Editor’s note: Melanie Papandrea is assistant marketing director at research and data collection firm qSample, Chicago. This is an edited version of a post that originally appeared here under the title, “5 veterinarian and pet health trends taking over.”
What does the future hold? For the veterinarian industry, the answer is Marmaduke strides in pet health care. Everyone wants to be able to keep their furry friends healthy, and with the new trends of the future it is becoming easier and more manageable.
With that in mind, here are five trends that are creating a vast impact in the veterinarian industry:
Holistic medicine
The American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association defines holistic medicine as “treatment that is minimally invasive.” This means the techniques and products used to treat the animal cause less physical stress and typically produce fewer side effects than with traditional drugs.
According to the National Center for Health Statistics, almost 40 percent of Americans in 2007 utilized holistic medicine (also referred to as integrative/complementary/alternative medicine).
Holistic medicine’s popularity has sprung from the fact that many pet owners have personal experience with alternative medicine (herbology, acupuncture, massage therapy, chiropractic, etc.). In turn, they are searching for less invasive ways to treat their pets. Holistic medicine is traditionally a natural, non-intrusive and often affordable alternative that focuses on preventative treatments – as well as the emotional wellbeing of the patient. For more information on the topic, visit our article, “Is holistic medicine for pet care the next big trend?”
Pet insurance
Treatment for pets isn’t cheap, and pet owners don’t mind putting down the money. According to a recent survey by Kroger Co., 61 percent of pet owners say they’d spend between $100 and $1,000 for life saving medical treatment. Another 15 percent would be willing to pay between $1,000 and $3,000 for treatment. Ten percent of owners said they would be willing to pay $3,000 or more for medical care if their pet required it.
Beyond the heroic sentiment, animal health insurance has become increasingly popular in a world of unexpected veterinarian costs and tightening budgets. Several years ago, few companies offered animal health insurance. Now the market is booming. Our internal research found that 97 percent of pet owners surveyed had personal health insurance, and 60 percent of those employed animal health insurance for their pets. Pets Best and Petplan were the most popular choices.
Female veterinarians
Women have come a long way from what once a male-dominated field. The Houston Chronicle reported: “As of 2010, the veterinary profession was about 50 percent men and 50 percent women, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.”
Fast forward two years, the percentage of female veterinarian students grew immensely in 2012. Dvm360 noticed this trend when more than 75 percent of graduates were women, with Tufts University leading the pack with almost 88 percent of its graduating class represented by female students. The current enrollment in veterinarian medical colleges is approximately 80 percent female.
Move over boys, the girls are taking over.
Mobile technology
Today, almost everyone has a smartphone and access to mobile apps, and this is spreading into the animal kingdom.
Mobile technology has facilitated the communication between pet owners and veterinarians. Through numerous mobile apps and automated SMS messages, facilities can transmit patient test results, appointment reminders and notifications pertaining to new services and/or medications. Clinic techs are even able to perform an X-ray on pets and send it to the veterinarian for a review within just a few minutes.
Other apps that assist pet owners are real-time Webcams to ensure the safety of animals (and slippers, too!), pet training programs and (yes) social media platforms exclusively for pets.
Exotic pets
There are no sightings of a Baby Groot as of yet but owning exotic pets is certainly a trend. For example, in the U.K. alone:
“The number of monkeys and other primates being kept as pets has soared to an estimated 9,000 animals in England and Wales as rising interest in exotic creatures fuels demand while the Internet makes them easier to trade.”
According to the American Pet Products Association, cats and dogs were still king in the pet world in 2013 but already 19.4 million U.S. households owned exotic animals. The term “exotic” is loosely defined but it commonly refers to reptiles, amphibians, birds and small mammals. The reasons for owning exotic animals go beyond just being provocative and unusual; they can include being suitable for people with allergies (as with reptiles) or that they require less space than dogs or cats (as with hamsters).
In other words, it’s not just hipster monkey business.
We are still waiting for that flying car and commercial trip to the moon. Yet it’s wonderful to know we are close to a future where a large percentage and variety of animals are treated well and with the best possible care. With the continued support of a maturing and hard-working veterinarian profession, all dogs might possibly be in heaven while on earth.