Veterinary visits are down, yet our society’s love affair with pets has never been stronger. Pet numbers and pet lifespans are up, and the bond between pets and families continues to grow. Despite all that, we’re seeing fewer wagging tails coming through our doors. The contradiction is real. Why? In part, because we’ve erected barriers to veterinary care, perhaps inadvertently or unintentionally, but raised them, nonetheless. We are aware of the barriers: higher fees, reduced availability, transportation issues, client education gaps, language and cultural hurdles, client fears of being judged, a lack of trust, and limited payment options.
Let’s dive deeper into two of the most significant barriers: fee increases and limited availability.
Why the Sticker Shock?
Our fees have risen dramatically in recent years because of these usual suspects:
- Inflation: Rent, utilities, insurance and supplies cost more. Someone must cover our expenses.
- Labor: We’re paying better wages and offering more fringe benefits to attract and keep talented team members. Rightly so.
- Staffing shortages: We don’t have enough veterinarians and veterinary technicians. Lower capacity leads to higher prices.
- Human-animal bond: Greater client expectations and a growing number of pets result in a higher potential demand for veterinary care.
- Medical advancements: Better veterinary care — new medications, diagnostics, equipment and treatments — comes at a price. While care is steadily improving, so are the costs.
- Regulatory compliance: Increased oversight and higher standards also come at a price.
- Pet health insurance: As more people purchase coverage for their pets, there is less pressure to keep fees low (as is true in human medicine).
- Longer visits: The British Veterinary Association, in response to a request from the U.K.’s Competition and Market Authority, reported that patient visit times have risen from six to 10 minutes to 15 to 20 minutes over the past decade due to growing client expectations. Longer visits and higher costs — time is money.
One can argue that we have underpriced our services for decades. Recent fee increases might reflect a correction as much as an inflationary spike. We have moved prices to a level that allows for better pay, benefits, equipment, facilities and support.
A Brief Look Back
When I started in practice, we essentially held a monopoly on vaccines. Does anyone remember the first parvo outbreak? Back then, we could charge hefty fees for vaccines, a reliable profit center that allowed us to subsidize other parts of the hospital. Eventually, vaccine clinics and animal shelters laid claim to that space. That wasn’t a bad thing, as broader access to preventive care is a win. But it meant we had to evolve.
Then came the pharmacy gold rush. In-house drug revenue helped keep the lights on, but the revenue stream faded as online and big-box pharmacies entered the veterinary space.
Today, diagnostics might be the new monopoly. Blood work, imaging and pathology are still exclusive to the veterinary provider. However, wearables, at-home testing and tech innovation will change those categories, too. That’s capitalism. That’s evolution. Like it or not, here it comes. We will continue to evolve and adapt. What’s the next revenue stream?
Diminished Availability
Higher fees and less access to veterinary care are a difficult combo for consumers to navigate. Why has service availability dropped? Again, multiple factors are at play, many of which are perfectly reasonable, and some of which were necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The changes were sometimes overdue and necessary at the time, and all were made with the best intentions. But combined, they’ve contributed to lower availability. Consider the following.
- Shrinking hours: Many hospitals are closed on evenings and weekends. Saturday appointments aren’t a staple anymore. Four-day workweeks are great for our personal wellness, but they also mean we’re less available to others. Working four days a week compared with the old five days results in nearly two months less time on the clinic floor annually. Likewise, weekly full-time hours have crept down.
- More paid time off: Receiving four weeks away from the clinic instead of two weeks is to be celebrated, but it contributes to lower availability.
- Appointment friction: Booking fees, blocking off time for charting and limited appointment slots are understandable but ultimately add barriers to care.
- Marketing cuts: Why spend money promoting our practices when we were overwhelmed during COVID-19? It’s time to reinvest in search engine optimization, social media and client education. Let’s help our clients find their way back through our doors. Make it convenient for them.
- Reduced client service: We focused almost exclusively on back-of-the-house efficiency during the pandemic crunch and let the front of the house slip. Phones went unanswered, forward bookings fell by the wayside, client reminders went unsent, and lapsed pet owners were ignored. Let’s turn our focus back to the front. Client service representatives are key to driving more visits.
Many of our decisions made sense individually. However, together they painted a picture. We’ve made it harder for clients to see us.
How do we balance our teams’ work-life needs and a growing and more demanding client base?
Solutions: The Middle Path
Diagnosing the problem is easy. Treating it is harder but not impossible.
When it comes to rising fees, let’s start with a spectrum of care mindset, expanded payment options, pet insurance, wellness plans, improved client education and better client connections. Let’s meet people where they are.
Regarding diminished visits, let’s start at the front. Invest in the professional development of our CSRs. Practice leaders can pick up the phone, review their reminder system and examine their booking policies. Work one Saturday each month and consider an evening shift.
You don’t have to do it all. Find your team’s unique balance between client needs and team well-being. It can be done. A compromise, as everywhere in life, is needed.
The Good News?
The economy ebbs and flows, but our profession? It’s resilient. As long as people love pets — they do and always will — we’ll have a meaningful role to play. What we do for pets and families has never been more critical.
Veterinary medicine will continue to evolve. There will always be a next chapter. Our job is to continue adapting, removing barriers and ensuring that medical care is available and affordable to as many pet families as possible.
Let’s keep opening doors.
WEEKEND WORK
According to a 2025 Veterinary Hospital Managers Association survey, 18% of the respondents reported that their practice was open on both Saturday and Sunday.