Number of Veterinarians in Singapore

Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef asked the Minister for National Development (a) what is the number of vets in Singapore currently; (b) whether this number is sufficient in serving the current animal population; and (c) what is the proportion of vets offering general veterinary services versus specialised care.

Mr Khaw Boon Wan: There are 304 veterinarians licensed by the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority. Among them, 219 are in small animal practice, looking after pet animals such as dogs and cats. The rest are in other establishments such as research institutes, wildlife attractions and equine establishments.

One common indicator to assess the sufficiency of veterinary services is the veterinarian-pet ratio. A study by the World Society for the Protection of Animals showed that Singapore’s ratio was comparable to that of the United Kingdom and the United States of America

The vast majority of our veterinarians offer general veterinary services. Only four have obtained specialist recognition in the fields of small animal surgery, canine medicine and ophthalmology. Some vet centres in Singapore may on occasion invite visiting consultants to offer other specialised services such as cardiac surgeries.