A veterinarian dug through 29 years of federal price data to explain the pause at the front desk when the estimate slides across.
Veterinary prices ran about 2.3 points above general inflation in an average year from 1998 to 2021. Then they jumped 8.83% in 2022 and 9.44% in 2023, while general inflation cooled to 4.1%. Since 2019, vet prices are up 47% and consumer prices 26%.
Visits show the rest. Across more than 6,000 practices in the Vetsource network, companion animal visits fell every year from 2022 through 2025, roughly 57 million fewer than the 2021 peak predicted. Revenue rose 55.6% from 2019 to 2024, but real growth after prices was only 12.6%.
The part that should bother dog owners arrived in 2025. In 2023 the drop sat in elective surgery and dental work. By 2025, wellness visits fell 3.8%, faster than the 3.1% overall decline. Owners are protecting emergencies and skipping prevention.
Most were never offered a cheaper path. In a PetSmart Charities and Gallup survey, 52% of owners said they had skipped or declined needed care, and 71% named cost. Of those who declined over money, 73% said nobody offered a lower-cost alternative, and only 23% of owners had ever been offered a payment plan.
What this means for your dog: ask for the estimate in writing and ask what the tiers are. Ask about a payment plan before you decide. Then protect the wellness visit, because that is where cheap problems get caught.
If money keeps you out of the clinic, our guide to affording vet care covers the options. The numbers are at dvm360.