Lack of online price transparency of small animal veterinary clinics in the United States

Abstract

Introduction The cost of veterinary care is a significant concern for many pet owners. Despite the growing use of the internet for service-related information, there is limited research regarding the accessibility of veterinary pricing information on veterinary clinic websites. Materials and methods To address this gap, the present study investigated the transparency of online veterinary service pricing on websites for small animal clinics within the United States through a cross-sectional study design. The country was divided into four divisions based on the U.S. Census, with two randomly selected states selected from each division (Wyoming, California, Michigan, Illinois, Maine, New York, Florida, and Kentucky). Systematic random sampling within state was used to select five distinct zip codes, comprising of two urban, two rural, and one suburban area per Census definitions. The first five clinics within a specific zip code on Google Maps search results were included for analysis. Prices for routine dog and cat services were extracted from clinic websites. These included core vaccinations, sterilization procedures (spay and neuter surgeries), nail trims, dental procedures, and “Wellness Plans.” Results Although a maximum of five clinics per zip code were targeted, resulting in an estimated sample size of 200 clinics, some of the selected zip codes had fewer than five clinics, resulting in a final size of 177 clinics. Among these, 157 clinics (88.70%, 157/177) had websites available for review, demonstrating a high level of online presence. However, information on specific service pricing was sparse. Three clinics (1.91%, 3/157) provided pricing information for services on their websites. Similarly, only seven clinics (4.46%, 7/157) offered a Wellness Plan option for patients, 2/157 (1.27%) clinics mentioned insurance options, 13/157 (8.28%) clinics listed payment options such as CareCredit, Scratch pay, check, cash, and 14/157 (8.92%) clinics offered discounts such as free or reduced cost first visit fees. Discussion These findings highlight a substantial gap in online price transparency, underscoring the need for increased transparency to promote informed decision-making and trust between clients and veterinarians.