weeks for an appointment.

Despite the tense situation nationwide, there is an increase in the number of veterinarians: at the end of 2024, 836 veterinarians were active in Saxony-Anhalt, of which 321 ran their own practice. The trend is clearly towards employment, particularly among women, who often prefer a less hectic work environment. Many young doctors decided against self-employment and instead chose municipal practices, offices or even industry.

A veterinarian is fighting the trend

Sabine Meumann, who manages her practice with the support of a veterinary assistant and her four-legged companions, is the only female veterinarian in her region. She looks after both small and large animals and knows the challenges: “A third of my working time is spent on bureaucratic tasks,” she reports. This burden is not unique, but rather reflects an increasing phenomenon that veterinarians across Germany find themselves in similar situations Vetline shows.

The demand for veterinary care for small animals has increased noticeably in recent years. At the same time, however, the willingness of veterinarians to work in rural areas is decreasing. The stress of long working hours, long journeys and increasing bureaucracy are driving colleagues to the cities, where conditions are often more pleasant. One example is Michael Kreher, a specialist veterinarian for cattle and horses who works with a large number of companies and works across locations.

Situation in numbers

The statistics speak for themselves: The number of veterinarians in Germany has increased, but there are fewer and fewer rural veterinarians. From 2019 to 2023, the number of practicing veterinarians decreased from 12,019 to 11,437, a decrease of 5%. In comparison, the number of employed veterinarians rose from 9,701 to 11,686. Over eight thousand veterinarians do not work directly on animals, which is very clear in the market and the conditions in the countryside.

The return to classic farm animal practices is also declining sharply: While in the 1990s there were 130 practices that focused purely on farm animals, today there are only 22. This leads to a great need for action, which Chamber President Wolfgang Gaede also recognizes. He has already suggested the introduction of a rural veterinarian quota based on the Bavarian model, a measure that is made more difficult in Saxony-Anhalt by the lack of a veterinary faculty.

The challenges in veterinary medicine are diverse and show that despite the increasing number of veterinarians, the pressure on practices and working conditions is causing many to give up their profession or relocate to an urban location. Animal owners in rural areas are facing difficulties that will be difficult to resolve in the coming years unless something changes quickly.