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The 2025 Pet Parent Research Report
The latest veterinary communication insights from 1,000 North American pet owners.
Gaps in convenience could lead pet owners to change vets
We’ve conducted valuable new research to understand how pet owners view and use technology in veterinary care. We surveyed 1,000 pet parents, exploring their expectations for communication, online interactions, and how satisfied they are with their current vets.
Our findings reveal a significant gap between pet owner expectations and the technology currently offered by many clinics. Pet owners—especially younger generations and those in urban areas—increasingly rely on technology to manage their busy lives, and expect the same convenience and accessibility from their veterinary providers. This includes digital communication, online booking, and easy access to pet health records.
This firsthand account provides detailed insights into pet owner preferences, and highlights the importance of technology in meeting their needs.
%
of pet parents feel it’s important to receive reminders for appointments and vaccinations, but 42% report not receiving any.
%
of pet owners say they’re likely to switch veterinary clinics in 2025, rising to 40% among younger pet parents.
%
of clients experience issues when trying to book appointments, and 63% for those living in urban areas.
Key findings from the Pet Parent Research Report
1. client communication and engagement matter
Most pet parents consider digital communication and engagement with their vet clinics to be important across areas such as appointment booking, reminder messages, and access to pet health records.
Pet owners view these areas of customer service as the most important:
- Receiving reminders about appointments and vaccines 87%
- Easily viewing and sharing pet health records 83%
- Booking appointments anytime with any device 78%
- Requesting prescription refills online or through an app 78%
- Communicating with their vets by SMS or online chat 77%
- Filling out forms on any device prior to their visits 75%
- Accessing pet care tips and tools on the clinic website 72%
- Paying on any device, and through a link on their phone 66%
- Using any device to track reward points from purchases 50%
2. Appointment booking is full of friction
Pet parents point to a range of issues when trying to book appointments, such as lack of available slots, long hold times, and the inability to book when the clinic is closed.
%
lack of
available slots
%
long phone
hold times
%
unable to book appointment when the clinic’s closed
%
inability to
book online
%
difficulty contacting
the clinic
%
complicated
booking process
3. Younger pet parents are less satisfied with appointment booking
More than half of pet parents report issues booking appointments, and this percentage increases for younger pet owners and those living in urban areas.
%
of pet parents have trouble booking appointments with their vets
Proportion of pet parents experiencing issues when booking an appointment with their vet clinic
- 57%
Age of pet parents who experience issues when booking appointments:
- 18-34 69%
- 33-54 55%
- 55+ 39%
Location of pet owners who experience issues when booking appointments:
- Urban 63%
- Suburban / Semi-rural 57%
- Rural 49%
Download the full report to learn more about how pet parents view and value technology in pet care.
PetDesk commissioned London Research to carry out a survey of 1,000 nationally representative North American pet parents in November 2024.