Navigating the Cost of Care: Effective Conversations About Veterinary Diets

Cost conversations regarding veterinary diets are a mainstay of client interactions for veterinary professionals. A quick internet search provides a glimpse into the misinformation surrounding the cost of veterinary diets. For example, a blog from the “Dog Food Guide” written by a freelance writer from September 2022 states, “Prescription diets are very expensive,” without any quantification of cost, which is problematic. Unfortunately, this type of misinformation can make conversations regarding cost more challenging for veterinary professionals.

Additionally, revenue from veterinary therapeutic diet sales is an often-overlooked area of practice management. With the availability of online pharmacies, space in the veterinary hospital/clinic is no longer a barrier to selling a variety of veterinary therapeutic diets. According to Future Market Insights, Inc., the veterinary therapeutic diet market will reach 1.6 billion (USD) globally in 2024 and is projected to reach 3.8 billion (USD) globally by 2034 (accessed August 2024: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/veterinary-therapeutic-diet-market).

Like any conversation regarding the cost of veterinary services or products, customizing the conversation to the individual pet is critical, by focusing on the value to the pet. In Dr. Parr’s experience, cost per day is the most effective means of discussing cost given there is no standardization to the size of pet food packages (e.g., bags, cans, pouches, etc.) or the number of calories provided per unit (i.e., kcal/kg). Without focusing on cost per day for an individual pet, pet owners may experience “sticker shock”, which can be defined as being surprised over the cost of a product, especially if the cost of the veterinary diet is being added on top of a bill for other veterinary services (e.g., annual examination, diagnostics, vaccinations, etc.).