Elanco survey: 38% of pet owners have moved medication purchases away from clinics

Asked what they would trim if money got tighter, only 7 percent of owners picked pet health spending. By comparison, 54 percent said they would cut back on dining out and entertainment.

Most owners ranked their pets' wellbeing close to their own. Eighty-seven percent said their pets' happiness and wellbeing mattered as much as their own, and 63 percent said it mattered more. The top reason owners gave for spending on their pets was keeping them healthy and helping them live longer.

Thirty-eight percent of owners said they had moved at least some medication purchases out of veterinary clinics in the past one to two years. Owners now buy from clinics, online pharmacies and retail stores.

Even so, a veterinarian's recommendation was the main reason owners gave for switching medications. It mattered more to them than discounts or rebates.

The online survey covered 2,018 US adults and ran Oct. 16–21, 2026. A quarter of current pet owners said they expect to adopt another pet within the next year. Elanco ran the survey itself, and it makes pet health products.