From horse doctor to cow leech to veterinary manager. Regulation of the market for veterinary services in historical perspective

In the course of the last two centuries veterinarians succeeded in gaining a monopoly with respect to a number of specific tasks within society under the motto "to the benefit of man and animal alike". Today, a veterinary infrastructure exists in the western world, which is usually taken for granted by society. Before the responsibility for maintaining animal resources and protecting both animal and human health were entrusted to veterinarians, both the process of scientific progress and professionalization of veterinary medicine were necessary. In this paper the regulation of the market for veterinary services in The Netherlands is decribed. Until World War II, the military and the colonies represented a major demand for veterinary services. A healthly livestock has always been considered as a main concern by the Dutch government with respect to the domestic food supply as well as exports. State intervention concerning veterinary medicine therefore focused on the organized campaigns against livestock diseases. Early national veterinary legislation originated from this concern, as is still the case today within the EU framework. The protection of human health only became part of the veterinary professional domain at a relatively late stage. Due to a strong economic growth from the 1960s onwards, veterinary practice was extended with the care for an increasing number of companion animals. The veterinary profession and its employment are subject to changes in society, such as the number of animals and the significance that is paid to the different species. In 1900 there were 4 million production animals in The Netherlands, while the human population counted 5 million. One century later, not less than approximately 130 million farm animals and 30 million companion animals are living in this country, which now has about 16 million inhabitants. Consquently, the total number of active vets increased from about 250 to 4,000 in the same period, while the number of group and solo practices both increased.