ACM publishes responses to consultation of research methods for veterinary services for pets

The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) has received a total of 181 responses to consultation of the research methods for its market investigation into veterinary services for pets, including 138 responses from pet owners. The other responses come from vets, assistants, businesses, and organizations. These stakeholders responded positively to ACM’s market investigation. The responses confirm ACM’s impression of the concerns that exist in the veterinary services sector, and help ACM perform the market investigation further.

ACM publishes the responses from businesses and organizations at the bottom of this page. ACM also publishes several responses from vets and assistants. They were given the choice to make their responses public. ACM does not publish the responses from pet owners.

Responses to the consultation

In the responses, widespread attention is drawn to the availability and organization of emergency care. There are concerns about the ability to offer emergency care outside of regular working hours, long travel times, and the referral policy to after-hours clinics and pet hospitals.

Prices and the lack of transparency are also important topics. Many pet owners express their concerns about the affordability of pet care and price increases, for example regarding acquisitions by large chains. Providers of veterinary service and vets, on the other hand, point to the rising costs and to the improvements in animal-care quality. Some responses express a preference for more government regulation such as price caps, maximum profit margins or standardization of treatments. Others express reservations about such measures.

Another topic mentioned in the responses is that pet owners sometimes have expectations that cannot be met; it is important that pet owners are aware of the cost of pet care, also before deciding to get a pet. Vets have indicated that they work with passion and devotion to help pets get better again and are not out for profit.

Other topics that have been raised explicitly:

• the limited role of pet insurances;
• concerns about the prescribing of (more expensive) drugs and restrictions on issuing prescriptions;
• the outflow of staff, and the increased pressure on vets and assistants.

Follow-up to ACM’s market investigation

The responses to the consultation fit well with ACM’s research methods. These methods are aimed at three topics:

• The decision-making process and information position of pet owners;
• Options for pet owners in specific areas;
• The business operations and strategies of veterinary-service providers.

ACM will incorporate the responses received to the consultation into its approach. ACM aims to publish its provisional results and recommendations by the end of 2025. Given this timeframe, there is no room for a sector-wide investigation into the costs and profit margins of veterinary-service providers or into the price trends of drugs. ACM will request information from veterinary-service providers regarding their strategies and how their prices are formed. In its investigation, ACM will additionally take a look at the drug-prescription behavior of veterinary-service providers. Also, ACM will investigate what role pet insurances play in the decision-making process of pet owners.

Market investigation into veterinary services for pets

With this market investigation, ACM will get an overview of whether the market is functioning properly for pet owners, as well as of possible bottlenecks. The ACM performs this market investigation without a suspicion of a violation of the rules. The ACM can put forward recommendations to reduce or solve any eventual problems in this market. The investigation into the market for veterinary services for pets is one of several market investigations ACM will conduct in 2025.

See also

• Petcare market research