More Than Half of Pet Owners Skipped Veterinary Care Last Year — Here’s Why That’s a Big Problem

Apr 16

A recent Gallup and PetSmart Charities study has uncovered a troubling reality in veterinary medicine: 52% of U.S. pet owners skipped or declined recommended veterinary care over the past year. This statistic isn’t just alarming—it reflects a growing access crisis that threatens the very foundation of companion animal health.

For veterinary professionals, the implications are clear. We are facing a disconnect between the care we’re trained to provide and what clients feel they can afford.

Cost: The Primary Barrier Across All Income Levels
The leading reason cited by pet owners for declining care is cost. Seventy-one percent of those who opted out of recommended treatments, diagnostics, or preventive services said affordability was the main factor. While financial limitations are often associated with lower-income households, this study found that even among households earning over $90,000 per year, one in three owners still declined care due to cost.

The perception of veterinary care as unaffordable or not worth the price is cutting across socioeconomic lines—indicating a systemic challenge, not just a financial one.

Deferred Care Leads to Negative Outcomes
As veterinary professionals, we understand the risks of delayed care. But the study quantifies just how often those risks turn into real harm. Among those who declined care:

22% skipped diagnostics
18% avoided preventive care such as vaccines
16% turned down elective surgeries
11% did not fill prescribed medications
7% declined lifesaving surgical interventions

Perhaps most concerning is that 14% of respondents who declined care reported that their pet’s condition worsened or their pet died as a result. These are not just missed appointments—they are missed opportunities to prevent suffering, detect disease early, and extend lives.

A Lack of Options at the Point of Care
The data also reveal that pet owners often aren’t presented with practical alternatives. Seventy-three percent of clients who declined care due to cost were not offered a lower-cost treatment plan. Nearly half weren’t given an adjusted plan that considered the pet’s clinical needs alongside financial constraints.

This all-or-nothing approach is not only unsustainable—it’s contributing directly to poor outcomes and client frustration.

The Role of Payment Plans in Closing the Gap
One of the most actionable findings from the study involves payment flexibility. While 66% of owners say they could cover $1,000 or less upfront for a lifesaving procedure, that number jumps significantly when an interest-free, 12-month payment plan is introduced. With a one-year no-interest option, 64% of respondents said they could afford twice that amount.

And yet, only 23% of pet owners say they were offered a payment plan by their veterinary provider.

This represents a missed opportunity to retain clients, provide care, and support animal welfare—all while reducing economic euthanasia and compassion fatigue among veterinary teams.

How the Profession Can Respond
The takeaway for veterinarians and practice managers is clear: we need to expand how we think about care delivery. That doesn’t mean compromising quality—it means building flexibility into our care models. Here’s how:

Offer interest-free payment plans through third-party providers or in-house options
Provide tiered treatment plans when appropriate, with transparency around outcomes and risks
Train team members to discuss cost proactively and with empathy
Communicate the value of preventive care to reduce long-term costs

The pressure of rising costs—up more than 60% since 2014—isn’t going away. But as a profession, we can adapt. We can lead with empathy, transparency, and innovation to meet pet owners where they are—while still delivering gold-standard care.

The data is clear: the challenge isn’t pet owner apathy. It’s access. And we have the power to do something about it.

To read the full Gallup study, visit this link.
For more insights on access to care, practice management, and client communication, stay connected with Pet Candy.