Veterinary care is financially out of reach for many pet owners, a recent survey exploring pet owners’ experiences with veterinary care found. The same study found that more than half (52%) of US pet owners have skipped or declined necessary veterinary care for their pets despite 97% of pet parents considering their pets family.

PetSmart Charities-Gallup State of Pet Care Study: Pet Parents’ Assessment of American Veterinary Care

, conducted by PetSmart Charities and Gallup, interviewed 2498 cat and dog owners across the US between November 13, 2024 and January 9, 2025, on topics that included how often they take their pets to the veterinarian, where they obtain pet health information, and how well veterinarians offer services that meet the needs of themselves and their pets. Both web-based and mailed surveys were used to ensure representation from a broad range of pet owners, including those without internet access. Gallup also weighted the sample to reflect national demographics of US dog and cat owners, including gender, age, race, Hispanic ethnicity, education, and region, according to PetSmart Charities.

Veterinary care costs pose a concern for high- and low- income pet owners

In pet owners across different income levels, financial barriers were reported as a reason to forgo or decline veterinary care. The survey found pet owners in households with an income of less than $60,000 were most likely to avoid care due to affordability. Higher income earners, meanwhile, had a greater tendency of declining services they did not believe justified the cost. Still, in those earning $90,000 or more, a third reported skipping veterinary care due to financial constraints.

At the time of the survey, 52% of pet parents reported having not taken their pets to the veterinarian within the past year, even when they felt their pet needed veterinary care, or declined care recommended by a veterinarian.

 The percentage of these pet owners were particularly high among

Pet owners living in households earning less than $60,000 annually (55%)

Additionally, 57% of veterinarians said they were unable to provide patients with desired care due to client economic limitations, according to a 2017 survey on small animal veterinarians’ opinions and actions regarding costs of care, effects of economic limitations on patient care and outcome, and more.

According to the State of Pet Care Study survey, the most declined veterinary services were diagnostic procedures, including blood tests (22%) and preventive care, such as yearly examinations and vaccinations (18%).

Pet owners are aware of the risks of skipping veterinary care

Fourteen percent of pet owners who skipped veterinary care said their pet’s condition worsened, or their pet died. Only a third of those who declined veterinary care saw an improvement in their pet’s condition after skipping care.

According to the survey’s findings, 30% of pet owners said they knew a friend or family member whose pet passed away because the owner could not afford the necessary veterinary care. Seven percent of survey participants reported declining lifesaving surgeries for their pet. Additionally, 11% reported knowing someone who had to surrender a pet because veterinary care was too expensive.

Seventy-three percent of survey participants who declined care due to cost indicated not being offered a more cost-effective option. Of the pet owners who declined care that was not practical for them or their pet, 46% said they were not offered an option that better fit their needs.

“...While the most advanced care is an option that should be explored for pet parents, it should not be presented as the only option—or perhaps not even the first option—given the number of pet parents who have financial considerations and the robust research on first-recommendation bias,” wrote the authors of the State of Pet Care Study.

Sixty-four percent of pet owners said payment plans would make it possible for them to afford to pay at least twice the amount for lifesaving treatment for their pet. Still, less than 1 in 4 owners has ever been offered a payment plan, according to the survey’s findings.

Approximately 4 in 10 pet owners were interested in alternative veterinary care methods for their pets, such as community clinics (38%), home visits from a veterinarian (38%), or telemedicine (37%). Black pet owners (54%), 18- to 29-year-olds (48%), and those living in households earning less than $60,000 annually (47%) reported the highest interest in community clinics.

"The data show that many pet parents are not being presented with alternative care options that could make veterinary services more accessible, despite interest in such options," Zach Hrynowski, a senior researcher at Gallup, said in a news release.

 "Our analysis of the data points to a clear opportunity for the veterinary industry to expand affordable, flexible solutions that meet pet parents' needs."

Pet companionship offers extensive mental and physical health benefits, with the Human Animal Bond Research Institute estimating that pet ownership saves the US healthcare system nearly $23 billion annually.

Yet, approximately 50 million pets in the US lack access to appropriate veterinary care, ie., care that meets the basic standards, according to PetSmart Charities.

“The hope is the findings in [the]...State of Pet Care Study... will influence the evolution of veterinary care to include more affordable, flexible, and accessible models,” wrote Aimee Gilbreath, MBA, president of PetSmart Charities, in the study’s foreword.

 Q&A, Jaynes shares resources and strategies veterinary professionals can use to provide flexible and affordable care to clients, including adopting spectrum and incremental care models and improving operational efficiency. She also discusses the importance of understanding legal boundaries when offering care options to clients, such as state veterinary practice acts; and details what veterinary teams can do to support clients who are unable to afford necessary treatment for their pet.

 Robyn Jaynes, DVM, director of veterinary affairs at PetSmart Charities, stressed the urgent need for collaboration across the veterinary field to improve access to care, noting that change will require efforts from clinics, schools, and leaders alike. "The veterinary industry must unite to ensure every pet has access to care, as the magnitude of the problem is such that no one entity can solve this on their own," she said.

"Clinics should practice flexibility and focus on providing options that work for each pet family’s needs. Veterinary schools must train vets in spectrum-of-care practice and continue research supporting lower-cost models, and industry leaders need to drive innovation that also reduces costs. Together, we can build a system that meets families where they are, because access to veterinary care shouldn’t be a privilege," Jaynes continued.

According to PetSmart Charities, the organization has committed to $100 million to improving access to veterinary care. The charity is offering grant funding to expand affordable veterinary care clinics, support research on affordable payment options, investigate single-service models to help lower costs for pet owners, and more.

"We estimate the cost to ensure adequate care for all pets currently going without it is over $20 billion annually using traditional care delivery models," said Gilbreath.

 "Systematic solutions to this crisis go well beyond what 1 organization can provide—we need a united front from veterinary industry leaders, schools, practices and nonprofit animal welfare leaders to produce sustainable change."

PetSmart Charitites-Gallup State of Pet Care Study: Pet Parents’ Assessment of American Veterinary Care. Gallup, PetSmart Charities. Accessed April 17, 2025. 

https://www.gallup.com/analytics/659123/gallup-petsmart-charities.aspx

New study finds more than half of U.S. pet parents skip or decline needed veterinary care. News release. PetSmart Charities. April 16, 2025. Accessed April 17, 2025. 

https://prnmedia.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-study-finds-more-than-half-of-us-pet-parents-skip-or-decline-needed-veterinary-care-302429953.html

Kipperman BS, Kass PH, Rishniw M. Factors that influence small animal veterinarians’ opinions and actions regarding cost of care and effects of economic limitations on patient care and outcome and professional career satisfaction and Burnout. 

Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association

. 2017;250(7):785-794. doi:10.2460/javma.250.7.785

Articles

Nearly 1 in 3 pet parents says they know someone whose pet passed away because the owner could not afford the necessary treatment.

Many pet owners cannot afford veterinary care, survey finds

The FDA announced that is going to be replacing animal testing in the development of monoclonal antibody therapies and other drugs with more effective and human-relevant methods. This move by the FDA is a "groundbreaking" step to advancing public health, and the new approach is designed to improve drug safety and accelerate the evaluation process but also reduce animal experimentation, research and develop costs (R&D), and eventually drug prices.

According to an organizational release, animal testing requirements will be reduced, refined, and possibly replaced by the FDA using different approaches. Some of the new approaches include artificial intelligence (AI)-base computational models of toxicity and cell lines and organoid toxicity testing in a laboratory setting, also known as New Approach Methodologies or NAMs data. The FDA will implement this new regimen immediately for investigational new drug applications, where NAMs data inclusion is encouraged, and it is outlined in a roadmap released by the FDA.

 The agency will also start to use pre-existing, real-world safety data from other countries that have comparable regulatory standards and the drug was already studied in humans to determine its efficacy.

“For too long, drug manufacturers have performed additional animal testing of drugs that have data in broad human use internationally. This initiative marks a paradigm shift in drug evaluation and holds promise to accelerate cures and meaningful treatments for Americans while reducing animal use,” said Martin A. Makary, MD, MPH, FDA commissioner, in the release.

“By leveraging AI-based computational modeling, human organ model-based lab testing, and real-world human data, we can get safer treatments to patients faster and more reliably, while also reducing R&D costs and drug prices. It is a win-win for public health and ethics,” he continued.

According to the FDA, key benefits of replacing animal testing in monoclonal antibody safety evaluation include:

This roadmap will encourage drug developers to leverage computer modeling and AI to predict drug behavior.

The FDA will promote the use of lab-grown human “organoids” and organ-on-a-chip systems that can mimic human organs to test drug safety. These types of experiments can reveal toxic effects that might go undetected in animals.

The FDA is working to update its guidelines to allow consideration of data from the new methods. Companies can submit strong safety data from non-animal tests could potentially receive streamlined review as the need for certain animal studies is eliminated. This could incentivize investment in modernized testing platforms.

Using modern techniques could also help the drug development process go by quicker and enables monoclonal antibody therapies to reach patients more quickly without compromising safety.

Through this move, the FDA is reaffirming its role as a global leader in modern regulatory science and setting new standards for the industry. The move also is encouraging the adoption of innovative and humane testing methods following years of Congress and the scientific community pushing for more human-relevant testing methods.

“For patients, it means a more efficient pipeline for novel treatments. It also means an added margin of safety, since human-based test systems may better predict real-world outcomes. For animal welfare, it represents a major step toward ending the use of laboratory animals in drug testing. Thousands of animals, including dogs and primates, could eventually be spared each year as these new methods take root,” Makary concluded.

To accelerate the validation and adoption of these methods, the FDA is working in partnership with other federal agencies, including the National Institutes of Health, the National Toxicology Program and the Department of Veterans Affairs, and through the Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Validation of Alternative Methods.

 The FDA and its federal partners will be hosting a public workshop later this year to gather stakeholders input on the implementation and discuss the roadmap.

The FDA also plans to launch a pilot program allowing select monoclonal antibody developers to use primarily non-animal-based testing strategies under close consultation from its agency. The findings from an accompanying pilot study will inform broader policy changes and guidance updates, all of which are expected to roll out in phases.

FDA Announces Plan to Phase Out Animal Testing Requirement for Monoclonal Antibodies and Other Drugs. News release. US Food and Drug Administration. April 10, 2025. Accessed April 17, 2025. 

https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-announces-plan-phase-out-animal-testing-requirement-monoclonal-antibodies-and-other-drugs

Roadmap to reducing animal testing in preclinical safety studies. US Food and Drug Administration. April 10, 2025. Accessed April 17, 2025. https://www.fda.gov/media/186092/download?attachment.

This is a groundbreaking step toward advancing public health by using more effective and human-relevant methods instead of animal testing

FDA to phase out animal testing requirement for monoclonal antibodies and other drugs

A nutraceutical for enhancing canine joint health is launching in the US animal health market. The supplement (4CYTE Epiitalis Forte Dog) is distributed by epiq Animal Health in partnership with Interpath Global, a research and development company for animal joint health, is derived from plant seed oil that is high in unique fatty acids.

The US release of the supplement for canines, “4CYTE Dog,” follows the December 2024 launch of a companion equine gel product (4CYTE Epiitalis Forte Horse), “4CYTE Horse.” The supplement for horses was made available to the US market in December 2024 with a product launch at the American Association of Equine Practitioners conference in Orlando, Florida, according to an email from epiq Animal Health.

4CYTE Dog and 4CYTE Horse are formulated with the patented ingredient Epiitalis Forte, a natural plant seed oil that is sustainably sourced, according to epiq Animal Health. Both 4CYTE and Epiitalis have undergone “rigorous” assessments for safety and efficacy including clinical trials with various species that include dogs, horses and humans.

In a 2020 pilot study of 4CYTE Dog, for example, investigators at the University of Melbourne in Australia found 93.5% of the 50 enrolled canines with naturally occurring osteoarthritis (OA) used the supplement for managing the condition and demonstrated improvement in quality of life, with 74% showing mobility improvement by day 28. Investigators of the pilot study concluded the supplement was successful in reducing OA symptoms in dogs.

Both the canine and equine supplements were previously made available abroad through other distributors, according to the epiq email. These supplements have been sold in Australia, where they were developed, and have also found markets in Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.

Rebecca Britton, general manager of Interpath Global, said 4CYTE products for dogs and horses have been scientifically proven to enhance joint health function in horses and dogs, and epiq is excited to bring it to the US market. “The feedback from horse and dog owners around the world and, most importantly, the exceptional clinical outcomes for the animals themselves are second to none," Britton said in a news release.

Both supplements are now available to US customers through animal health technology and services provider Covetrus, while agreements with additional animal health product distributors are pending. The supplement for dogs can also be purchased online through Amazon. Additionally, the supplement for horses is available online through the equine supplies market SmartPak, a subsidiary of Covetrus.

epiq Animal Health and Interpath Global launch second joint health product offering—this one for the dogs. News release. epiq Animal Health. April 17, 2025. Accessed April 17, 2025. 

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/epiq-animal-health-and-interpath-global-launch-second-joint-health-product-offering--this-one-for-dogs-302428970.html

Beths T, Munn R, Bauquier SH, Mitchel P, Whittem T. A pilot study of 4CYTE™ Epiitalis® Forte, a novel Nutraceutical, in the management of naturally occurring osteoarthritis in the dog. University of Melbourne. Accessed April 17, 2025. 

https://minerva-access.unimelb.edu.au/rest/bitstreams/de9c78e3-0d67-549c-b888-7fd0b0cee6ba/retrieve

The nutraceutical 4CYTE Epiitalis Forte Dog was previously only available abroad  and is now distributed domestically by epiq Animal Health and Interpath Global.

Supplement for managing canine OA is launched in the US market

During this interview with Renee Schmid, DVM, DABT, DABVT, she discusses the dangerous affects that THC and cannabis products can have on a pet's health ahead of the cannabis holiday 4/20 this Sunday.

Video interview with Renee Schmid, DVM, DABT, DABVT

Every year on April 20, cannabis and THC consumers across the United States celebrate it as the unofficial cannabis holiday. However, with the celebration comes some warnings from veterinary professionals because cannabis and THC can be a massive threat to pets if ingested. Each year, marijuana has been climbing up the list of Top Toxins at Pet Poison Helpline after making its first appearance on the list in 2022.

 Pets can be affected by ingesting edibles or the owner's supplies, and even second-hand smoke from the owner, but another concern for these pets is other factors that can be tied to the products, such as chocolate edibles or xylitol filed gummies.

To help spread awareness and educate on the dangerous postions pets can be in if they ingest these products, Renee Schmid, DVM, DABT, DABVT, senior toxicology and director of veterinary medicine at Pet Poison Helpline, shares the different risk these products can have on pets ahead of April 20. 

Below is a full transcript, edited lightly for clarity 

I'm Dr Renee Schmidt. I'm the director of veterinary medicine and senior veterinary toxicologist for Pet Poison Helpline. Yeah, so cannabis itself, any of the THC marijuana products, are going to be dangerous. I think that some of the things that we get more called on more frequently are going to be the edibles. They typically are a little bit more appealing to animals, so they often contain chocolate or other good tasting foods with that, and so that might encourage the animal to ingest more than if it was just...kind of the traditional joint or plant material.

The other one might be gummies. So a lot of the THC gummies, they are flavored, and they're again, enticing to animals to ingest. And so while they may not be more problematic in the sense of the amount of THC or cannabis that's there, but just more problematic in the sense that they are more appealing and tasty, and so animals may ingest more of them.

Videos

Renee Schmid, DVM, DABT, DABVT, shares a warning on the dangers of cannabis and THC products to pets ahead of 4/20 day.

Risks of THC and cannabis products for patients

This podcast discusses HT Vista, a cutting-edge cancer detection tool for dogs, focusing on lumps and bumps, which account for 30% of all tumors in pets. 

Non-Invasive Cancer Screening for Dermal and Subcutaneous Masses

In this episode of The Vet Blast Podcast presented by dvm360, Adam Christman, DVM, MBA, and Natalie Marks, DVM, CVJ, CCFP, Elite FFC-V, discuss how HT Vista, a cutting-edge cancer detection tool for dogs, is revolutionizing cancer screening in dogs. Specifically, the technology uses thermal imaging to quickly assess cancer risk, helping veterinarians avoid unnecessary, costly procedures like FNAs. HT Vista can flag specific tumors like Mast Cell Tumors and Lipomas, offering high accuracy and early detection, which leads to better outcomes and reduced costs for both vets and pet owners. It’s transforming veterinary practices by making cancer diagnosis faster and more efficient, ultimately improving pets' lives.

This cancer detection tool is for lumps and bumps, correct? What are the trends that people should think about?

Natalie Marks, DVM, CVJ, CCFP, Elite FFC-V: 

Yes, this is for lumps and bumps in dogs, which make up 30% of all tumors. Most of these are actually benign, something like 20%, and because of this and the cost of diagnostics, more of them are going undiagnosed, which is bad.

When it comes to diagnosing lumps and bumps, veterinarians rely on traditional methods like cytology or biopsies. Does HT Vista make it so you don't have to do that anymore?

In cases where you can rule out cancer, you can safely save the client the stress of the FNA, but when the system tells you there is higher cancer risk, you're guided to do the diagnostics. It basically tells you when to do the diagnostics and when sending home to monitor is ok.

Podcasts

Natalie Marks, DVM, CVJ, CCFP, Elite FFC-V, reacts to the ability to utilize thermal imaging to detect mast cell tumors in dogs with high confidence.

Advanced Thermal Imaging for High Confidence Diagnoses of Mast Cell Tumors

Steven Marks, BVSc, MS, MRCVS, DACVIM, discusses the future of the Harvey S. Peeler Jr. College of Veterinary Medicine at Clemson University

Advancing the veterinary profession and agricultural care

The Harvey S. Peeler Jr. College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) at Clemson University is poised to become the first veterinary school in South Carolina. The university is currently 

 in Pendleton, South Carolina, near its main campus that includes classrooms, research facilities and hands-on laboratories. In a 

interview, Steven Marks, BVSc, MS, MRCVS, DACVIM (SAIM), founding dean of the CVM, discussed why the new school is important to the State of South Carolina, the local agricultural community, potential students and the veterinary profession across the region and the US.

Clemson University’s future veterinary school is making progress

The following is a transcript of the video:

: What is the significance of South Carolina’s first veterinary college to animal health care?

To South Carolina. It's very important, because there is [currently] no college of veterinary medicine in South Carolina. We are the first. So it's important to produce veterinarians for a state that has a lack of veterinary care. It's also a priority to produce some agricultural veterinarians, and what I mean by that is large animal veterinarians, so [those caring for] equine, bovine, poultry. And we hope to do that.

We hope to attract students from underserved areas of the state to return to underserved areas of the state. And then most people are aware that there's a national lack of veterinarians. So not all our veterinarians will be from South Carolina. We'll have some students come from out of state. So the hope is not only improving veterinary care within the state and improving the agricultural animal population, but also across the United States.

Steven Marks, BVSc, MS, MRCVS, DACVIM (SAIM), dean of the Harvey S. Peeler Jr. College of Veterinary Medicine at Clemson University, discusses why the future school is important to South Carolina and the veterinary profession.