Large Animal Veterinary Shortage

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Key Takeaways

Introduction

The United States has lost 90% of its large animal and livestock veterinarians since the end of World War II, according to a 2023 Johns Hopkins study .

According to the USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture, two factors are largely responsible for the shortage: the cost of obtaining a doctor of veterinary medicine degree and the pay disparity between companion animal veterinarians and large animal veterinarians.

The shortage has proven to be an especially salient issue for rural communities across the country and has broad implications for livestock health, economic stability in the agricultural sector, and America's food security.

The federal government has reacted with growing concern to the exodus of veterinarians from large animal practice, which has left many regions in the country with limited or no access to veterinary services. The Department of Agriculture and its affiliated agencies, including NIFA, are the biggest actors in addressing the shortage. The Department of Veterans Affairs has also made efforts to address the issue through scholarships.

Congressional Action

Congress first responded to the large animal veterinarian shortage when it enacted the National Veterinary Medical Services Act in 2003, an amendment to the 1977 Farm Bill. The act established the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program, which is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. The program aims to incentivize large animal veterinarians to work in underserved areas by offsetting the cost of obtaining a veterinarian degree.

The legislation was an important step in strengthening the nation's animal health infrastructure and authorizes the secretary of agriculture to administer a loan forgiveness program and grants the secretary discretion over the policy's implementation. Since then, Congress has authorized several other federal programs, including the Veterinary Services Grant Program described in further detail below. In 2023, legislation was introduced in the Senate with bipartisan support that would exclude loan repayments from gross income for tax purposes, but no further action was taken before the conclusion of the 118th Congress.

Federal Programs

Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program

The Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program, which is administered by the USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), aims to address growing concerns regarding the exodus of veterinarians from large animal practice.

The program accepts about 60% of applications, or roughly 90 of the 150 applications received annually. Selected applicants can receive up to $40,000 annually toward student loan repayment in exchange for a three-year commitment to working in a designated shortage area, reducing debt by up to $120,000 through the program's duration.

NIFA defines a "shortage area" as a geographic region with a critical shortage of veterinary services, especially for food animal medical shortage situations. These areas receive "shortage situation" designation through a multistep process involving state and federal actors as outlined by NIFA. The agency process begins with releasing the Federal Register Notice on an annual or as needs basis, which solicits nominations for veterinary shortage situations from all State Animal Health Officials and Federal Animal Health Officials. NIFA then uses an external panel of veterinary experts to review nominations and decide on designation status.

According to NIFA's Veterinary Shortage Situation webpage, the amended National Veterinary Medical Services Act (NVMSA) requires the designation process to prioritize food animal medicine shortages to address food supply concerns; placing less of an emphasis on large animal vets who do not treat food production animals. Additionally, the NVMSA, to effectively direct funds where they are most useful, sorts nominations into three distinct categories:

• Type I: Requires 80% full-time private practice in food supply veterinary medicine and can occur in rural or urban settings.

• Type II: Requires at least 30% full-time private practice in exclusively rural areas.

• Type III: Requires at least 49% full-time public practice related to food supply or public health. These positions are commonly located in the city, county, state, or federal governments, and higher education institutions.

According to the USDA's report outlining the rationale behind the allocation of resources, each state is given a maximum number of annual nominations for designated shortage areas; the aim is to reduce the veterinary shortages in the highest-need regions first, then address regions in less dire need. Regions of need can be seen in the USDA's shortage situation map, which identifies shortage areas across the country. According to NIFA, 46 states contained designated shortage areas in 2025.

Under the Trump administration, the NIFA Veterinary Shortage Nomination process will be modified; using the Veterinary Shortage Nominations submitted in fiscal year 2024 for the FY 2026 Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP) application period.

Veterinary Services Grant Programs

Authorized by Sec. 7104 of the 2014 Farm Bill, the Veterinary Services Grant was established under the USDA by Congress. In August 2024, NIFA announced it would issue 25 of these grants, which are divided into two categories: Education, Extension and Training Grants and Rural Practice Enhancement Grants.

EET grants are issued for three-year periods and provide up to $250,000 for American Veterinary Medical Association schools to expand programs that provide veterinarians, veterinary students and veterinary technicians with specialized skills and practices. RPE grants are also issued for three years and provide direct financial support of up to $125,000 to veterinary clinics and practices to purchase equipment for food animal veterinary services in designated shortage areas.

In 2025, the USDA announced it will not issue a request for applications in fiscal year 2025. The funds will be distributed to existing projects or previously peer-reviewed proposals. The NIFA will issue a request for applications starting in FY 2026.

Community Facilities Program

Community Facilities Program direct loans and grants, which are facilitated by the USDA, focus on rural development. According to the department's webpage, the program provides funding to develop essential community facilities in rural parts of America. These funds can be used for a variety of community needs such as health care facilities, educational services, promotion of local food systems, and the funding of large animal vet clinics in rural communities.

The department outlines eligibility requirements on its webpage, which states that areas must have no more than 20,000 residents to qualify as rural. The funding is distributed directly to public bodies, community-based nonprofits, and federally recognized tribes and is distributed as low-interest loans or grants. Priority is given to communities with a population of 5,500 or less and low-income communities with a median household income below 80% of the state's nonmetropolitan median household income.

Health Professions Scholarship Program

The Department of Veterans Affairs also offers a Health Professions Scholarship Program, offered by the U.S. Army. This scholarship provides funding for students enrolled in AVMA-accredited DVM programs or other health care studies. According to the VA webpage, the scholarship is open to all students. However, program participants are also involved in Army training experiences during participation.

State Programs Addressing the Large Animal Vet Shortage

Conclusion

Despite efforts by the federal government to resolve America's large animal vet shortage, the issue remains urgent. The Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program, the Health Professions Scholarship Program and other rural development initiatives offer successful solutions and incentives to address the issue. Continued funding and increasing opportunities to expand veterinary access across rural America could help address the nation's shortage of large animal vets.