Veterinarians Across Canada Sound the Alarm Over Critical Medication Shortages

Over the past month, several news outlets have brought attention to a growing challenge in the country’s pet and livestock sectors: a nationwide shortage of veterinary medications. Professional associations, dairy producers, and animal health experts are calling for regulatory reforms as the situation intensifies.

According to a recent report by Global News, Canadian veterinarians have lost access to roughly 40 percent of the medications that were once available in the country’s animal health market. The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) describes the situation as “frustrating” and warns that shortages are affecting both small animal clinics and large animal producers.

📎 Article: "Frustrating: Veterinarians urge regulatory changes as medicine shortages mount"
https://globalnews.ca/news/11549213/veterinarians-drug-shortage-concerns/

A detailed analysis shared through Barchart News highlights how regulatory changes introduced by Health Canada in 2017, combined with Canada’s relatively small market size, have made it less appealing for pharmaceutical companies to license or maintain animal health products domestically.

📎 Coverage:
https://www.barchart.com/story/news/36347659/frustrating-veterinarians-urge-regulatory-changes-as-medicine-shortages-mount

Impact on Canadian Dairy Producers

The issue extends beyond pets. A report in DairyNews Today warns that the shortages are now threatening the health and productivity of Canada’s dairy herds. Without timely access to essential medications, routine conditions such as mastitis, lameness, and digestive disorders become harder to treat. This poses risks to animal welfare and to the stability of Canada’s food supply.

📎 Article: "Veterinary Medicine Shortages Threaten Dairy Herd Health in Canada"
https://dairynews.today/news/veterinary-medicine-shortages-threaten-dairy-herd-health-in-canada.html

Producers and veterinarians argue that unless regulatory pathways are modernized, particularly around imports and generic approvals, clinical tools will continue to disappear from shelves. This would limit treatment options and raise costs for both pet clinics and livestock operations.

A Structural Market Problem

The Canadian Animal Health Institute (CAHI) provides important context. Canada represents only about 2.5 percent of the global animal health market and roughly 10 percent of the United States market. For many pharmaceutical manufacturers, the cost of navigating Canadian regulatory approvals outweighs the potential return. As a result, companies often avoid launching products here or discontinue them after initial approval.
📎 Policy background:
https://cahi-icsa.ca/policy-and-outreach/availability-of-veterinary-medicines

CAHI and CVMA both stress that without changes to streamline approvals or harmonize standards with larger markets, shortages will likely continue and possibly worsen.

What This Means for Canada’s Pet Industry

For the broader pet sector, including retailers, distributors, pet food manufacturers, breeders, and service providers, these shortages may influence the industry in several ways:

• Changes in clinic purchasing behavior as veterinarians turn to alternative therapies, compounding pharmacies, or imported options
  

• Increased demand for preventive care and wellness products as pet owners look for non-prescription solutions

• A shift in industry advocacy priorities with a stronger focus on regulatory modernization and supply chain resilience

• New exhibitor interest at B2B trade shows where supplement companies, functional nutrition brands, and alternative medicine suppliers may see increased attention
  

As Canada’s pet industry continues to grow, ensuring stable access to veterinary medications will be essential for animal welfare, clinical practice, and the economic health of the sector.

Credits

This article summarizes reporting from the following outlets:

• Global News

• Barchart News

• DairyNews Today

• Canadian Animal Health Institute (CAHI)