From the CVO: When lunchboxes compete with leashes

As summer gives way to fall and families race to fill shopping carts with school supplies and lunchbox snacks, another calculation is quietly unfolding in homes across the United States: whether parents can afford to keep their pets healthy. I was talking to my neighbor, who is preparing the kids for back-to-school shopping. She received an overdue reminder that her dog needs an exam and preventive measures. She said, “I unfortunately have to pick and choose where I allocate my funds this year. The dog will just have to wait for now.”

Photo: Irina Schmidt/Adobe Stock

She’s not alone.

This is the conversation I find myself having repeatedly in my exam room. It’s the parent torn between paying for a much-needed dental cleaning and buying new clothes for their child for the start of the school year. It’s the retired couple quietly confessing that they’re stretching their cat’s insulin doses so they can afford their own prescriptions. And it’s the middle-income professional, earning a comfortable salary, staring at an estimate for diagnostics and whispering the same words: “I can’t afford this.”

A recent Gallup survey underscores just how widespread this struggle has become. More than half—52%—of US pet owners have delayed or declined veterinary care in the past year. Among them, 71% cited cost as the primary barrier.. What’s striking is that these aren’t only families living paycheck to paycheck. One in 3 households earning $90,000 or more also reported that the price of care was out of reach.¹

If rising costs are making households with decent incomes pause before seeking care, what options are left for those living paycheck to paycheck? For many, it means facing many heartbreaking choices with no good outcome in sight.

One Denver, Colorado, pet owner, Cynthia Barnes, learned that her cat Lily had a rare cancer requiring radiation therapy. After already paying more than $1000 for surgery, she was quoted $6000 more to continue treatment. She simply couldn’t manage it, and Lily died within the year.¹

Chicago, Illinois, pet owner Caroline Sturges was told a few years ago it would cost $800 to spay her cat. A college student at the time, she ended up turning to a shelter-based program that provided the same service for $150.¹

These stories are not outliers. They are the new normal. The price of veterinary care has risen dramatically in recent years. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the cost of services increased 5.9% over the past 12 months—more than double the general rate of inflation. In 2024 alone, Americans spent nearly $152 billion on veterinary industry expenditures, and that figure is projected to exceed $157 billion by the end of 2025. However, 37% of pet owners are concerned about access to veterinary care, with 60% of those individuals citing affordability as their top concern.²

Part of this trend reflects real progress. We can now offer pets nearly every medical intervention available to humans: chemotherapy, joint replacements, stem cell therapy, imaging and diagnostics via artificial intelligence, and progressive medicine. The rise of specialty medicine has saved countless lives and improved outcomes that would have been unthinkable a generation ago.¹

The need to deliver consistent margins so that we, as veterinary professionals, can earn a living and keep the lights on in the building has had its challenges. And although pets are living longer and healthier lives (whoo-hoo!), the bill for that progress is landing squarely in the laps of families already juggling rising costs for everything from rent to childcare.

This fall, as parents stretch their budgets to cover backpacks and school lunches, many will quietly decide whether they can afford vaccinations, preventive care, or critical treatments for the pets they love. For some, the decision will be to walk away.

So what do we do?

As veterinary professionals, we are caught between our professional oath and the economic reality of modern practice. We want to offer the highest standard of care with a spectrum of care. We want to say, “We’ll figure it out.” But we also carry the burden of keeping our hospitals running, paying our staff fairly, maintaining equipment, and covering rising supply costs. Have you comfortably placed your head on the pillow at night this year, knowing that price may have compromised care?

As veterinary professionals, we can start by creating transparent, judgment-free conversations about cost, early and often. Too many of us wait until a crisis unfolds before talking about money, but proactive communication allows clients to do what I refer to as the 3 P’s—prepare, plan, and prioritize care. Offering preventive care plans or wellness packages can spread out expenses and reduce the shock of urgent costs. We can also work to identify and share resources. They may include nonprofit clinics, financial aid programs, pet insurance guidance, and payment flexibility so no client walks away simply because they didn’t know help existed.

Beyond the clinic walls, we must use our collective voice to advocate for systemic change. That means pushing for more community-based support models, mobile outreach programs, and public-private partnerships that close the $20 billion gap in unmet veterinary care. We can also collaborate with tech partners, educational institutions, and nonprofit organizations to make training, tools, and telemedicine more accessible and affordable.

None of this fixes the problem overnight. But it does put us back in control. Acting rather than reacting. Leading rather than apologizing. Because the truth is, our profession cannot afford to stand still while families are forced to choose between their pets’ health and their household survival.

In addition, we must help prospective pet owners understand the full cost of care before they bring an animal home. I have a rhyme I often say to them: “Before the wags and purrs begin, be sure you’ve planned for what caring costs within.” This is not about discouraging adoption. Instead, it’s about fostering commitment rather than sentiment. As one veterinarian observed, “It’s easy to look at a cute puppy and not think about its whole life.”¹

Finally, we need to give ourselves permission to talk openly about the toll this matter takes on veterinary professionals. It is exhausting to spend every day negotiating which parts of care clients can afford. It is heartbreaking to watch animals suffer for reasons that have nothing to do with science or skill. The human-animal bond is one of the most powerful forces in our lives. But love alone doesn’t pay the invoice.

This fall, as families do the math on school supplies and rising bills, let’s not pretend veterinary care is a luxury. It’s a responsibility. And if we want pets to remain part of our families, we must find a more sustainable way forward.

No one should have to choose between buying groceries and ensuring their pet gets the care they need. And no veterinary professional should have to stand by while an animal’s health is compromised simply because compassion met an empty wallet.

REFERENCES

1. Passy C. ‘I don’t have $800.’ A look at the heart-wrenching decisions pet owners face as vet care has gotten so expensive. MarketWatch. April 22, 2025. Updated April 28, 2025. Accessed July 14, 2025. https://www.marketwatch.com/story/manyamericans-cant-afford-vet-care-for-their-pets-and-the-resultscan-be-deadly-72d35390
2. The American Pet Products Association (APPA) releases 2025 state of the industry report. News release. American Pet Products Association. March 26, 2025. Accessed July 14, 2025. https://americanpetproducts.org/news/the-american-petproducts-association-appa-releases-2025-state-of-the-industryreport