Three Things to Know
A study analyzed Canadian veterinary data, including veterinary workforce, client and pet populations, care utilization, and clinic revenues, to understand factors affecting pet owners’ access to care.
From 2007 to 2020, the number of licensed veterinarians grew significantly (38% overall, and 49% for companion animals). Yet, the number of clients per veterinarian dropped by 30%. This suggests a potential disconnect, especially since nearly half of all cats didn’t visit a vet in the last year.
Despite the decline in the client-to-vet ratio, veterinary revenues per client almost doubled between 2008 and 2020, outpacing inflation. This trend raises concerns that veterinary care could become unaffordable for many, disproportionately affecting low-income and underserved communities.
For Dog Welfare Practitioners
The veterinary industry often attributes rising costs to a shortage of veterinarians. However, this study suggests that the problem is more complex. While the number of veterinarians is a factor, rising prices are also driven by increased time spent per animal, the practice of defensive medicine, and a shift towards advanced, specialized treatments. These factors risk making veterinary care unaffordable for many, particularly low-income pet owners.
To address these challenges, the veterinary industry should re-evaluate its current care approaches. In the meantime, animal welfare organizations can help by offering financial assistance. Many shelters are also stepping up by providing affordable veterinary care for common issues, which studies have shown can complement private clinics rather than compete with them. Another valuable approach is for animal welfare organizations to collaborate with veterinary schools to establish community veterinary clinics. Ultimately, keeping pets and their owners together will require a collaborative effort across the board.
The Full Picture
Titled “Trends in companion animal access to veterinary care in Canada, 2007 to 2020,” this study fills a notable gap in Canadian, data-driven research concerning accessibility to veterinary services. By compiling and analyzing data from 2007 to 2020 —including information on the veterinary workforce, client and pet populations, care utilization, and clinic revenues—the research provides a comprehensive overview of factors affecting access to care, a significant concern for both animal welfare and society.
Study Methods
The study examined Canadian trends from 2007 to 2020 in veterinary workforce size, pet populations, veterinary care utilization, clients per veterinarian, and revenue per veterinarian, using data from national and provincial sources, surveys, and Statistics Canada. Key metrics, including client numbers and revenues, were calculated and expressed as cumulative percentage changes to identify patterns over time.
Study Results
Pet Population
From 2007 to 2020, pet-owning households rose 34% and total pets increased 17%. In particular, dog populations grew far faster than cat populations (40% vs. 1.3%).
Medicalized pets—pets that had visited a veterinary clinic in the past 12 months—grew 25%, with most dogs (≈85%) receiving annual veterinary care compared to just over half of cats. While reasons for this were not captured in the data, U.S. research suggests that financial constraints, unemployment, and the stress of veterinary visits for cats are contributing factors.
Number of Veterinarians
During the same period, the total number of licensed veterinarians in Canada grew 38%, and companion animal veterinarians increased 49%. However, client numbers dropped sharply after the 2007–2009 recession, particularly for cats, and recovered only slowly, lagging behind the significant growth in both pet populations and the veterinary workforce. This resulted in little net change in client numbers over the study period.
Despite the decrease in clients per companion animal veterinarians from 2007 to 2020, the profession still faces a capacity shortage, likely due to factors such as longer appointment times, defensive medicine practices, increased demand for advanced care, and uneven geographic distribution of veterinarians, particularly in remote areas.
Clinic Revenue
However, veterinary revenues per client nearly doubled from 2008 to 2020, increasing far faster than inflation, meaning clients paid substantially more in real terms by the end of the study period. As client numbers per veterinarian declined, this suggests that fewer owners are paying more for increasingly sophisticated (and costly) veterinary services.
The current trends risk making veterinary care unaffordable for many, with low-income and underserved communities particularly vulnerable. Rising demand from more affluent clients and the growth in specialty services may also shift primary care away from general practices, increasing costs further.
Conclusion
This study is the first to examine Canadian veterinary care with a focus on accessibility, finding that a substantial proportion of pets—particularly cats—remained non-medicalized each year, meaning they had not visited a veterinarian in the previous 12 months. The study calls for the exploration and regulation of alternative models of veterinary care—alongside traditional practices—to address socioeconomic and geographic barriers, warning that simply increasing veterinarian numbers will not solve Canada’s access-to-care problem.
Miscellaneous
Data From Study:
Owned Dogs > Cost of Ownership > Vet Care
Year of Publication:
2024
External Link:
Nichols PJH, Ward KA, Janke KJ, Jacobson LS. Trends in companion animal access to veterinary care in Canada, 2007 to 2020. Can Vet J. 2024;65(1):49-58. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10727154/