Australian telehealth vet firm Dial A Vet expands international footprint

A leading provider of telehealth veterinary services in Australia has announced plans for growth through expansion into 3 international markets.

Dial A Vet is targeting the US, Canada and the UK by offering 24/7 access to veterinary professionals. Pet parents in these new markets will be able to connect via video call to Australian vets. However, they will not be able to get prescriptions due to Australian legal restrictions.

With guidance on pet health, behavior and preventative care on offer, the firm says it has resolved over 90% of concerns from its Australian and New Zealand clients.

“This is a huge opportunity for the rest of the world to gain access to Dial A Vet’s world-class vets and service at an affordable price point,” says Joshua Fidrmuc, who founded the company in 2022.

Staff shortage means transformation

The global veterinary care market is undergoing a transformation as a shortage of professionals, efficiencies and savings through scale offer opportunities for existing players, new entrants and investors.

Affordability is a key consumer issue, and regulators have responded to concerns about it.

In the UK, the Competition and Markets Authority is investigating how the industry operates to ensure fair competition. Inquiry Chair Martin Coleman recently provided an update following a consultation period on topics including transparency and the provision of medicines.

“We have not formed even provisional conclusions, let alone final views, on any of these topics,” he says, suggesting that any final report is some way off.

Challenging environment

Recently, Pets At Home cited its in-store vet practices as a shining light in a generally challenging retail environment. Vet care accounts for over half of the firm’s profit before tax.

Last month, Swedencare officially acquired UK-based Summit Veterinary Pharmaceuticals.

French veterinary professional body L’Ordre National des Vétérinaires (ONV) has stated its opposition to foreign firms entering the market, citing misaligned professional standards, and its ability to reject registrations was upheld by the country’s highest administrative court in 2023.

In America

In the US, the market is seeing some consolidation, with private equity groups agreeing to a deal to create one of the country’s largest vet care businesses by combining Southern Veterinary Partners and Mission Veterinary Partners.

Both have a common shareholder in Shore Capital Partners, which, together with Silver Lake, will create a network of veterinary practices with more than 750 locations and revenues above $580 million (€510M), according to the business publication Financial Times.

In 2023, online pet retailer Chewy announced that it was launching vet care in Florida, with a subsequent rollout in Atlanta and Texas. The company says its vet clinics have exceeded expectations.