WASHINGTON, D.C. — As veterinary care costs and demand continue to climb across Canada, a new study reveals that half of Canadian pet owners (50%) say they skipped needed veterinary care for their pets in the past year. Among them, 31% visited a veterinarian but declined the recommended treatment, while 19% did not visit a veterinarian at all.
The tendency to forgo veterinary care is most pronounced among younger pet owners: 59% of those aged 18 to 29 reported skipping or declining care. This age effect is independent of income, which does not appear to be a factor in pet owners’ likelihood to avoid care.
To better understand the veterinary habits of pets and their owners, as well as the barriers they face to receiving care that they need, PetSmart Charities of Canada partnered with Gallup to conduct the State of Pet Care Study, a nationally representative survey of thousands of pet owners across Canada.
The survey, conducted Nov. 28 to Dec. 31, 2024, interviewed over 2,000 Canadian cat and dog owners by phone and web on topics related to their experiences with veterinary care — including how often they visit the veterinarian, where they seek information about their pets’ health, whether they have declined care for their pets, and the extent to which veterinarians offer services that meet pet owners’ needs.
Financial Factors Are the Greatest Obstacles to Care
While pet owners offer a number of reasons for declining care or not visiting their veterinarian, financial considerations outweigh them all. Among those declining care in the past year, two-thirds say it was because they could not afford it or that it was not worth the cost.
Financial considerations are common barriers for all pet owners, but the nature of these concerns differs by household income level. Pet owners in households earning $60,000 or less per year — which are the majority of respondents — primarily cite affordability as the reason for avoiding care. By contrast, those in households earning more than $60,000 are more likely to believe the proposed care was not worth the cost than to say they couldn’t afford it.
However, even those in the highest-earning households face affordability challenges: 27% of pet owners earning more than $90,000 who have declined or avoided care say they did so because they could not afford it.
Veterinarians Help Pet Owners Find Options That Fit Their Needs, but Not Budgets
In addition to financial considerations, practical concerns are significant barriers to veterinary care. Twenty-one percent of pet owners who have declined recommended care say it is because that care would not be practical for them or their pet — for example, because the treatment could cause their pet stress or they are not comfortable administering the treatment.
While 65% of those who found the proposed care impractical were given other options that better fit the needs of the owners or their pets, only 28% of those who declined care because of cost were offered a more affordable option.
Among the 20% of Canadian pet owners who have ever been referred to another veterinarian, most were referred because the pet required specialized care or access to an animal hospital with advanced equipment or expertise. However, about one in six (16%) of all those referred to another veterinarian were sent to a provider who offered discounted services or lower-cost options.
Increasing the availability of payment plans, which allow pet owners to pay for expensive treatments over time without interest, can make essential care more accessible, especially for Canadian pet owners with limited finances. However, few pet owners in Canada are currently offered payment plans by their veterinarians.
Only 21% of pet owners report their veterinarian had ever offered them a payment plan, and among those who declined veterinary care because of cost, 20% had been offered one. Similar percentages of pet owners at all income levels report having been offered a payment plan.
Pet Owners Are Open to Non-Traditional Care Options
While finances are significant factors in accessing veterinary care, they aren't the only barrier. Some Canadian pet owners also face practical challenges, such as geographic location and limited transportation options, or concerns about trust and safety with providers, which can affect their ability or willingness to seek care.
Distance to the veterinarian is also a barrier, particularly when it comes to making annual veterinary visits. Pet owners who have to travel farther to see a veterinarian are more likely to skip care. Just under half who travel less than 10 kilometers to a veterinarian (46%) have declined care or not visited in the past year. This jumps to over half for those who travel between 10 and 25 kilometers (52%), 25 to 50 kilometers (60%), and more than 50 kilometers (55%).
Despite the challenges pet owners face, most (79%) say they consult a veterinarian — either in person or remotely — when their pet is sick. However, many also seek additional input from alternative sources, such as the internet (43%), friends and family (30%), and pet professionals like trainers or groomers (22%).
Almost one in five (18%) pet owners say they only seek advice from non-veterinary sources when their pet is sick. Canadian pet owners younger than age 44 (23%) and those with annual household incomes of $36,000 or less (23%) are the most likely to fall into this category.
Pet owners are more likely to consult non-veterinary sources the farther they typically have to travel to a veterinarian: 13% of those traveling less than 10 kilometers seek advice from non-veterinary sources, compared with 19% of those traveling between 10 and 25 kilometers, 21% traveling 25 to 50 kilometers and 28% traveling over 50 kilometers.
While few pet owners have used community clinics, home veterinary visits or telemedicine — reflecting the limited availability of these options — about four in 10 would use telemedicine or home visits, and a third would use community clinics, if they were available.
These findings suggest virtual veterinary care or community clinics could help fill in care gaps, especially with owners who face challenges with in-person visits. Telemedicine and community clinics can improve access to veterinary care in Canada, particularly in rural and northern areas, where geography and clinic capacity often limit availability.
Implications
The PetSmart Charities of Canada State of Pet Care Study highlights significant barriers to care in Canada’s current veterinary system — chiefly, the rising costs and the perceived impracticality of treatments.
For pets with ongoing health needs, community clinics and virtual consultations could potentially reduce the burden of frequent travel, lower costs and make it easier to manage chronic conditions. However, awareness, availability and regulation of veterinary telemedicine and community clinics still vary widely across provinces, and not all clinics offer these services, highlighting a potential area for policy and infrastructure development in Canadian pet health.
Stay up to date with the latest insights by following @Gallup on X and on Instagram.
Learn more about how the PetSmart Charities-Gallup State of Pet Care Study works.
