Environmental health gains ground in veterinary team wellbeing
Bottom line
Environmental health is moving closer to the center of veterinary medicine, with a growing chorus of voices tying climate and sustainability issues not just to pet health, but to team wellbeing and practice operations. A recent Not One More Vet blog post, “Healthy Planet, Healthy Pets, Healthy Veterinary Teams,” argues that rising heat, worsening air quality, and chemical exposures are showing up more often in clinical caseloads while also adding emotional strain for veterinary professionals. That framing aligns with broader industry messaging: Mars Veterinary Health has highlighted renewable electricity, waste reduction, and pharmaceutical stewardship across its hospital network, while VETgirl’s Earth Day guidance has pushed clinics toward practical steps like reducing energy use, cutting waste, and rethinking everyday supplies. (nomv.org)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, this is less about branding and more about workload, risk, and resilience. The NOMV piece points to environmentally linked illness as a contributor to moral distress and compassion fatigue, especially when cases are severe, urgent, and potentially preventable. The research it cites supports that concern: a 2021 Frontiers study found urban outdoor dogs experienced the highest heat exposure, and newer work from researchers at LSE and the University of Liverpool links higher particulate air pollution to increased veterinary visits for cats and dogs. A 2023 review also found pet dogs and cats are exposed to endocrine-disrupting chemicals associated with conditions including thyroid disease, cancer, and reproductive disorders. (nomv.org)
What to watch: Expect more clinics, hospital groups, and wellbeing advocates to connect sustainability planning with patient care, staff support, and emergency preparedness, especially ahead of peak heat and wildfire seasons. (nomv.org)
Environmental sustainability is increasingly being framed as a clinical and workforce issue in veterinary medicine, not just an operational one. That’s the core message of Not One More Vet’s March 16, 2026, blog post, “Healthy Planet, Healthy Pets, Healthy Veterinary Teams,” which argues that rising temperatures, air pollution, and chemical exposures are contributing to more environmentally linked illness in pets while also increasing emotional and operational pressure on veterinary teams. (nomv.org)
That message lands in a profession already grappling with burnout, moral distress, and staffing strain. NOMV’s article argues that repeated exposure to preventable suffering, such as heatstroke, smoke inhalation, or toxic exposures, can intensify compassion fatigue and emotional exhaustion for clinicians and support staff. It also ties environmental events to difficult financial conversations with pet parents, especially when urgent care is available but costly. (nomv.org)
The clinical backdrop is becoming harder to ignore. The Frontiers in Veterinary Science study cited by NOMV found that urban outdoor dogs in the southern United States experienced the highest heat exposures over a 24-hour period, suggesting that local built environments can materially shape heat risk in companion animals. NOMV also cited a 2024 working paper on air pollution and petcare utilization; that research has since appeared in a 2025 paper version associated with the same authors and finds that increased particulate pollution is associated with more veterinary consultations for cats and dogs. In addition, a 2023 review in Animals summarized evidence linking endocrine-disrupting chemical exposure in dogs and cats with thyroid, reproductive, and cancer-related effects. (frontiersin.org)
At the same time, parts of the industry are trying to move from awareness to operational change. Mars Veterinary Health said in its inaugural environmental sustainability update, released in January 2025, that it had achieved 100% renewable electricity across more than 2,300 Banfield, BluePearl, Linnaeus, and VCA clinics in the U.S. and U.K. The company has also highlighted efforts to reduce waste in blood banking and explore lower-impact anesthetic gas capture, positioning sustainability as part of care delivery rather than a side initiative. In a 2025 dvm360 interview, Mars’ global head of sustainability said the company aimed to source renewable electricity across its European AniCura hospitals by the end of 2025, as part of Mars’ broader net-zero-by-2050 goal. (rss.globenewswire.com)
Outside large corporate networks, the conversation is also filtering into continuing education and practice culture. VETgirl’s Earth Day guidance from Dr. Justine Lee focused on lower-lift changes, including energy efficiency, reducing disposable paper use where feasible, and encouraging more environmentally conscious daily habits in clinic. That practical framing matters because many independent practices may not have the scale or capital to launch major infrastructure projects, but they can still make changes in procurement, waste streams, and staff education. (vetgirlontherun.com)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the bigger shift is conceptual. Climate and environmental health are increasingly becoming part of preventive care, triage planning, client communication, workplace safety, and team wellbeing. If heat waves, smoke events, and pollution spikes continue to drive acute presentations, clinics may need stronger protocols for seasonal client education, surge planning, staff support, and local disaster coordination. The NOMV argument is that environmental solutions can function as wellbeing solutions too: preventing avoidable cases may reduce both patient suffering and the cumulative stress carried by teams. That’s a One Health lens with direct implications for practice management. (nomv.org)
There’s also a business and leadership angle. Sustainability efforts in veterinary medicine now span renewable energy, medical waste, supply chain choices, blood product distribution, anesthetic gases, and antimicrobial stewardship. For practice leaders, the near-term challenge will be separating meaningful operational changes from symbolic ones, and deciding which interventions improve care, reduce costs, support staff, or all three. The strongest case for action may be where those goals overlap. (rss.globenewswire.com)
What to watch: Watch for more veterinary groups, nonprofits, and educators to tie environmental risk directly to caseload trends, staff wellbeing, and preparedness planning, particularly during the 2026 summer heat, wildfire, and severe weather season. (nomv.org)