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President's Message – In the “Age of outrage,” owning our own narrative has never been more important!

November 6, 2025

I suspect many veterinarians and technologists are feeling  frustrated with recent media coverage about rising fees in our industry. Are you getting pushback from clients about rising costs… that you are only in it for the money? And for those of you working in corporately owned practices, are you feeling under attack as the “major cause” of the problem, not just from the media and clients but from other members of the profession? I think many of us are feeling that way, given recent media coverage about rising veterinary fees and the increase in the number of practices being owned by large corporate entities.

The cost of veterinary services has risen above inflation over the last 5 y, just as human health care has. The estimated rate of increase has been between 6–8% per year on average (1,2). The role of large corporate practices in elevating fees across the industry is currently unknown. There are lots of anecdotal reports but little to no hard data in the peer-reviewed literature. Unlike human health care, pet owners, unless they have pet insurance, pay 100% of the costs. In most cases, pet owners have no idea what a similar procedure for humans would cost because they never see a bill from our health care system (3). Pet insurance can help clients with managing unexpected veterinary expenses; however, as our costs rise, so does the cost of insurance. In the midst of pinched household budgets due to inflationary pressures in many sectors, it is little wonder the public is starting to question the cost of veterinary care.

This is not to say that we are not worth it, that our fees are unfair, or that we should work for less (or for nothing). You and all the members of your team deserve appropriate remuneration, and our practices need to be profitable to survive. Most of us got into veterinary medicine to serve animals and the community, but that should not be at the expense of our mental and financial well-being. Nonetheless, if our fees continue to rise above inflation, our market will begin to shrink dramatically. For more and more families, the cost of routine veterinary procedures, such as dental work, are becoming out of reach. If too many families are left behind, what then?

Access to Care is a thorny and multifaceted problem (4). There is no one-size-fits-all solution but there should be ample room in the Canadian market for a variety of options, if we are willing to experiment. We should keep an open mind about practice models that may include technicians doing more appointments (within the scope of their duties), charity community clinics, telemedicine for remote areas, and low-cost/high-volume practices. Clients repeatedly tell us they want options; if that means making spectrum of care the standard model within our practices or embracing new ways of doing things, we should offer those choices. Doing things differently does not mean lowering standards, as excellent medicine and compassionate care can be present in all types of practice. Finally, as professionals, we should not disparage colleagues working in a different practice model than our own.

These challenges are not unique to Canada; similar sentiments have been experienced in many parts of the globe. In Great Britain their version of our Competition Bureau will wrap up their investigation of the veterinary industry in the spring of 2026. To date, the British Veterinary Association has recommended the following (5):

• invite and encourage open and honest conversations about fees at an early stage;
• display a price list for your most frequently offered services;
• include clear information about payment options available;
• normalize the principle of contextualized care (spectrum of care) in your practice culture;
• proactively offer a prescription where appropriate and discuss dispensing options; and
• provide information about the ownership of your practice as well as any associated services.

I think these recommendations are a good place to start and something we should all consider.

Finally, I think we need to tell our own stories, about the value of what we do and how we navigate challenges with clients, including financial ones. I thank all the veterinary clinics with short videos and stories for the public on their webpages; this is fantastic! The CVMA is developing a nation-wide public relations campaign focused on telling our stories, and we need members to create and share content. We are part of a great profession, one worth celebrating and talking about in a very open and transparent manner. The public deserves to understand the truth about our profession, the entire range from good to bad and we should feel comfortable telling those stories.

– Dr. Tracy Fisher