Clinic revenue drops, but business will return: survey

Three-fourths of veterinary hospitals in a recent survey reported a revenue reduction of more than 20%, according to the AVMA. About a third of the respondents reported revenue decreases of at least 40%.

Independent Vets, a company that provides relief veterinarians to animal hospitals in the Northeast, conducted the survey, gathering responses from about 215 northeastern veterinary practices and about 100 in other parts of the country.

Most practices also reported appointment reductions of at least 20%. Still, 66% of respondents said they’re confident business will return to normal. The main drivers to build revenue will be recapturing wellness visits, nonessential surgeries and dental visits that were pushed back.

In another recent survey, 80% of veterinary clinic respondents said they were offering only curbside service during the pandemic. The survey provided April data from VetWatch, which collected information from 212 respondents. (VetWatch is a resource from Veterinary Advantage publisher NAVC.)

Half of the practices in that survey said they were operating with normal hours. About 14% said they’d eliminated weekend hours, while seven practices said they were offering special hours for older clients.