Why Pet Owners Decline Veterinary Lab Tests: What the Research Shows
Diagnostic procedures—especially blood tests—are the most commonly declined category of veterinary care in the best recent national survey. Cost is also the leading barrier to care. But those two findings should not be collapsed into a statistic the research did not measure.
What the national research measured
The strongest current U.S. evidence comes from the 2025 PetSmart Charities–Gallup State of Pet Care report. Gallup surveyed 2,498 adults who owned at least one dog or cat using its probability-based national panel. Data were collected from November 13, 2024, through January 9, 2025, with web and supplemental mail responses.
| Finding | Who it describes | What it means—and does not mean |
|---|---|---|
| 52% skipped a needed visit in the past year or had ever declined a veterinarian’s recommendation | All surveyed U.S. dog and cat owners | A broad measure combining two experiences: not visiting despite perceived need and declining care during a visit. |
| 37% visited a veterinarian but declined at least one recommendation | All surveyed owners | Shows that access can break down after a client reaches the clinic. |
| 22% declined diagnostic procedures such as blood tests | All surveyed owners | The largest single declined-care category. It is not a cost-specific statistic. |
| 42% said, “I could not afford the cost” | Owners who had declined recommended care | Applies across all declined-care categories, not diagnostics alone. Respondents could select more than one reason. |
| 71% cited affordability, perceived value or both | Owners who skipped a needed visit or declined care | Captures financial considerations broadly; “not worth the cost” is not the same as inability to pay. |
| 73% said no lower-cost alternative was offered after a cost-related refusal | Owners who declined because of cost | A client-reported perception. It does not show whether a clinically appropriate lower-cost option existed in every case. |
Source: PetSmart Charities–Gallup State of Pet Care Study, 2025. Percentages have different denominators and timeframes. They should not be multiplied together.
Why “22% declined lab tests because they could not afford them” is not supported
The 22% and 42% figures answer different questions. The first identifies what type of care was declined. The second identifies why any recommended care was declined. Gallup did not report the overlap between those groups.
Multiplying 22% by 42% to estimate that overlap would assume that affordability affects every type of recommendation at the same rate. The data do not establish that assumption. A credible analysis should therefore state both figures—and the evidence gap—rather than invent a more precise number.
The reliable signal is still important: diagnostics are the leading declined category, and unaffordability is the leading stated reason for declining care overall.
What common veterinary tests can cost
Price is highly local and depends on the clinic, patient, test configuration, and whether an examination or collection fee is added. Recent national benchmarks nevertheless help explain why a diagnostic recommendation can become a difficult household decision.
| Test or service | Dog benchmark | Cat benchmark | What it may help evaluate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Complete blood count (CBC) | $104 | Not separately listed | Red and white blood cells and platelets; findings may support evaluation of anemia, infection, inflammation and other conditions. |
| Blood chemistry panel | $164 | $144 | Organ function, electrolytes, glucose, proteins, enzymes and metabolic status, depending on the panel. |
| Thyroid blood test | $125 | Varies | Thyroid function; the exact test or panel should be confirmed with the veterinarian. |
| Geriatric screening | $181 | $182 | A broader screening package whose components vary by provider. |
| Urinalysis | Varies | $54 | Urine concentration and findings relevant to urinary, kidney, metabolic or inflammatory conditions. |
| Routine examination | $56–$129 | $57–$130 | The clinical visit itself; tests and procedures may be billed separately. |
Benchmarks: 2025–2026 ASQ360° research conducted for Synchrony’s CareCredit across the 50 states and District of Columbia. Actual prices vary, and an in-office visit fee may be added. A separate veterinarian-authored PetMD review places routine combined CBC and biochemistry blood work at roughly $100–$200.
Why diagnostics sit at the center of the affordability problem
A blood test is not simply another line item. It is often the step that changes uncertainty into a diagnosis, a safer anesthetic plan or a decision about treatment. A CBC measures red cells, white cells and platelets; a chemistry profile provides information about organ function, electrolytes, glucose, enzymes and other markers. Results must be interpreted by the veterinarian in the context of the patient’s history, examination, symptoms and other findings.
Yet diagnostic value can be difficult for a client to see before the result exists. The test may follow an exam fee, and additional imaging, medication or repeat testing may still be needed. That makes diagnostics a natural pressure point: clinically useful information is being weighed against a household’s immediate and uncertain financial exposure.
The tension is not evidence that clients do not care or that veterinarians are recommending unnecessary medicine. In Gallup’s study, only 7% of owners who declined care cited distrust of the veterinarian, while 83% of owners who had visited a veterinarian agreed that the care their pet receives is generally worth the cost. The problem is more often a mismatch between the clinically preferred pathway and what the family can accept at that moment.
What the evidence suggests can help more clients say yes
Present clinically sound options with clear prices
A spectrum-of-care conversation can distinguish the preferred diagnostic plan from acceptable alternatives, staged testing or referral when those choices are medically reasonable. In Gallup’s companion survey of 933 U.S. companion-animal veterinarians, 94% said clients’ finances sometimes or often prevent recommended treatment. The research also identified a perception gap: most veterinarians reported often offering alternatives, while many clients who declined because of cost said they did not remember receiving a lower-priced option. Clear written choices and explicit pricing can reduce that gap.
Make the value of the information visible
“Blood work” can sound abstract. A brief explanation of the decision it supports—whether anesthesia can proceed, whether dehydration or anemia is present, or whether organ function changes the medication plan—helps the client understand what the test may change. This is informed decision-making, not sales pressure.
Use payment tools selectively
A 2024 peer-reviewed study in the Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics found that payment plans reduced the price and income effects associated with purchasing veterinary services. The study also cautioned that not every consumer values payment plans equally. Financing can be part of an access strategy, but it should be transparent, appropriate for the client, and considered alongside—not instead of—lower-cost clinical pathways.
Evaluate in-clinic testing on total workflow and total cost
Point-of-care testing can shorten turnaround time, use small sample volumes and support decisions while the patient and client are still present. Those benefits are well described in the veterinary laboratory literature, provided practices maintain appropriate quality control, validation, staff competency, maintenance and result interpretation.
In-clinic testing is not automatically less expensive for the client. The real economic question is whether the equipment, consumables, quality-control requirements, labor, service and test volume produce a sustainable cost per result—and whether some of that efficiency can be passed through in client pricing. That is why transparent consumables economics and right-sized equipment matter.
A practical checklist for independent veterinary practices
No equipment purchase can solve access to care by itself. A practice can, however, design its diagnostic program around both clinical quality and real-world acceptance.
- Measure declined diagnostics by category and reason. Track CBC, chemistry, urinalysis, imaging and send-out testing separately; capture “cost,” “value unclear,” “stress” and “other” as distinct reasons.
- Show the complete client price. Include the exam, collection, panel, interpretation and likely follow-up rather than presenting a partial estimate.
- Create approved diagnostic pathways. Define preferred, staged and minimum-information options for common presentations where clinical judgment supports them.
- Model true cost per reportable result. Include reagents, controls, calibration, waste, maintenance, labor, service, financing and realistic test volume.
- Protect quality. Faster and more affordable testing still requires quality-control procedures, staff training, analyzer maintenance and veterinary interpretation.
- Review acceptance and outcomes. The useful metric is not simply tests run; it is whether more patients receive appropriate information without creating unsustainable practice economics.
Bottom line
How many pet owners forgo laboratory testing because they cannot afford it? The research does not yet provide one exact national percentage. It does tell us that 22% of U.S. dog and cat owners have declined diagnostics such as blood tests, 42% of owners who declined recommended care said they could not afford it, and 94% of companion-animal veterinarians see client finances limit care at least sometimes.
That is enough evidence to treat diagnostic affordability as a serious access problem—while staying honest about what remains unmeasured. The next step is better data at the clinic level and better-designed choices: transparent pricing, clinically appropriate options, sustainable in-clinic economics and workflows that make useful information available while the patient is still in front of the care team.
References
- PetSmart Charities and Gallup. State of Pet Care Study: Pet Parents’ Assessment of American Veterinary Care. 2025. National probability-based survey of 2,498 U.S. dog and cat owners.
- Hrynowski Z, Lall J. Gallup. 52% of U.S. Pet Owners Skipped or Declined Veterinary Care. April 15, 2025.
- Kemp A. Gallup. Veterinarians Say Cost Is the Main Driver of Declined Care. January 19, 2026. Survey of 933 practicing U.S. companion-animal veterinarians.
- Synchrony CareCredit. Veterinary Exam and Procedure Costs. Cost research conducted in 2025–2026 by ASQ360° across the United States and District of Columbia.
- Beal A, Morrison BJ. PetMD. Blood Tests for Dogs and Cats: Costs and How to Read Results. Updated February 28, 2025. Veterinarian-authored and veterinarian-reviewed.
- Neill CL, Zhang P. Payment Plans and Veterinary Services: Do They Reduce the Pain of Pet Owner Payment? Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics. 2024;49(1):124–142.
- Velayudhan BT, Naikare HK. Point-of-Care Testing in Companion and Food Animal Disease Diagnostics. Frontiers in Veterinary Science. 2022;9:1056440.
- Royal College of Pathologists. Point-of-care testing in veterinary medicine. 2025.
This article is educational and does not provide veterinary or medical advice. Diagnostic decisions should be made by a licensed veterinarian based on the individual patient. Cost benchmarks are national estimates, not quotes, and may not reflect prices in a specific market or practice.