Around-the-Clock Nutrition Support Aims to Ease Veterinary Cost Burden for Pet Owners
Pet ownership brings immense joy, but it also comes with significant responsibilities—and, increasingly, financial challenges. Rising veterinary costs have become a growing concern for many families. According to the 2024 State of Shelter Pet Adoption Report by Hill’s Pet Nutrition, 84% of pet owners say that veterinary care is the most expensive part of having a pet. In some cases, this financial pressure can lead to difficult decisions, including delaying care, relinquishing pets, or opting not to adopt at all.
In response, Hill’s Pet Nutrition has launched a new service: 24/7 Vet Professional Chat, available on shop.hillspet.com. The service connects pet owners with licensed veterinary professionals who provide personalized nutrition guidance at any time of day. The goal, according to Hill’s, is to offer pet parents immediate, professional support—particularly for common issues related to feeding, weight management, and digestive health.
The chat service is being offered free of charge for a limited time. It is not designed to replace in-person veterinary care but to serve as a supplemental resource focused on nutrition. Hill’s notes that the platform was developed over three years with input from veterinarians and animal welfare organizations to better support pet owners navigating everyday concerns.
For some pet owners, this kind of resource may help reduce reliance on potentially unreliable online information and provide reassurance when access to traditional veterinary services is limited. While nutrition is only one component of pet health, guidance from qualified professionals can help address certain concerns early and potentially avoid more serious health issues down the road.
Hill’s has also tied the launch to a philanthropic effort: for every purchase made through the site, the company is donating $1 to participating animal shelters. This contribution aims to support shelters that are often strained by the financial and emotional toll of pet relinquishment.
As pet care continues to evolve, new tools like this chat service may play a role in helping pet owners feel more informed and supported. Whether it becomes a widely used solution remains to be seen, but for now, it represents one company’s approach to addressing a well-documented challenge in pet ownership.
