🐾 Beyond the Consult Room — How Dog Owners Navigate Confusion, Care & Daily Decisions

The Changing Veterinary Landscape

The findings reveal a widening gap between the growing demands on veterinary services and the complex realities of care at home. With pet ownership at record levels and clinics under increasing pressure, efficiency has become just as important as empathy. Pet owners are deeply caring and motivated, yet many lack the tools, time, and clarity to translate veterinary advice into confident, consistent action.

Evolving Expectations

• Younger, digitally fluent dog owners now expect seamless, app-based experiences and proactive communication from their vets. 

• The humanisation of pets — with dogs increasingly treated as family members — has raised expectations for quality of care, empathy, and ongoing follow-up. 

• At the same time, rising treatment costs are creating tension between owners and clinics, as clients seek high-touch, personalised support despite shorter consult times and increasing caseloads.

Expanding Scope of Care

The scope of veterinary care is also broadening. Beyond annual check-ups, tick prevention, and vaccines, pet owners are now engaging with physiotherapists, behavioural specialists, massage therapists, supplements, and tailored nutrition plans. This shift signals a move toward a more holistic, lifestyle-based model of pet health — one that integrates clinical expertise with everyday wellbeing.

Implications for the Industry

For pet care professionals, this evolution demands smarter systems, clearer communication, and proactive guidance that extend beyond the consult room to sustain trust and manage growing complexity. Supporting pet owners where confusion often begins — after they leave the consult room — is no longer optional; it is now central to delivering modern, high-quality veterinary care.

Modern pet care now extends beyond clinical expertise — it requires ongoing visibility, proactive communication, and systems that help clients stay on track between visits.

👉 In Part 6, we share how the Woofya team is responding — and the new model of connected, data-supported care emerging from early pilots.

Open to piloting or sharing your challenges?
📞 Book a quick chat with our Founding Team
📧 [email protected]