Worries About the State of Vet Med
Among the many emails I get, I am seeing some kinda ick shifts and other worrisome details about the current state of vet med — veterinary medicine. Let’s walk through a few of them and see if we can recognize a pattern. (I’m experimenting with some color blocks to make articles easier to skim.)
Consider These Recent Headlines
Albuquerque animal hospital to close after 85 years
66-year-old veterinary clinic prepares to close
Chewy to acquire Modern Animal
VetWatch stats show veterinary clients, patients, and invoices all down year over year
The blurb reads … Albuquerque animal hospital to close after 85 years
Bolton Animal Hospital, which opened in Albuquerque, N.M., in 1941, has been put up for sale and is set to close on May 29. The practice was founded by veterinarian Glenn Bolton, and his son, veterinarian Richard Bolton, continued running it until retiring. The National Veterinary Association took over the business in 2009 and is now selling it.
The full article reports that NVA did not reply to questions about closing the clinic. It seems it may shut down on May 29, 2026, if NVA does not find a buyer.
Maybe this happens more often than I realize, but I’ve not seen big corporations ditch hospitals they bought — except when ordered by regulators / courts due to monopoly concerns in certain markets.
The blurb reads … 66-year-old veterinary clinic prepares to close
Kerpsack Veterinary Clinic in Youngstown, Ohio, is closing on June 30 after more than six decades. Twins Bob and Bill Kerpsack ran the clinic since the 1960s, but Bill died in January at 94 years old, and Bob decided to close instead of hiring another veterinarian. “They had a passion for the practice of veterinary medicine that they never lost,” Bob Kerpsack Jr. said. “And my father, I think, quickly, realized that the passion for veterinary medicine that he shared with his brother was with his brother alone.”
The full article says that the family decided not to try and sell the practice. It will shut down June 30, 2026.
Reality check, it can take quite a while for a veterinary practice to sell, so it isn’t like that’s an easy or immediate option for the family. Still sad for them and for the community.
The opening blurb says … Chewy’s acquisition of Modern Animal is a clear signal that one of the most powerful consumer platforms in pet care is now fully committed to owning a piece of veterinary care delivery. With the addition of Modern Animal’s clinic base, Chewy instantly scales its footprint from 18 to 47 locations, accelerating its push into a market that remains large, growing, and highly fragmented. But the real story is not clinic count, it’s the model.
Look, I use Chewy and have liked Chewy as a source of products my dogs need. Yet, I’m not keen on them branching into vet med.
These stats show that the number of veterinary clients, veterinary invoices, and veterinary patients are down year-over-year by more than 2%. The small bump (also 2%-ish) in revenue is likely due more to increasing fees, not actual increases in services.
One thing that may be adding to these declines in veterinary visits/invoices is that more younger people are getting cats — not dogs. And, it seems like a lot of people don’t think cats need much veterinary care. (It also makes me worry about the future of dog adoptions, but that’s a topic for another day.)
So, Why Do I Worry?
Well, the current realities and economics in veterinary medicine — and IMHO the whole economy — aren’t great. With the costs of everything going up, with so many people losing their jobs or facing stagnant or falling incomes, and with so much uncertainty (due to the fascist f^ckwits currently in charge), many people are cutting back on all areas of spending.
I’ve written a lot about my concerns with veterinary consolidation. So this trickle of bad news that feels like it’s turning into a steady stream makes me think that pet consumers, like us, will ultimately face.
Fewer choices on where to get veterinary care for the pets we love, especially in smaller or more remote communities
Higher costs for everything from wellness exams and vaccines to legit veterinary emergencies
Fractured or non-existent relationships with veterinary pros
Our fav veterinarians leaving the profession entirely
Fewer people even considering vet med a viable career
More pets ending up in shelters because their families cannot afford veterinary care
More pets dying young because their families cannot afford veterinary care
Fewer adoptions, especially for dogs, especially for big dogs