The Veterinary Council of New Zealand says it is taking a pragmatic approach as a regulator because the sector is feeling the pressure of the Covid-19 pandemic and staff shortages.
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The council said there had been a shortage of vets in Aotearoa and other western countries for quite a few years, but border restrictions had exacerbated the problem.
Council chief executive Iain McLachlan said increasing pet ownership in New Zealand during Covid-19 lockdowns had added further pressure.
"We're short quite a lot of vets compared to what we normally would be seeing ... that's placing more and more pressure on veterinarians who are in the job in veterinary clinics who are trying to meet society's needs for animal care."
McLachlan said the council was not changing its rules or lowering expectations but was taking a reasonable and pragmatic approach to deal with issues that could arise.
For example, he said in some situations it was currently impossible for a practice to be available 24/7 for clients needing emergency services, as is required in the industry's code of professional conduct.
McLachlan said it was open to reasonable requests for temporary relief from 24/7 emergency service provision and recognised that not all professional development would be completed until pressure on the workforce eased.
It was also taking the vet shortage and pandemic into account when considering complaints and concerns, he said.
McLachlan said vets were prioritising animals that needed urgent care and a little patience and understanding from customers would go a long way.
"We are also launching a campaign to let the public know that while vets may be working differently, high standards of care are being maintained."