Why clinic visits are declining and how AI-driven ops can reverse the trend
Veterinary teams across the country are seeing a shift: fewer visits, longer gaps between appointments, and growth that doesn’t quite match the effort. The numbers point to something real — a quiet recalibration of client behavior that clinics are being asked to navigate in real time.
The shift isn’t subtle. Visits are down 2.3% year-over-year. Clients are waiting an average of 86 days between appointments, a nearly 50% increase since 2023. And while price increases have kept revenue somewhat steady, new visits and compliance are softening, especially in independent practices, where the margin for error is tighter.
This isn’t a problem that can be solved by raising fees or launching another marketing campaign. It requires a deeper shift — one that starts with operational intelligence and ends with improved patient care.
The trend at a glance
Industry data from over 6,000 clinics paints a clear picture:
- Visits are down 2.3% year-over-year
- The average interval between visits has climbed to 86 days (a 48% increase)
- Active patient counts at independent clinics are down 1.9%
- New puppy and kitten visits have dropped nearly 9%
The topline numbers might look stable thanks to inflation-fueled pricing. But underneath, the foundation is shifting, and cracks are beginning to show.
Who’s most exposed
Small animal general practices, especially independently owned ones, are bearing the brunt of this trend. Unlike corporate groups with centralized support and diversified revenue streams, independents rely heavily on recurring visits and loyal client relationships.
A softening in new client flow or even a modest dip in patient compliance hits harder when your margins are thinner and your overhead is fixed.
A quiet risk to pet health
Every missed appointment isn’t just a lost line item. It’s a missed opportunity to check in, catch early signs, and reinforce the relationship between the clinic, the client, and the patient.
When the rhythm of care breaks down, consequences ripple out. Compliance drops. Preventive plans stall. Trust erodes — often subtly, over time, through choices that never make it into the system. Without visibility into those quiet decisions, clinics are left reacting instead of guiding.
The limits of price-centric strategy
Some clinics have responded by increasing prices — and in many cases, that’s been necessary to keep pace with inflation. But an 8% fee increase followed by a 3.9% revenue lift isn’t a sustainable model.
Clients are already price sensitive. Over half say they’ve skipped care due to cost, and even high-income households aren’t immune. Raising fees without improving experience or value perception risks pushing more clients away.
The real question isn’t how much more clients will pay. It’s whether they believe what they’re paying for is worth it.
Reversing the trend with AI and operational clarity
The good news: this isn’t a fixed outcome.
Clinics that are slowing this trend — or even reversing it — are doing so by focusing on what services they offer, and how those services are delivered, communicated, and supported. That’s an operational challenge, and increasingly, one that AI can help solve.
Modernizing operations doesn’t mean overhauling everything at once. It means identifying where friction, silence, or confusion lead to missed care and using better tools to address them.
Here’s how AI-backed operational systems can help:
- AI-powered reminders and recall. Instead of generic “time for a checkup” emails, AI can help personalize outreach based on pet history, service gaps, and visit behavior, leading to better response rates.
- Sentiment analysis and flagging. With AI scribing tools like HappyDoc, clinics can pick up on cues in client language that signal financial hesitations or confusion. These insights allow for timely intervention and better communication.
- Treatment plan and billing compliance. AI can track when recommended services are declined, not booked, or partially completed. That visibility lets teams follow up with clarity and avoids surprise charges or missed revenue.
- Workflow fatigue monitoring. Documentation time is a leading source of staff burnout. When AI handles SOAP note capture, after-hours work decreases, and team retention improves.
It’s time to meet the moment
Some clinics are already turning the corner. By focusing on operational efficiency, client insight, and team sustainability, not just top-line growth, they’ve stabilized visit cadence, increased rebooking, and improved staff morale.
Clients aren’t necessarily less committed to their pets’ health. But they are navigating more complexity: rising costs, shifting schedules, and limited clarity about what care is necessary, when, and why. In that context, even well-meaning clients can become inconsistent ones.
What’s needed is a reorientation around visibility, clarity, and operational design. AI tools don’t solve that on their own, but they do give clinics a way to see more, catch what’s falling through the cracks, and reduce the invisible load that wears teams down.
The clinics that will come out stronger are responding by building the infrastructure to better understand, support, and sustain the full care experience.
