Offering Better Care: Statistics on Vet Care - Data & Facts

Data and facts on the efforts to improve veterinary care for our dogs.

Jump to: Clinic Visit Experience | Sterilization | Senior Dogs

Highlights

Clinic Visit Experience

Stress Level in Romanian Vet Clinics

External link:
Csiplo A-S, Popescu S. Pet Owners’ Perceptions of Key Factors Affecting Animal Welfare During Veterinary Visits. Animals. 2025; 15(6):894. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15060894

Pet Demographics & Visit Reasons

Pet Ownership: 58.51% were dog owners, 41.49% cat owners.
Visit Purpose:
- Routine Care: 42.55% for general check-ups/consultations, 19.15% for vaccinations, 9.57% for deworming.
- Health Issues: Most common were gastrointestinal (6.38%), neurological (5.32%), respiratory (3.19%), and dermatological (2.13%) problems.
Acute Problems: 5.32% showed signs of infection/inflammation/pain, and 3.19% had poisoning symptoms.

Pet Behavior & Stress Levels

Behavior	Before Entering the Veterinary Practice (%)	Right After Entering the Veterinary Practice (%)	Ten Minutes After Entering the Veterinary Practice (%)
Fearful	0	19.84	3.64
Trembling	19.51	14.26	6.36
Attempting escape	13.82	11.12	3.64
Vocalizing	11.38	7.94	5.45
Displaying other behaviors	6.50	0	0
Hyperexcitable	3.25	2.38	0
Agitation	3.25	7.94	8.18
Refusal to enter the practice	3.25	0	0
Insecurity	3.25	3.97	0
Tail tucking between legs	2.44	0	0
Calm or relaxed	2.44	14.00	13.64
Curious	0	10.32	10.00
Shy	0	3.17	0
Anxious	0	3.17	2.73
Apathetic	0	1.59	0
Joyful or happy	0	1.59	0
Aggressive	0	0.79	0
Actively playing	0	0	3.64

Behavior During Weighing:
- Calm/Cooperative: 30% of owners.
- Escape Attempts: 21%.
- Fear: 14%.
- Other (less common): Anxiety (7%), curiosity (3%), agitation/stress (3%), trembling (2%), energetic/liveliness/happiness (2%), aggressiveness (2%).
Stress During Weighing: 32.98% perceived very low stress, 20.21% low, 11.70% mild, 8.51% moderate, and 3.19% extreme.
Stress During Entrance to Consultation Room: 28.72% perceived very low stress, 20.21% low, 25.53% mild, 18.09% moderate, and 6.38% extreme.
Aggressiveness: Majority (88.30%) showed no signs of aggressiveness during approach or handling; 5.32% were aggressive, 6.38% were “somewhat.”
Manipulability: A significant proportion (24.47% very manipulable, 35.11% manipulable) were easy to handle. 11.70% were moderately manipulable, 6.38% difficult, and 6.38% impossible.
Perceived Pain Level: 37.23% no pain, 17.02% reduced pain, 11.70% mild pain, 6.38% moderate pain, 2.12% extreme pain.
Common Behaviors (Home to End of Visit): Agitation/stress (38.10%), happiness/relaxation (33.30%), curiosity/attention (19.00%), escape attempts/avoidance (4.80%), passivity/apathy (4.80%).

Other Considerations & Owner Perceptions

Owner Presence in Consultation Room:
- 85.11% were allowed to accompany their pet.
- 81.91% reported they did accompany their pet.
- 76.6% considered owner presence “extremely beneficial” (on a scale of 1-5, with 5 being extremely beneficial).
Perceived Welfare Impact: 87.23% of owners felt their animal’s welfare was not compromised during routine consultations.
Main Issues Impacting Welfare (Owner Views):
- Stress and Fear: 20.20%.
- Quality and Attitude of Medical Staff: 19.10%.
- Presence of Other Animals/People: 11.70%.
- Other Miscellaneous Situations: 9.60%
- Environment/Infrastructure (e.g., space, species-specific areas): 9.60%.
Important Elements for Welfare (Owner Recommendations):
- Calm and Gentle Communication: 31.37%.
- Sufficient Space/Adequate Infrastructure: 21.57%.
- Owner Presence/Involvement: 11.76%.
- Rewards/Distractions: 9.80%.
- Gentle Handling/Treatment: 9.80%.
Veterinarian Conduct (Owner Perceptions):
- 91.49% believed vets were committed to pet welfare.
- 72.34% found vets sociable, open, and clear with information.
- 93.62% stated their pet’s welfare was not compromised by vet staff.
Role in Pet Welfare: More owners attributed a larger role to themselves (90.43%) than to veterinarians (62.77%) in ensuring their pet’s welfare.

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Sterilization

Jump to: COVID impact

Deficits in Spay/Neuter After Pandemic

External link:
Guerios SD, Porcher TR, Clemmer G, Denagamage T and Levy JK (2022) COVID-19 associated reduction in elective spay-neuter surgeries for dogs and cats. Front. Vet. Sci. 9:912893. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2022.912893

Overall Trends (2019-2021)

Pre-Pandemic Surge:
- January 2020: 5% increase in surgeries compared to January 2019.
- February 2020: 4% increase in surgeries compared to February 2019.
Pandemic Impact:
- March 2020: 22% decrease in surgeries compared to March 2019.
- April 2020: 80% decrease in surgeries compared to April 2019 (nadir).
Partial Recovery:
- May 2020: 39% decrease in surgeries compared to May 2019.
- June 2020 onwards: Surgeries plateaued, remaining slightly below 2019 baseline (range: -17% to +9%).

Surgical Trends by Animal Demographics

Species:
- Cats (2019: 66%) dominated surgeries over dogs (2019: 34%) throughout 2019-2021.
- Surgery changes:
  - Dogs: -19% (2020), -14% (2021).
  - Cats: -10% (2020), +3% (2021).
Sex:
- Consistent pattern: Females (2019: 53%) dominated surgeries over males (2019: 47%) throughout 2019-2021.
- Surgery changes:
  - Females: -14% (2020), -4% (2021)
  - Males: -12% (2020), -1% (2021)
Age:
- 2019 distribution: Adults (69%), Pediatrics (30%), Geriatrics (1%).
- Surgery changes:
  - Geriatrics: -18% (2020), -16% (2021).
  - Adults: -14% (2020), 0% (2021).
  - Pediatrics: -11% (2020), -8% (2021).
Ownership:
- Consistent pattern: Owned animals (2019: 63%) dominated surgeries over unowned animals (2019: 37%) throughout 2019-2021.
- Surgery changes:
  - Owned: -12% (2020), -1% (2021)
  - Unowned: -14% (2020), -5% (2021).

Regional Surgical Trends

2019 Distribution:
- South: 47% of total surgeries.
- West: 23% of total surgeries.
- Northeast: 21% of total surgeries.
- Midwest: 9% of total surgeries.
Surgery Changes:
- South: -11% (2020), -2% (2021).
- West: -15% (2020), +2% (2021).
- Northeast: -15% (2020), -7% (2021).
- Midwest: -17% (2020), -8% (2021).

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Senior Dogs

Jump to: Gap in Perceptions

Gap in Perceptions between Owners and Veterinary Professionals

External link:
Wallis LJ, Radford AD, Belshaw Z, Jackson J, Kubinyi E, German AJ and Westgarth C (2024) Cross-sectional United Kingdom surveys demonstrate that owners and veterinary professionals differ in their perceptions of preventive and treatment healthcare needs in ageing dogs. Front. Vet. Sci. 11:1358480. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2024.1358480

Definition of “Senior”

Owner Perception: 61% of owners considered their dogs to have turned seniors when they reached a median age of 11 years. Breed size influenced this perception:
- Toy / small: 11 years
- Medium: 11 years
- Large / giant: 10 years
Veterinarian Perception: Veterinary professionals considered medium-sized dogs to be “senior” at a median age of 8 years.

Frequency of Veterinary Visits

Owner Practices:
Most Common Reasons for Visits:
- Routine health appointments (44%)
- New health conditions or illness (36%)
- Advice on euthanasia/end-of-life care (11%)
Owners and veterinary professionals hold different opinions on the appropriate visit frequency for a seemingly healthy senior dog:

Categories	Dog Owner %	Vet Professionals
Every 6 months	39	73
Every year	47	25
Only if they got sick	14	2

Vaccination Practices

Owner Practices:
- 28% of dogs had not been vaccinated in the past year.
- Non-vaccinated dogs were older (median age 12 years).
- Reasons for not vaccinating:
  - 33% believed older dogs don’t need vaccines.
  - 29% relied on puppy vaccinations only.
  - 17% relied on titer testing.
Veterinarian Recommendations:
- 92% of vets supported annual booster vaccinations for senior dogs.
- Reasons for not vaccinating:
  - Underlying health conditions
  - Belief in lifetime immunity from boosters
  - Lifestyle factors (e.g., no dog-to-dog contact)
- Median age for ceasing routine vaccinations (vet perspective): 10 years

Veterinary Clinic Setup

Question	Categories	All Vet Pros (%)	Vet Surgeons (%)	Vet Nurses (%)
Does your practise have a standardised consult on dog healthcare?	No, but I personally have my own which I carry out regardless of age	50	59	11
	Yes, all animals receive a standardised full health check regardless of age	50	41	89
	No, all consultations should follow the same procedure regardless of age	14	15	7
Do you think senior dogs require a different consultation approach than with younger dogs?	Yes, but I do not currently do this	15	13	23
	Yes, and I already do this	71	72	70
	No	51	51	51
Does your practise have a standardised consult on senior/ geriatric dog healthcare?	Not formally offered, but perform own checks	38	41	21
	Yes	11	8	28
	No, and not interested in offering them	11	11	9
	No, but I would be interested in us offering them	6	5	11
Does your practise offer health plan/s to owners?	Yes, we offer at least one health plan	83	84	80
	Yes	19	19	22
Does your practise offer a health plan specifically for senior dogs?	No/generic plan for all life stages	81	81	78
	No	67	68	61
	Not currently, but ran one previously	17	16	19
	Yes	14	15	13
Does your practise offer senior dog wellness clinic/examinations?	Not currently, but ran one previously	17	16	19
	Yes	14	15	13
	Do not know	2	1	7
Do you believe that senior and geriatric dogs should receive annual booster vaccinations?	No	8	8	8
	Yes	92	92	92

Senior Dog Wellness Clinics

Prevalence:
- 14% of practices offered senior dog wellness clinics.
- 17% previously offered clinics but stopped due to:
  - Lack of time (54%)
  - Personnel shortages (37%)
  - Space constraints (28%)
  - Poor client uptake (increased cost of diagnostics) (27%)
- 37% (58) of practices expressed interest in restarting senior wellness clinics.
Management:
- Managed more frequently by veterinary nurses (56%).
- 36% managed by veterinary surgeons.
- 8% managed by both.

Participation in Health Plans

Overall Participation: 25% of dogs were enrolled in a veterinary health plan.
Senior Dog Wellness Clinic Attendance:
- 7% of all dogs attended a senior dog wellness clinic.
- 10% of dogs considered “old” by owners attended.
Reasons for Non-Attendance:
- 29% of owners stated the clinic was not offered.
- 71% of owners were unaware of the availability of the clinic.
Willingness to Attend:
- 43% of owners would consider attending a senior wellness clinic if offered.
- 20% would only attend if the clinic was free.

Health Conditions Experienced by Dogs

Health Condition	Diagnosed by Vet	Diagnosed by Other	Feel Dog Has	Never Had
Orthopaedic problems	39%	1%	7%	53%
Dental problems	28%	1%	6%	65%
Skin problems	20%	1%	7%	71%
Loss of hearing	8%	1%	20%	71%
Loss of eyesight	15%	0%	12%	73%
Cancer	16%	0%	3%	82%
Gut problems	12%	1%	5%	82%
Dementia	7%	0%	8%	85%
Overweight	8%	1%	6%	85%
Spinal problems	10%	1%	4%	86%
Heart disease	12%	0%	1%	86%
Other	12%	0%	0%	87%
Kidney/liver disease	8%	0%	1%	90%
Vestibular disease	5%	2%	0%	93%
Epilepsy	4%	0%	1%	95%
Breathing problems	2%	0%	2%	96%
Thyroid problem	2%	1%	1%	96%
Glaucoma	1%	0%	1%	97%
Cushing’s/Addison’s disease	2%	0%	1%	97%
Diabetes	1%	0%	1%	98%

Age-Related Onset of Health Conditions

Middle-Aged Onset:
- Diabetes (median age 7)
- Skin problems (median age 9)
- Epilepsy (median age 10)
- Other conditions (median age 10)
Older Age Onset:
- Dementia (median age 14)
- Vestibular disease (median age 14)
- Loss of hearing and eyesight (median age 13)
- Glaucoma (median age 13)
- Kidney/liver disease (median age 13)

Clinical Signs

Clinical Signs	Yes (%)
Slows down on walks	57%
Tartar	52%
Stiff on rising	50%
Diarrhea mucus/blood	44%
Problem with stairs/jumping	43%
Lump swelling	43%
Gait changed	43%
Bad breath	42%
Limp	40%
Scoot rear on ground	36%
Smelly ears	33%
Sleep all the time	32%
Sad/depressed	29%
Lick/chew body	28%
Lost weight muscle condition	27%

Slowing Down on Walks:
- Most frequent sign: 57%
- Typically observed in dogs aged 9-13 years.
Dental Issues:
- Calculus (tartar): 52%
- Halitosis (bad breath): 42%
- Observed from 6 to 10 years of age.
Other Common Signs:
- Skin lumps or swellings (43% of dogs, median age of onset 9 years)
- Excessive sleeping (32% of dogs, onset between 11-14 years)
- Sadness / lethargy / depression (29% of dogs, onset around 7 years)

Owner Urgency for Seeking Help When Encountering Clinical Signs

Veterinary Appointment	Appointment A Week or Later		Appointment Within A Week
Clinical Sign	Owner Not Experienced Condition (%)	Owner Experienced Condition (%)	Owner Not Experienced Condition (%)	Owner Experienced Condition (%)
Diarrhoea mucus/blood	3	14	97	86
Limp	4	15	96	85
Lumps swelling	10	31	90	69
Smelly ears	10	21	90	79
Scoot rear on ground	12	27	88	73
Lick chew body	13	31	87	69
Sad/depressed	15	17	85	83
Gait change	17	28	83	72
Lost weight muscle condition	18	44	82	56
Sleep all the time	24	75	76	25
Slow down on walks	31	58	69	42
Stiff on rising	36	53	64	47
Problem with stairs/jumping	39	58	61	42
Tartar	56	78	44	22
Bad breath	65	69	35	31

Percentage of Veterinary Professionals Considering Clinical Sign As Important For Owners To Seek Veterinary Advice

Clinical Sign	Low Importance (%)	Moderate to High Importance (%)
Lost weight muscle condition	0	100
Limp	0	100
Sad/depressed	0	100
Diarrhoea/mucus/blood	1	99
Smelly ears	2	98
Problems with stairs/jumping	2	98
Stiff on rising	2	98
Gait change	2	98
Lumps/swellings	3	97
Lick chew body	3	97
Slow down on walks	3	97
Bad breath	6	94
Scoot rear on ground	9	91
Sleep all the time	13	87
Tartar	15	85

How Often Veterinary Professionals Believe Owners Attribute Most Common Clinical Signs To Just Old Age

Clinical Sign	Occasionally, ~30% or less	Sometimes, ~50% (%)	Frequently, ~70% (%) or above
Sleep all the time	2	4	95
Slow down on walks	3	4	93
Stiff on rising	2	7	90
Tartar	5	9	86
Problems with stairs/jumping	4	10	86
Gait change	8	14	79
Bad breath	9	18	73
Lost weight muscle condition	17	26	57
Sad/depressed	24	28	48
Lumps swellings	30	25	45
Limp	43	24	33
Smelly ears	59	21	20
Lick chew body	59	23	19
Diarrhoea/mucus/blood	69	20	11
Scoot rear on ground	83	9	8

Percentage Of Owners Who Would Not Take Their Dog To Vet As They Believe Clinical Sign Was A Normal Part Of Ageing

Clinical Sign	Percentage of Owners (%)
Slow down on walks	78
Sleep all the time	77
Stiff on rising	75
Problem with stairs/jumping	65
Gait changed	48
Lump swelling	43
Lost weight condition	37
Sad/depressed	32
Tartar	26
Bad breath	24
Smelly ears	11
Lick chew body	6
Diarrhoea mucus/blood	6
Limp	3
Scoot rear on ground	3

Owner Perceptions vs. Veterinary Opinions on Use of Monitoring Questionnaires

Veterinarian Reservations about Questionnaires:
- 17% of veterinarians did not favor questionnaires.
- Reasons for reservations:
  - Lack of time (68%)
  - Previous negative experiences or preference for face-to-face interaction (23%)
  - Low owner/veterinarian compliance (8%)
  - Concerns about owner digital literacy (2%)

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