Comments on: Shortage Of Rural Veterinarians Affecting Food Inspection System http://www.itchmo.com/shortage-of-rural-veterinarians-affecting-food-inspection-system-4834 Essential news for cats, dogs and pet owners. Sun, 12 Feb 2012 08:14:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.2 By: e wem http://www.itchmo.com/shortage-of-rural-veterinarians-affecting-food-inspection-system-4834#comment-129225 e wem Fri, 07 Mar 2008 22:06:44 +0000 http://www.itchmo.com/shortage-of-rural-veterinarians-affecting-food-inspection-system-4834#comment-129225 Many go into veterinary school today because they are animal lovers. It would be hard to do inspections, especially for animals headed to market The article said the government needs vets to work in food safety. That is another way of saying - inspection at the slaughterhouse. Perhaps they need a new category of vet tech who can handle the inspections the same way police officers test DUIs. Glazed eyes, drooling, stumbling, sores, and tumors could be excluded outright, even if the animals was technically 'safe to eat'. Of course the food industry would not like to take those losses when a full vet could pass a creature based upon his credentials, while a vet tech would have to fail the same animal because of his lack of expertise. Farm vet work has the same problems with some farms being humane and others being ruthless but legal. Therein lies the problem. I could not be a vet at a factory chicken operation. I would turn PETA and start rescuing the poor animals Many go into veterinary school today because they are animal lovers. It would be hard to do inspections, especially for animals headed to market

The article said the government needs vets to work in food safety. That is another way of saying - inspection at the slaughterhouse.

Perhaps they need a new category of vet tech who can handle the inspections the same way police officers test DUIs. Glazed eyes, drooling, stumbling, sores, and tumors could be excluded outright, even if the animals was technically ’safe to eat’. Of course the food industry would not like to take those losses when a full vet could pass a creature based upon his credentials, while a vet tech would have to fail the same animal because of his lack of expertise.

Farm vet work has the same problems with some farms being humane and others being ruthless but legal. Therein lies the problem. I could not be a vet at a factory chicken operation. I would turn PETA and start rescuing the poor animals

]]> By: Sharon http://www.itchmo.com/shortage-of-rural-veterinarians-affecting-food-inspection-system-4834#comment-128996 Sharon Fri, 07 Mar 2008 11:25:38 +0000 http://www.itchmo.com/shortage-of-rural-veterinarians-affecting-food-inspection-system-4834#comment-128996 Vet schools have not kept up. They are too much in the pocket of pet food manufacturers and that group of people is not interested in large animal vertrinary medicine. There is no money in it for them. Vet schools have not kept up. They are too much in the pocket of pet food manufacturers and that group of people is not interested in large animal vertrinary medicine. There is no money in it for them.

]]> By: The Lioness http://www.itchmo.com/shortage-of-rural-veterinarians-affecting-food-inspection-system-4834#comment-128865 The Lioness Fri, 07 Mar 2008 04:18:55 +0000 http://www.itchmo.com/shortage-of-rural-veterinarians-affecting-food-inspection-system-4834#comment-128865 That's a sad situation. ~The Lioness That’s a sad situation.

~The Lioness

]]> By: G in INdiana http://www.itchmo.com/shortage-of-rural-veterinarians-affecting-food-inspection-system-4834#comment-128726 G in INdiana Thu, 06 Mar 2008 20:10:15 +0000 http://www.itchmo.com/shortage-of-rural-veterinarians-affecting-food-inspection-system-4834#comment-128726 What HAS changed is the gender distribution of vets. Now almost 80% of the vet students and those graduating are female. I know several farm vets and about half are female. Most of the males are older than the female vets by a decade or more. Maybe working with large animals is not what the vets want to do now. Maybe, as my vets do, they would like a variety of animal species to work with and not just the ones headed for slaughter. Maybe the places the vets would have to live are not what they envision as a place to raise a family. Maybe, like my small town, there isn't enough to do outside of work to warrant being there. What HAS changed is the gender distribution of vets. Now almost 80% of the vet students and those graduating are female. I know several farm vets and about half are female. Most of the males are older than the female vets by a decade or more.
Maybe working with large animals is not what the vets want to do now. Maybe, as my vets do, they would like a variety of animal species to work with and not just the ones headed for slaughter. Maybe the places the vets would have to live are not what they envision as a place to raise a family. Maybe, like my small town, there isn’t enough to do outside of work to warrant being there.

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