WHITE PAPER: Veterinary Visits Decline 2.3% in 2024, Declines Continue

According to a recently released WHITE PAPER from Vetsource, a prescription management service (third-party pharmacy) and analytics platform serving thousands of U.S. veterinary practices, reported that veterinary patient visits are declining, there are fewer active patients, and the frequency between appointments is increasing.

Vetsource analyzed transactional data from 6,574 veterinary practices (the estimated number of veterinary practices in the U.S. ranges from 28,000 to 32,000). The data revealed that visits were down 2.3% in 2024, compared to the previous year. The time between visits grew to 85.8 days between July 2023-2024 — a 48% increase from the same period just three years earlier (July 2020-2021).

RELATED:

  • Mars Petcare Grabs a Bigger Slice of Vetsource (5.18.21)
    https://todaysveterinarybusiness.com/mars-petcare-vetsource/

    • Mars Petcare is now the majority owner of Vetsource — veterinary practices typically outsource their online pharmacy to a prescription management service, the third-party pharmacy provides individual practice websites with a clinic-branded online store that offers home delivery of pet prescription medications nationwide.
  • VHMA Insiders’ Insights KPI Quarterly Commentary – January 2025 (1.13.25)
    https://www.vhma.org/blogs/vhma-admin/2025/01/13/vhmainsidersinsightskpiqtrcommentaryjan2025

    • As patient visits continue to decline and the gap between visits widens, now is a crucial time for practices to revisit their pricing strategies to maintain profitability and client engagement — “some practices are shifting their treatment plan in favor of injectable medications over oral medications as a way to keep treatment in-house.”