Half of Canadian pet owners are not keeping up with routine veterinary visits, primarily due to affordability concerns, a recent study has found.
Fifty percent of pet owners have either skipped or declined veterinary services for their cats or dogs within the past year, according to the survey conducted by Gallup and commissioned by PetSmart Charities of Canada. Affordability was the primary reason Canadians chose not to seek vet services for their pets, while the distance travelled to vet clinics was another influential factor, the study found.
Only 41 percent of cat and dog owners reported taking their pet to a veterinarian and accepting the recommended services within the past year. The study found that pet owners aged 18 to 29 are most likely to skip vet visits, and that this likelihood decreases with age. Income did not appear to be a factor in pet owners’ likelihood to skip recommended services, the report says….