Access to veterinary care is a prerequisite for livestock welfare, but cost, availability, and cultural factors limit effective use of veterinary services for many livestock keepers globally.
Veterinary access is both a welfare resource and a welfare indicator: farms with regular planned preventive veterinary involvement have better welfare outcomes than those that only call the vet for acute crises. The barrier to welfare-effective veterinary use is not usually willingness but cost and availability. In many lower-income contexts, livestock owners lack both access to qualified vets and the resources to pay for treatment. Innovative approaches including community animal health worker programmes, mobile veterinary clinics, and insurance schemes that cover welfare-related treatment costs can significantly improve livestock welfare in underserved communities.