When cost is a barrier for clients: Navigating financial challenges

Photo: Diego Cervo/Adobe Stock

A recent survey by PetSmart Charities and Gallup found that many pet owners in the United States cannot afford veterinary care. The survey found that the cost of care affects pet owners across a range of income levels, leading just over half of surveyed pet owners to skip or decline necessary treatment for their pets.¹ Among those who declined care, many reported not being offered more affordable or alternative options that better suited their needs.

In response to the findings from PetSmart Charities-Gallup State of Pet Care Study: Pet Parents’ Assessment of American Veterinary Care, dvm360 reached out to PetSmart Charities for insight on how the veterinary profession can better support pet owners facing financial barriers to care. In the Q&A-style interview below, Robyn Jaynes, DVM, director of veterinary affairs at PetSmart Charities, discusses ways veterinary professionals can address the various issues highlighted in the survey and shares resources veterinary teams can use to offer more flexible options to clients.

Q: How can the veterinary profession address the growing challenge of veterinary care becoming increasingly unaffordable and inaccessible for many pet owners?

• "Practice Spectrum of Care: Veterinary teams should embrace the Spectrum of Care model, offering pet owners a range of diagnostic and treatment solutions tailored to their individual circumstances, and work with them to understand what solution best fits their needs.
• Practice Incremental Care: Presenting diagnostics and treatments in a stepwise fashion—if possible—can help minimize unnecessary procedures and costs, ensuring care remains accessible without compromising outcomes.
• Evaluate and Optimize Practice Efficiencies: Constantly evaluate for efficiencies within the practice operations, such as full utilization of support staff or technologies available to help decrease workload (e.g. text appt reminders/confirmations, medical note transcribing software etc.)
• Offer Wellness Plans: Providing flexible wellness plans that spread the cost of preventive care over time can make ongoing care more manageable and predictable for clients. Tailor these plans to meet the unique needs of each pet owner by offering options that focus on essential services, with the flexibility to add additional wellness items as needed. This approach helps keep the initial cost affordable while ensuring comprehensive care.
• Continually explore lower-cost alternatives: Veterinarians must continually seek out lower-cost alternatives, such as sourcing generic medications or utilizing lower-cost diagnostic options when clinically appropriate, always critically assessing what information is truly necessary for quality care."

Q: What support or resources would help veterinarians feel more equipped to offer compassionate, flexible solutions to clients when cost is a barrier?

"Veterinarians need access to evidence-based resources to feel confident offering compassionate, flexible solutions when cost is a barrier. Staying current with research that validates lower-cost treatment models is essential; resources such as the Veterinary Innovation Council’s Vet Access Hub² and low-cost care diagnostic textbooks provide valuable, credible information to guide clinical decisions. Continuing education is another critical support; many organizations, including the Open Door Veterinary Collective,³ now offer specialized trainings in Spectrum of Care practices and financial triage strategies to help veterinary teams deliver accessible, high-quality care.

Many veterinarians are concerned about the legal ramifications associated with offering flexible solutions. To practice with confidence, veterinary teams must be well-versed in their state's veterinary practice acts and understand the legal boundaries within which they can offer a range of care options. Strong client communication is equally critical, as many complaints in veterinary medicine stem from misunderstandings rather than clinical outcomes. Clearly presenting and documenting all care options, along with their risks and benefits, not only protects the veterinary team but also strengthens client trust. New technologies, such as medical record transcription software, can help streamline documentation processes, making it easier for teams to maintain thorough records."

Q: How can veterinary teams approach a situation where a pet owner cannot afford necessary treatment for their pet?

"When a pet owner cannot afford necessary treatment, veterinary teams should be prepared with practical, compassionate strategies to support them. First, clinics should build relationships with community low-cost providers and be ready to refer clients early in the process. Early referral allows pet owners to stretch their resources across both diagnosis and treatment, rather than depleting funds before a full course of care can be pursued. Some nonprofit clinics may also have grant programs available to help offset costs.

Veterinary teams should also be knowledgeable about the range of payment options available and understand the pros and cons of each. Offering financing solutions that do not require hard credit checks or carry high interest rates—such as Vet Billing or Varidi—can help make care more attainable for a broader range of clients.

Finally, clinics should be prepared to guide pet owners on legitimate fundraising options. Being familiar with organizations like Furlanthropy⁴ can ensure that funds raised for a pet’s care are managed responsibly, providing owners with a trustworthy path to secure the help they need."

References

1. Bautista-Alejandre A. Many pet owners cannot afford veterinary care, survey finds. dvm360. April 17, 2025.Accessed May 12, 2025. https://www.dvm360.com/view/many-pet-owners-cannot-afford-veterinary-care-survey-finds 
2. Introducing the Access to Care Resource Hub. Veterinary Innovation Council. https://www.vetaccesshub.com/
3. Open Door Certification. Open Door School. https://opendoorschool.thinkific.com/collections
4. Furlanthropy: Paws for a Cause. Furlanthropy Inc. https://furlanthropy.org/