In recognition of the growing challenges many pet owners face in accessing necessary veterinary care, in 2023 VetBilling spearheaded the creation of Access to Veterinary Care Awareness Day, which takes place on May 10. This initiative underscores a critical and worsening issue—declining access to veterinary services for numerous pets and their families due to financial, geographical, and cultural barriers. VetBilling believes in actively addressing these challenges to better the lives of pets, pet parents, and the veterinary teams that care for them.

You can educate clients about the value of veterinary services all day long, but if you aren’t also offering flexible payment options that help them manage the cost of that value, pet owners will avoid or delay seeking care for their pet because the perceived financial burden is too great. There’s been a lot of

Suzanne Cannon knows how hard it is to choose between finances and your pet’s health. 15 years ago her dog developed a life-threatening case of pancreatitis, requiring $4,000 of emergency treatment. Declined for CareCredit because she was “credit invisible,” her pet insurance policy didn’t help because it required upfront payment to the veterinarian. Not knowing where to turn for help, years later she created her own solution to help both pet parents and veterinarians.

Pet Savings Accounts are an excellent way to encourage pet owners to be proactively prepared for future veterinary expenses. Not everyone has the discipline to set up a personal savings account without occasionally raiding it to pay for an impulse purchase. Pet Savings Accounts offered through your practice let clients set aside a dedicated dollar amount on a monthly basis that is specifically earmarked for veterinary costs.