Survey results highlight pet owner price sensitivity for veterinary services

Amid rising economic uncertainty and growing fears of a recession, pet owners are increasingly cost-sensitive about veterinary care. Small animal veterinary clinics have seen a 4.6% decrease in visits year-over-year as of early May, according to the Veterinary Industry Tracker from the AVMA and VetSource. The tracker regularly monitors data from nearly 6,000 practices across the U.S.

Industry readings indicate offering treatment alternatives and prioritizing client communications on affordability can help bridge the gap. Practice leaders can also analyze key metrics for client satisfaction to enhance the overall veterinary visit experience.

Gallup data

A recent survey from PetSmart Charities found 52% of pet owners in the U.S. report having skipped needed veterinary care in the past year, including 37% who say they have visited the veterinarian but declined one or more care recommendations and 15% who say they have not brought their pet to the veterinarian because of barriers such as financial considerations.

Among pet owners who declined recommended care or forwent annual visits, 71% attributed their decision to finances: either that it was not affordable or believed to be worth the cost, or both.

The survey stems from a $100 million commitment from PetSmart Charities, which commissioned Gallup to conduct the poll to assess needs and barriers to help more pets receive veterinary care.

“The hope is the findings in PetSmart Charities-Gallup State of Pet Care Study: Pet Parents’ Assessment of American Veterinary Care will influence the evolution of veterinary care to include more affordable, flexible, and accessible models,” wrote Aimee Gilbreath, president of PetSmart Charities, in the report foreword.

The survey, conducted between this past November through January, interviewed almost 2,500 dog and cat owners nationwide.

AVMA data

The Gallup data parallel AVMA information on pet owners in some areas but differ in others. For example, AVMA Chief Economist Katelyn McCullock noted that the 2024 AVMA Pet Ownership and Demographics Sourcebook shows that the majority of pet owners have visited the veterinarian in the last year.

According to the sourcebook, 69.1% of pet owners overall among 7,539 surveyed in 2024 visited a veterinary practice in the previous calendar year. A persistent gap between dog and cat owners also continued. Respondents who owned dogs (74.2%) or dogs and cats (71.6%) were much more likely to have visited a practice within the past year than cat owners (57.3%).

“Pet care expenses are more resilient than many other items, as we learned during the Great Recession,” John Volk of Brakke Consulting told AVMA News. “When pet owners cut back, it’s not that they stop going to the veterinarian entirely. Rather, they tend to stretch out the intervals between visits, and limit procedures to essential treatments.”

For those who responded they did not see a veterinarian in the previous year, pet owners cited a lack of perceived need for veterinary care as well as the cost of veterinary care or the lack of funds to pay for it. Specifically, the top three reasons cited in the sourcebook were: pets did not require checkups, they did not need vaccines, and they did not get sick or injured.

Notably, 12.3% of the dog owners and 17.4% of the cat owners said their pet “did not need a checkup” in 2023, and those figures jumped to 22.8% and 31.1%, respectively, in 2024.

McCullock said, “As financial pressures increase for many clients, veterinarians can support them by continuing to be intentional about care, options, cost conversations, and collaborating with clients to develop personalized care plans that meet the medical needs of the animal and the unique circumstances of the family.”

Alternative options

Zach Hrynowski, a senior researcher at Gallup, in an April 16 press release announcing the Gallup study, said data show that many pet owners are not being presented with alternative care options that could make veterinary services more accessible, despite interest in such options.

He pointed to Gallup study results that showed 73% of pet owners who declined care due to affordability concerns said they were not offered another more viable alternative. Meanwhile, 64% said payment plans would have potentially doubled the amount they could afford to pay for life-saving veterinary care, but only 23% were offered the option.

The most commonly declined services include diagnostic procedures (22%) and preventive care like vaccinations (18%), while 16% of all pet owners have declined elective surgeries, 11% have forgone recommended medications, and 7% have refused lifesaving surgeries. Among those who have declined care, 14% report that their pet's condition worsened, or their pet died.

The Gallup survey results also show some support for nontraditional veterinary care models, with approximately four in 10 expressing interest in telemedicine, community clinics, and home visits.

The survey will be conducted biannually to track progress and impact.

“Additionally, to gain insights into challenges facing the veterinary industry, we’ll survey veterinary practitioners and gather data to tackle both sides of the issue,” Gilbreath said. “Both perspectives are crucial, and solutions must work for pet parents and veterinary healthcare teams to make lasting change.”