According to Vetsource’s latest white paper, patient visits are declining and the frequency between visits is lengthening, creating challenges — and opportunities — for veterinarians across the profession.
In “Behavior shift: Implications of today’s pet owner trends on veterinary medicine in 2025,” Vetsource analyzed transactional data from more than 6,500 veterinary practices. The data revealed that visits were down 2.3% in 2024, compared to the previous year. Time between visits grew to 85.8 days between July 2023-2024 — a 48% increase from the same period just three years earlier — and total active patients were down 1.9% from the previous year.
Veterinary practices that excel in addressing these challenges will be the ones that focus on client relationships and offer solutions that go beyond the four walls of the practice. With Vetsource’s Vet2Pet app and client engagement solution, they can do just that.
Vet2Pet includes features that build stronger relationships and make it easy for clients to stay on top of their pets’ health. Automated tools like health service reminders, online appointment requests, and multiple modes of communication keep the practice top of mind and make it easy to do business. A Vetsource study reveals that, on average, more than 600 appointment requests are generated through the app each year per practice.
“Vet2Pet has helped us connect with our clients with messages that relate directly to our practice,” said Myra Herbert-McHenry, RVT, practice manager at Companion Animal Wellness Center in Carlsbad, Calif. “If we have holes in our schedule, we can send out an email and text blast to our clients and our phones ring within minutes to fill in the gaps.” Herbert-McHenry said the team loves using the texting feature for patient updates, medication refills, and scheduling appointments.
