There was a time… not too long ago…
when clinics didn’t even have time to breathe.
Phones ringing nonstop.
Vaccines lining up from morning to night.
New clients every single day.
Puppies. Kittens. First visits. First vaccines. First everything.
It felt like the profession had finally arrived.
For many of us…
that was the busiest we have ever been in our entire careers.
And now?
There are moments…
when the clinic is quiet.
Not empty.
But different.
The Truth No One Wants to Say Out Loud
The boom is over.
Not because people stopped loving their pets.
But because the reason they got those pets… has disappeared.
During COVID:
- People were lonely
- People were home
- People needed something to hold on to
So they got pets.
Millions of them.
And they got them all at the same time.
Global data confirms this surge in pet ownership during the pandemic, followed by a sharp slowdown once life normalized (L.E.K. Consulting, 2023).
What we experienced was not normal growth.
It was compressed demand.
We Didn’t Grow… We Borrowed From the Future
That’s the painful reality.
The puppies you should have seen in 2024…
you already saw in 2021.
The clients who should have come in gradually…
came all at once.
And now?
There are fewer new stories beginning.
You Can Feel It in the Consult Room
Less:
- Puppy vaccine series
- First-time pet owners
- Excited new clients
More:
- Maintenance
- Chronic disease
- “Doc, same meds again.”
Even globally, veterinary visits have started to decline, with reports showing reduced clinic traffic despite rising prices (Reuters, 2024; Bank of America via Investopedia, 2026).
Meaning:
The income is holding…
But the movement is slowing.
And Outside the Clinic… Life Has Moved On
Look at your clients.
They’re traveling again.
Dining out again.
Living again.
Pets are still there.
But they are no longer the center of the universe.
And this shift matters.
Because veterinary practice is not just about medicine.
It is about attention.
And right now…
attention is being pulled elsewhere.
Breeding Slowed. The Pipeline Shrunk.
Fewer puppies being produced.
Fewer kittens entering homes.
Which means:
- Fewer first visits
- Fewer vaccine series
- Fewer new client relationships
And that is the part that hurts quietly.
Because first visits…
are the lifeblood of long-term practice growth.
This Is Not a Crash. This Is a Plateau.
The industry did not collapse.
It matured.
Forecasts still show long-term growth in pet care…
but at a slower, more realistic pace (Morgan Stanley, 2024).
This is what happens after every surge.
The wave settles.
And what’s left…
is the real landscape.
The Next Phase is Harder
Before, you didn’t need to try as hard.
Patients kept coming.
Now?
- Build relationships
- Earn loyalty
- Create value
- Differentiate your clinic
Because volume will no longer carry you.
But Here’s the Part Most Vets Are Missing
The pandemic pets are growing older.
And with age… comes disease.
Kidneys.
Heart.
Endocrine.
Cancer.
The next boom is not in numbers.
It is in complexity.
Higher-level medicine.
Better diagnostics.
Deeper clinical thinking.
Final Truth
What we experienced during COVID… was never meant to last.
It was a moment.
A surge.
A perfect storm.
And now we are here.
In the quiet after the noise.
In the space where real professionals are revealed.
Because when the easy growth disappears…
only true veterinarians remain.
Sources
L.E.K. Consulting. The Pandemic Pet Boom and Post-COVID Demand Normalization
Morgan Stanley (2024). Pet Care Industry Outlook to 2030
Reuters (2024). IDEXX Reports Slower Veterinary Visits Post-Pandemic
Investopedia (2026). Rising Costs and Declining Vet Visits (Bank of America Report)
Bir et al., 2025. Changes in Pet Ownership and Veterinary Access Post-Pandemic (PLOS ONE)
Dr. Geoff Carullo is a Fellow and the current President of the Philippine College of Canine Practitioners.
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