The Tails of Truth Podcast:

Angry About The Cost of Veterinary Care? So Are We

This episode of Tails of Truth is about what is happening to veterinary medicine, and how it is affecting the people and pets caught in the middle of it. Dr. Angie Krause and veterinary nurse JoJo talk openly about why pet care is getting more expensive, what corporate consolidation is doing to independently owned clinics, and how companies like Chewy and Zoetis are changing the industry for veterinary professionals and pet parents alike. They close with practical guidance on finding trustworthy, affordable care in a rapidly shifting landscape.

Key Takeaways

  • Corporate and private equity ownership of US veterinary clinics jumped from 8 percent in 2011 to 50 percent in 2025
  • Vet costs have risen 60 percent since 2014, pushing pet insurance from optional to functionally necessary
  • The proposed MWI Covetrus merger, under FTC investigation, would give one company control of 75 percent of veterinary supply distribution
  • Chewy's 49.99 dollar telehealth consults can prescribe medication without a physical exam, straining the relationship between pet parents and their regular vet
  • Some corporate wellness plan contracts continue billing pet parents after their pet has died
  • Zoetis faces two lawsuits: one from shareholders over undisclosed product losses, one from an Oregon veterinary hospital alleging its VETSCAN Imagyst AI tool misdiagnosed a mass that turned out to be fatal cancer
  • AI tools in note taking, radiology, and diagnostics are becoming standard, raising questions about how new veterinarians will learn to build differentials on their own
  • Lifetime cost of pet ownership: 22,000 to 60,000 dollars for a dog, 20,000 to 47,000 dollars for a cat
  • Dr. Angie and JoJo recommend pet insurance, filling prescriptions locally when possible, and supporting independently owned clinics
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Sound Bites

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  • "I felt like, okay, it's up to us to evolve or die."  — Dr. Angie 

  • "Like it's just contractual, it's not human."  — JoJo

  • "It definitely feels like a knife in the back."  — Dr. Angie 

  • "I'm like Chewy is Voldemort."  — JoJo

  • "What I wanna say is try to get care at non corporate veterinary clinics."  — Dr. Angie

  •  "I just want to really acknowledge that the industry is changing. You're not imagining that."  — JoJo

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