Six Trends: How Veterinary Practices Are Addressing Pet Parents’ Needs in 2024

The human-animal bond is stronger than ever. More than half of pet parents say their pets are as much a part of their family as a human member, according to a Pew Research Center survey. For further proof, just look at social media, where 65 percent of pet parents post about their pet at least twice per week, and one-third of Americans have a separate social media account for their pet, according to one estimate.

 The mental and physical health benefits of having pets have been scientifically proven. Having a pet can reduce stress levels, relieve depression, lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, strengthen the immune system, and reduce anxiety, according to HABRI (Human and Animal Bond Research Institute). Further, 97 percent of doctors believe that there are health benefits to owning a pet, according to HABRI research.

 Today’s pet parents—including millennials, the demographic group with the highest percentage of pets—are especially involved in the well-being and health of their pets and are seeking quality pet care despite rising costs. Veterinarians who are sensitive to this bond have an opportunity to build strong relationships with pet parents while providing exceptional care to their pets.

 “The strength of the human-animal bond in pet parents strongly correlated with higher rates of veterinary treatment for both preventive care and specific conditions,” said Steve Feldman, President of HABRI. “This is the strongest evidence to date showing the impact of the bond for veterinary medicine.” Indeed, pet parents are committed to keeping up with vet visits, vaccines, and preventive medicine, according to HABRI.

 Pet parents also want to bond with their veterinarians and look to them for information and as a resource to keep their pets healthy and happy. As a result, the opportunity to deliver more relationship-based veterinary care by enhancing the connection and engagement with clients, and delivering more personalized and convenient care experiences via offering choices will go a long way to make pet parents happy and loyal (and fuel more positive veterinary practice reviews on social media).

This is a moment of transformation for veterinary practices, as they target the 70 percent of U.S. households with a pet. Practices continue to explore new treatments, technologies, offerings, and features to deliver the best care and improve veterinary-client relationships to address the changing needs of pets and their pet parents. “Pet parents are sending our industry a message and driving change in the way they want and expect their pets to receive care,” said Gene O’Neill, CEO of the North American Vet Community (NAVC).

 Here are some insights on what we see as the top trends for 2024 that are shaping how veterinary practices are evolving to address the needs of pets and their pet parents: 

 1.     Breakthrough treatments and technology. “The pets-as-humans trend has led to new ways of delivering vet care that mimic some of the trends in human medicine,” writes Joan Verdon in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s CO. Veterinary medicine continues to innovate with the latest state-of-the-art imaging technology, AI, and digital techniques, for example. We will continue to see more breakthrough treatments, including regenerative therapies — such as stem cell treatments and platelet-rich plasma therapy — emerging as promising solutions for pets with various medical conditions such as osteoarthritis.

 Personalized healthcare and personalized medicine are also making their way into veterinary care. Veterinarians are looking at targeted health treatment and prevention plans tailored to animals’ unique physiology. Advances in genetics and diagnostics are allowing veterinarians to tailor treatments and preventive measures to individual pets based on their genetic predispositions and unique health profiles. This approach improves the overall effectiveness of care and reduces the risk of adverse reactions.

 2.     Focusing on veterinary-client relationships. Pet parents are looking to their veterinarians for the best care, plus information and resources on keeping their pets healthy and happy. Practices are enhancing the veterinarian-client relationship by prioritizing communication, empathy, and transparency.

 Today’s pet parents crave information. Clients are looking to their vets for tailored wellness plans, nutrition recommendations, alternative therapies, treatment plans and expected outcomes — as well as transparency about costs. Veterinarians have the opportunity to build relationships with their clients by providing clients with more information and educational resources on pet care, preventive care, information on diseases, treatments, procedures, and costs will empower them to make informed healthcare decisions and show that vets are addressing their needs.

 Talking proactively and openly about costs and financial options can both help veterinary practices alleviate clients’ financial and emotional stresses and improve communication. Being upfront about treatment costs at the end of visits and offering payment solutions early on when the client checks in, will help foster the ever-important veterinary-patient relationships.

 In 2024, we expect to see more use of digital technology, more user-friendly educational resources, interactive mobile apps, and in-depth consultations. For example, offering text or instant messaging services for appointment reminders, follow-up care instructions, and general inquiries can provide a convenient communication option. Additionally, implementing user-friendly websites or mobile apps can offer clients easy access to medical records, prescription refill requests, and educational resources at their fingertips. These digital platforms not only improve the efficiency and responsiveness of client-veterinarian interactions but will give pet parents instant access to vital information.

 3.     Offering flexible financing options. The cost of pet care is getting more challenging for some pet parents to handle. The lifetime cost of pet health care can range from $20K-$55K for dogs and $15K-$45K for cats, according to Synchrony’s Lifetime of Care Study. The study also found that 30 million U.S. households will face an unexpected pet expense that will cause financial worry, with pet parents ill-prepared to handle the costs. Additionally, clients are looking for cost transparency.

 Veterinary practices recognize the financial challenges their clients face, especially when it comes to the rising costs of treatments, tests, and surgeries, so they are able to help pet parents better understand the costs associated with having pets for their entire life span and learn about available resources. To help ensure pets receive the necessary medical attention and to ease their clients’ financial burden, we will see more practices offer financial services and solutions such as health and wellness credit cards, payment plans, pet insurance, and in-house financing.

 Helping your clients pay for care in a way that becomes manageable to them, including financing tools like Synchrony’s CareCredit health and wellness credit card, is an important part of a veterinarian’s practice solutions. CareCredit can be used for routine veterinary appointments, emergency pet care, treatments, and surgeries. It enables clients to stretch out the cost of care without worrying about incurring additional charges that can often come from standard high-interest credit cards.

 When practices offer promotional financing and payment plans, they allow clients to spread the cost of expensive surgeries or treatments over several months, making it more manageable for clients to budget. Pet insurance can also help cover the costs associated with pet accidents, illnesses, and routine care, protects clients against major financial setbacks and reimburses them on veterinary bills.

 Offering flexible financing options help ensure that pets get the best care possible and in a way that brings peace of mind to both the pet parent and the veterinarian’s desire to always do the best possible job maintaining patient health.

4.     Integrated omnichannel care delivery. An omnichannel approach is all about connecting various communication channels and touchpoints. Incorporating telehealth services, for example, help to make the client experience more convenient and approachable. In-person appointments are not always needed (and may be challenging in remote areas with few or no veterinary practices nearby); a digital experience can help in developing a comprehensive understanding of the pet’s and pet parent’s needs.

 We expect to see telehealth services continue to grow in use in 2024, offering pet parents more accessible access to veterinary care. It will continue to be a valuable tool for minor issues, general advice, routine check-ups, follow-ups, and post-operative care. Telehealth not only offers convenience but also reduces the stress and anxiety often associated with clinic visits, especially for pets.

 Combining in-person consultations, telehealth options, mobile apps, and online resources will help to create a holistic and interconnected client experience. For example, a client might begin by scheduling an appointment through a mobile app, receive a virtual consultation, access educational materials online, and follow up with in-person care. This omnichannel integration allows for a more personalized and convenient client journey while maintaining consistent communication and records across all channels. This will help veterinary practices improve accessibility, responsiveness, and client experience.

 5.     Offering alternative therapies, holistic, and integrative medicine. Veterinarians are increasingly discussing alternative therapies and working with clients to create comprehensive care plans tailored to the individual needs and preferences of each pet.  As clients seek holistic treatment options, veterinarians are exploring incorporating alternative and natural therapies into their practices to provide comprehensive care. Specifically, veterinary practices are increasingly offering acupuncture, chiropractic treatment, herbal medicine, hydrotherapy, and nutritional consultations alongside traditional medicine. If it’s not feasible to offer these alternative options directly, practices can expand their offerings by partnering with experts who provide alternative treatments. Additionally, pet parents are looking for more natural food recommendations and options for their animals, with high-quality, minimally processed ingredients to keep pets feeling their best.

 6.     Sustainability and a move to eco-friendly practices. As environmental sustainability is a growing concern across all businesses — and even a legal requirement with new environmental, social, and governance (ESG) reporting soon becoming a requirement for publicly-held companies – veterinary practices are increasingly adopting eco-friendly measures. These include eco-friendly cleaning practices, energy-efficient equipment, responsible water and waste management, reducing chemical product use, and reducing plastic use, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Some clinics are even implementing green building designs to minimize their carbon footprint. Others are looking into their supply chains for sustainable purchasing and the products they stock to ensure they meet their sustainability expectations. The AVMA offers several options for integrating eco-friendly features into their veterinary practices.

 Clients are also more environmentally and socially conscious. Pet parents are increasingly concerned about the environmental impact of pet care, and they expect their veterinary practices to be on the same page. Saying you are eco-friendly and being eco-friendly are two different things. Practices must be genuine, authentic, and transparent when discussing environmental practices. 

 By expanding their horizons to include new services and approaches, vets have an opportunity to building deeper and more meaningful relationships with pet parents while enhancing the health of their pets—which are surely the cutest, smartest, and best pets in the world.