NOMV links environmental health to pet and veterinary team wellbeing: full analysis

Not One More Vet is making a direct connection that many clinics are already feeling on the ground: environmental stressors are affecting both patients and the people caring for them. In its blog post, “Healthy Planet, Healthy Pets, Healthy Veterinary Teams,” NOMV argues that rising heat, air pollution, and chemical exposures are contributing to illness in pets while also increasing emotional and psychological strain on veterinary teams. That framing pushes climate and environmental health beyond an abstract sustainability discussion and into day-to-day clinical care and workforce wellbeing. (avma.org)

The broader profession has been moving in this direction for several years. The AVMA says it has endorsed the World Veterinary Association’s position that climate change is a global emergency and states that veterinarians have a professional responsibility to protect environmental health. The WVA position, as carried by AVMA, points to animal-health consequences including changing vector-borne disease patterns, altered parasitic burdens, feed-related risks, and the effects of extreme weather events. (avma.org)

That backdrop helps explain why NOMV’s message may resonate now. Companion animal clinicians are already being asked to counsel pet parents through seasonal and environmental risks, from heat exposure to smoke events. AVMA’s 2025 wildfire smoke advisory warned that smoke can cause respiratory irritation and other clinical signs in pets, especially those with pre-existing heart or lung disease, and urged veterinarians and pet parents to limit exposure during poor-air-quality periods. Its seasonal safety guidance has also highlighted the growing warm-weather burden of parasites, toxic exposures, and heat-related hazards. (avma.org)

Research suggests the profession sees the problem clearly, even if training hasn’t caught up. A 2025 brief research report in Frontiers in Veterinary Science found that 81% of respondents believed climate change has at least some relevance to patient care, but only 6% felt very knowledgeable about animal-health impacts. The same study found that 94% reported no available education on the topic, or said they were unaware of it. Respondents identified environmentally sustainable veterinary practice, individual animal health impacts, and the economics of climate-related animal health effects as leading knowledge priorities. They also pointed to practical client-facing topics such as disaster preparedness, heat-associated illness, vector-borne infections, and air quality. (frontiersin.org)

Industry and practice leaders are also increasingly linking environmental action with team culture. AAHA reporting on sustainability in veterinary hospitals described a growing view that hospitals use substantial energy, water, chemicals, and waste streams that both affect the environment and create opportunities for operational change. Sources cited by AAHA said sustainability efforts can improve staff engagement, support morale, attract team members, and even generate positive client response when clinics communicate those efforts clearly. (aaha.org)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, NOMV’s article is important less because it announces a new policy than because it captures an emerging operating reality. Climate-related health risks are becoming part of preventive counseling, urgent care, chronic disease management, and disaster planning, while the emotional load of delivering that care falls on teams already under strain. If practices treat environmental health only as an external issue, they may miss both the clinical preparation their teams need and the workplace support that could reduce burnout. The research and trade guidance now available suggest that climate literacy, practical protocols, and sustainable operations are starting to look less like optional extras and more like part of modern veterinary readiness. (frontiersin.org)

There’s also a client communication angle. Pet parents increasingly expect guidance on smoke exposure, heat risk, parasite shifts, disaster preparedness, and safer use or disposal of products and medications. Practices that can translate those concerns into clear, evidence-based recommendations may strengthen trust while reducing preventable emergencies. At the same time, clinics that align environmental efforts with staff wellbeing may find a quieter but meaningful advantage in retention and recruitment. (avma.org)

What to watch: The next step is likely to be more formal integration of climate and environmental health into veterinary education, continuing education, and hospital operations. Watch for additional CE offerings, stronger practice guidance from professional groups, and more explicit efforts to connect sustainability initiatives with mental health and team support. (frontiersin.org)