Exploring the future sustainability of farm animal veterinary practice

This paper explores the future sustainability of farm animal veterinary practice in light of changes in both the farming and veterinary sectors. The paper makes a valuable contribution to the rural enterprise and veterinary business literatures, finding that future sustainability of farm animal veterinary practice is dependent on vets being prepared to change with their clients, develop supportive partnerships and create effective marketing strategies. We use our findings to propose a model for the future sustainability of farm animal veterinary practice. Given that the future of this sector depends on the stability and growth of the livestock industry, we provide context for our discussion by briefly reviewing the farm animal sector. The potential impact of the gender shift towards a predominately female veterinary profession is also considered. Some policy implications are discussed alongside avenues for future research.