Trends in companion animal access to veterinary care in Canada, 2007 to 2020

Assess trends in access to veterinary care for companion animals in Canada.

Analysis and integration of available data, 2007 to 2020.

Cumulative growth in the Canadian veterinary workforce was 38%, and 49% for companion animal veterinarians. Clients per companion animal veterinarian decreased 30% from 2008 to 2020. Absolute client numbers increased 1.3%, compared to pet population growth of 17%. Medicalized pets (those that had received veterinary care in the past year) increased 25%, from 9.02 million in 2007 to 11.24 million in 2020. Non-medicalized pets increased 1.8%, from 4.48 million to 4.56 million. In 2007, 33% of pets were non-medicalized, compared to 29% (15% of dogs and 42% of cats) in 2020. There was a cumulative increase of 31% for total non-medicalized dogs, and a change of -5.6% for cats. Gross and net revenues per client increased by 99 and 112%, respectively, compared to cumulative inflation of 21%.

The analysis identified a large cohort of pets that had not received veterinary care each year. The trends were fewer clients per veterinarian, each paying higher veterinary costs, and suggested a relative, rather than absolute, veterinary capacity shortage overall. Accessible care-provision models must be encouraged, regulated for, and allowed to flourish alongside traditional models.