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Surveys reported by GlobalPETS show that pet owners across the UK, US and Canada face financial pressure around veterinary care, with some delaying or skipping treatment. Separate US and Canadian findings point to gaps between owners’ experiences and veterinary professionals’ accounts of lower-cost options and discussions about affordability.
Surveys in the UK, US and Canada point to financial pressure affecting veterinary care, including owners delaying or skipping treatment and uncertainty about paying for routine or emergency needs. The findings, reported by GlobalPETS, also show a gap between how veterinarians say they offer alternatives and how some owners say those options are presented.
A Jollyes survey of 2,000 UK respondents, conducted in January 2026, found that as many as three in 10 pet owners had delayed or skipped veterinary care because of rising costs. The figure was 46% among London respondents. Annual booster vaccinations were the most commonly delayed or missed service: half of respondents said they had skipped or postponed them in the previous 12 months. Puppy and kitten vaccinations and microchipping followed, at 28% and 26% respectively.
The survey also examined cats’ microchipping, which has been mandatory in England since June 2024. Jollyes found that 31% of owners said cost had limited their ability to meet the requirement, while 33% said their cats were already microchipped. The report does not provide further detail on how respondents were selected or whether the results represent all UK pet owners.
In the US, an ASPCA survey conducted by YouGov among 1,536 pet owners found 58% were concerned about rising veterinary costs, and about half worried about everyday expenses for pet food and care. Around 60% said they were not confident they could afford a pet medical emergency; the ASPCA estimates that this corresponds to 100.4 million companion animals at risk of not receiving emergency care. Four in 10 respondents were unsure whether they could meet routine medical needs.
Cost Barriers Reach Routine Care
The figures cover different countries and surveys, so they should not be treated as a single comparable measure. Taken together, however, they show that affordability concerns can affect preventive services as well as urgent treatment. Missed vaccinations and microchipping can leave owners unable to follow recommended care or legal requirements, while uncertainty about emergency costs may shape decisions before an animal becomes seriously ill.
The UK survey also found that 23% of respondents had given up something they wanted to cover veterinary expenses. That share was 33% in London and 46% in Northern Ireland. Meanwhile, 92% supported proposals requiring clinics to display prices for key treatments, and 63% wanted standardized pricing across veterinary groups. These are reported preferences, not evidence that a pricing policy has been adopted.
For veterinary practices, the findings raise a practical issue: owners may need treatment options that fit their circumstances, but the surveys suggest that offers of alternatives or payment arrangements may not always be understood or discussed at the right time.
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The report draws on several studies with distinct populations and methods. The UK results come from Jollyes’ January 2026 survey; the US pet-owner findings come from an ASPCA survey conducted by YouGov. Gallup separately surveyed 933 US veterinarians in September and October 2025 and 2,500 US cat and dog owners between November 2024 and January 2025. Its Canadian veterinary survey included 369 vets in September 2025.
In the Gallup findings, 97% of US vets said cost was the main reason owners sometimes, often or always declined recommended care. Yet among owners who said they had declined care because of cost, 73% reported that their vet had not offered a lower-cost alternative. By comparison, 81% of vets said they often or always recommended alternative plans. The results describe different respondents’ accounts and do not establish why those accounts differ.
Canadian findings focus on veterinary training and communication. While 93% of surveyed vets said they were familiar with the Spectrum of Care approach, which tailors recommendations to an animal’s needs and a client’s circumstances, 49% said their education had prepared them only a little or not at all to apply it. Just 21% said they try to understand clients’ financial concerns before making recommendations; 51% address finances afterward, and 28% raise them only if clients ask or decline care.
“As many as 3 in 10 pet owners in the UK have delayed or skipped veterinary care amid rising costs.”
— Jollyes survey, as reported by GlobalPETS
Survey Limits and Unanswered Questions
The findings do not establish that cost alone caused every delay or missed service, and the surveys use different samples, questions and time periods. The source material does not provide full methodological details for every study, including the UK survey’s sampling approach, so the results should not be assumed to represent all pet owners in each country.
It is also unclear why owners and veterinarians report different experiences of lower-cost alternatives, or how often payment plans are offered and taken up. In the US, four in 10 vets said they often or always provide financing or payment plans when clients decline care due to cost; 70% said their practice offers third-party pay-over-time options, while 24% said they provide in-house plans. Those availability figures do not show whether clients can qualify for or afford the options.
The report gives no detail on what policies, if any, will follow from UK respondents’ support for displayed or standardized prices. It also does not establish how the reported financial pressures have changed over time.
Pricing and Care Discussions Ahead
The surveys do not announce a specific policy change or a scheduled follow-up. The next developments to watch are whether UK proposals for clearer clinic pricing move forward, and whether practices make treatment alternatives and payment arrangements easier for clients to understand.
Further research with comparable methods would help show whether delays are increasing and how often financial constraints prevent care. For individual pets, owners concerned about costs should discuss available options with a veterinarian, who can explain the animal’s needs and possible treatment plans.
Key Questions
How many UK pet owners reported delaying or skipping veterinary care?
In a January 2026 Jollyes survey of 2,000 respondents, as many as three in 10 said they had delayed or skipped care amid rising costs. The figure was 46% among respondents in London.
Which veterinary services were most often missed in the UK survey?
Annual booster vaccinations were most commonly delayed or skipped: 50% said they had done so in the previous 12 months. Puppy and kitten vaccinations and microchipping followed at 28% and 26%.
What did US pet owners say about emergency veterinary costs?
An ASPCA survey conducted by YouGov found that about 60% were not confident they could afford a medical emergency for their pet. The ASPCA estimated that 100.4 million companion animals were at risk of not receiving emergency care, based on the survey findings.
Why do the owner and veterinarian accounts differ?
The surveys report different groups’ experiences: 73% of owners who declined care due to cost said they were not offered a lower-cost alternative, while 81% of vets said they often or always recommend alternatives. The findings do not explain the gap.
What does the Canadian survey say about financial conversations?
Among surveyed Canadian vets, 21% said they discuss clients’ financial concerns before recommendations. A further 51% said they address finances afterward, while 28% raise the topic only if a client asks about costs or declines care.
Source: rss
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