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The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has challenged Dutch’s claim that 75 million U.S. pet owners skipped or declined veterinary care because of cost or access. The figure is Dutch’s estimate, not an independently verified count of pets that went without care. The dispute also exposes a separate question: telemedicine may be available, but whether a veterinarian can establish a veterinarian-client-patient relationship (VCPR) remotely depends on state rules.
What did the AVMA say about Dutch’s pet care gap report?
In coverage published May 12, 2026, Vet Times reported that the AVMA called the assumptions behind Dutch’s 2026 Pet Care Gap Report flawed. Dutch said its report identified a serious affordability and access problem; the AVMA disputed how Dutch used population estimates, a claimed veterinarian shortage, and the absence of a veterinary visit in the previous year to arrive at its headline figure. The underlying report and full AVMA statement were not independently reviewed in that coverage, so the estimate should be attributed to Dutch and the criticism to the AVMA.
Dutch reported that it surveyed more than 10,000 U.S. pet owners and that two in five said they had skipped or declined care because of cost or access. Dutch then estimated that 75 million pet owners were affected. Those are company-reported survey findings and an extrapolation, not a validated count of pets that received no veterinary care. Vet Times’ May 12, 2026 report summarizes the dispute; its April 14, 2026 report covered Dutch’s earlier call to expand telemedicine.
Why do the organizations disagree about telemedicine?
AVMA: establish the VCPR in person first
The AVMA’s position, as quoted by Vet Times, is that “An in-person visit is necessary to establish the VCPR before a veterinarian can safely diagnose or prescribe.” It also said, “Telemedicine has an important role – but only after a VCPR is established in person. Anything less puts patients, clients and the public at unnecessary risk.”
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The VCPR is the professional relationship that supports a veterinarian’s knowledge of the patient and responsibility for care. The AVMA warned that a veterinarian relying on remote observation and information supplied by an owner may face greater risks of misdiagnosis, delayed care, inappropriate treatment, or missing contagious or zoonotic disease. These are the AVMA’s stated concerns in the coverage, not quantified outcomes from a study cited there.
Dutch: remote care can help address access barriers
Dutch founder and chief executive Joe Spector argued that regulation, rather than demand, is the main barrier to veterinary telemedicine: “The biggest barrier to veterinary telemedicine isn’t demand, it’s regulation.” Dutch’s position is that responsibly used telemedicine can complement in-person care and help owners facing cost or access obstacles.
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Dutch chief medical officer Kate Elden, DVM, said, “This report shows what veterinarians see every day: when care is difficult to access or afford, treatable conditions worsen and outcomes deteriorate, often unnecessarily.” Elden also said Dutch veterinarians are not compensated based on what they sell, in response to the AVMA’s concern about platforms that combine telemedicine with online drug sales. These statements express the company’s case; they do not establish how often remote care prevents worsening illness.
Can a vet establish a VCPR through telemedicine?
There is no single answer for every U.S. state. Telemedicine availability and permission to establish a VCPR remotely are different issues: a service can offer remote consultations even where a veterinarian cannot use a first remote interaction to establish the relationship needed for diagnosis or prescribing. State laws and board rules vary and can change, so check the current rules of the relevant state veterinary board rather than relying on a national summary.
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Dutch was reported as counting nine states where a clinician could not establish a VCPR through telemedicine in its April 14, 2026 report. That is a dated, company-attributed snapshot, not current legal guidance. The AVMA, meanwhile, said veterinary telemedicine was available in all U.S. states and territories; that statement does not mean every jurisdiction permits a VCPR to be established remotely.
What do the spending figures actually compare?
The numbers cited in the dispute use different definitions, so they should not be treated as competing measurements of the same annual bill.
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| Figure | What it describes | Attribution and qualification |
|---|---|---|
| US$560 | Typical-year veterinary-care spending | AVMA’s 2025 Pet Ownership Survey and Demographic Sourcebook, as reported by Vet Times in 2026. |
| US$1,727 | All pet-related expenditures | AVMA’s 2025 Pet Ownership Survey and Demographic Sourcebook, as reported by Vet Times in 2026; broader than veterinary care alone. |
| Up to US$3,000 annually per pet | Possible annual care costs, including expenses such as emergencies, dental cleaning, and chronic conditions | Dutch’s claim, as reported by Vet Times in 2026; not directly comparable to the AVMA typical-year figures. |
The figures can help explain why affordability is part of the debate, but they do not independently prove Dutch’s estimate of how many owners forgo care.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What does separate polling say about alternative care options?
A 2025 Gallup report on a PetSmart Charities–Gallup study offers context about interest and reported use, not a test of Dutch’s estimate. The study surveyed 2,498 U.S. adults who owned at least one dog or cat between Nov. 13, 2024, and Jan. 9, 2025. About four in ten pet owners said they would be interested in community clinics, in-home veterinary visits, and telemedicine if those options were available. Gallup reported that 16% had ever visited a community clinic, 8% had used telehealth, and 8% had received a home veterinary visit.
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The same study found that 44% of pet owners consulted online resources about pet health and 17% relied solely on nonveterinary sources. Interest in services and use of services are different measures; neither establishes how many owners cannot obtain needed veterinary care. Gallup’s April 29, 2025 report gives the study’s findings and methods.
Quick Recap
What should pet owners take from the dispute?
- Treat 75 million as Dutch’s contested estimate, not a verified count of pets that received no care.
- Recognize the central trade-off: remote services may improve convenience or access, while the AVMA argues that an in-person VCPR helps protect clinical safeguards.
- Check current state rules before assuming a telemedicine veterinarian can establish a VCPR, diagnose, or prescribe remotely.
- When considering a remote appointment, ask the provider what it can assess, whether an in-person examination is required, and how it handles signs that need urgent or hands-on care.
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