Satisfaction with Regular Vets at 90.5% for 'Very Satisfied' and 'Somewhat Satisfied' Combined—Yet, About Half of Distrustful Owners 'Want to Switch but Can't' (Survey of 317 Dog and Cat Owners)
Key facts
- Satisfaction with Regular Vets at 90.5% for 'Very Satisfied' and 'Somewhat Satisfied' Combined—Yet, About Half of Distrustful Owners 'Want to Switch but Can't' (Survey of 317 Dog and Cat Owners)
- According to a survey of 317 dog and cat owners conducted by Specialist Home Doctor Kami-ikedai Animal Hospital Group in late April 2026, overall satisfaction with their regular veterinary hospitals was high at 90.5%. However, about 37% had experienced anxiety or distrust, mainly due to a 'lack of explanation' regarding tests and costs. The top reason for choosing a hospital was 'proximity to home' (76.3%), revealing a situation where about half of the owners who feel distrust are unable to switch clinics due to locational constraints.
- Source: PR Times
- Date: May 27, 2026
Direct answer
According to a survey of 317 dog and cat owners conducted by Specialist Home Doctor Kami-ikedai Animal Hospital Group in late April 2026, overall satisfaction with their regular veterinary hospitals was high at 90.5%. However, about 37% had experienced anxiety or distrust, mainly due to a 'lack of explanation' regarding tests and costs. The top reason for choosing a hospital was 'proximity to home' (76.3%), revealing a situation where about half of the owners who feel distrust are unable to switch clinics due to locational constraints.
- Citation
- Satisfaction with Regular Vets at 90.5% for 'Very Satisfied' and 'Somewhat Satisfied' Combined—Yet, About Half of Distrustful Owners 'Want to Switch but Can't' (Survey of 317 Dog and Cat Owners) (May 27, 2026), PR Times
- Source
- PR Times
- Date
- May 27, 2026
According to a survey of 317 dog and cat owners conducted by Specialist Home Doctor Kami-ikedai Animal Hospital Group in late April 2026, overall satisfaction with their regular veterinary hospitals was high at 90.5%. However, about 37% had experienced anxiety or distrust, mainly due to a 'lack of explanation' regarding tests and costs. The top reason for choosing a hospital was 'proximity to home' (76.3%), revealing a situation where about half of the owners who feel distrust are unable to switch clinics due to locational constraints.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 27, 2026 at 13:00
- 🔍 Collected: May 31, 2026 at 23:14 (106h 14m after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: June 2, 2026 at 08:35 (33h 21m after Collected)
Specialist Home Doctor Kami-ikedai Animal Hospital Group (Director: Masahiro Ueno) conducted a questionnaire survey on dissatisfaction with regular veterinary hospitals, targeting 317 dog and cat owners.
This time, our hospital conducted the following survey with 317 dog and cat owners:
Q. What is your overall satisfaction with your current regular veterinary hospital?
Q. Why did you choose your current regular veterinary hospital?
Q. What points do you feel need improvement at your current regular veterinary hospital?
Q. Have you ever felt anxiety or distrust regarding the care at your regular veterinary hospital?
Q. In what specific situations did you feel anxiety or distrust?
Q. Have you ever changed your regular veterinary hospital due to anxiety or distrust over their care?
Survey Method: Internet questionnaire
Survey Period: April 30, 2026 - May 1, 2026
Survey Target: 317 men and women nationwide who own a dog or cat and have a regular veterinary hospital.
Satisfaction with regular veterinary hospitals is 90.5% for 'very satisfied' and 'somewhat satisfied' combined—while about 10% rate it as 'neither' or lower.
In response to the question 'What is your overall satisfaction with your current regular veterinary hospital?', 'somewhat satisfied' (59.0%) was the most common answer, and combined with 'very satisfied' (31.5%), 90.5% of respondents were satisfied. This suggests that many owners have a basic sense of trust in their regular veterinary hospitals.
On the other hand, combining 'neither satisfied nor dissatisfied' (6.6%), 'somewhat dissatisfied' (2.5%), and 'very dissatisfied' (0.3%) shows that about 10% of owners are not satisfied.
The top reason for choosing a regular veterinary hospital is 'close to home' at 76.3%.
For the question 'Why did you choose your current regular veterinary hospital?' (multiple answers allowed), 'close to home/easy to visit' (76.3%) was the overwhelming number one reason. Since visiting the vet with a pet can be a significant travel burden, ease of access is the most important criterion for choosing a hospital.
In second place was 'felt the veterinarian's explanation was thorough' (53.3%), indicating that the quality of communication is highly valued after location. Following in third place and below were 'have been going for a long time and they know my pet well' (26.5%), 'referral/word-of-mouth from acquaintances or family' (23.3%), 'good online reviews/reputation' (23.0%), and 'felt the medical fees were reasonable' (22.7%), all closely ranked.
For desired improvements at regular veterinary hospitals, 'long waiting times' is number one at 34.7%—a polarized trend with 'no particular points for improvement' at the same rate.
For the question 'What points do you feel need improvement at your current regular veterinary hospital?' (multiple answers allowed), 'long waiting times' (34.7%) was the most common. Combined with the second-place answer, 'difficult to get an appointment' (21.8%), time-related complaints dominate the top spots.
In third place was 'high medical fees/unclear costs' (17.7%). Dissatisfaction with costs also ranked high in the 'situations where anxiety/distrust was felt' mentioned later, indicating it carries significant weight among owners' complaints about veterinary hospitals.
Notably, 'no particular points for improvement' (34.7%) was tied for first place with 'long waiting times.' This shows that the number of owners with clear complaints is almost equal to the number of those satisfied with the current situation, indicating a polarization of owner attitudes.
Waiting times at veterinary hospitals are heavily influenced by structural factors like emergency patient intake and the time required for tests and procedures, so they cannot be simply shortened. It seems that efforts to reduce the owners' feeling of 'being kept waiting,' such as providing advance notice of congestion and improving appointment systems, are needed.
36.9% of owners have felt anxiety or distrust with their regular vet's care—about half of whom answered they 'want to switch but can't.'
In response to the question 'Have you ever felt anxiety or distrust regarding the care at your regular veterinary hospital?', 'never' (63.1%) was the most common answer. However, combining 'once or twice' (29.0%) and 'several times' (7.9%) shows that 36.9% of owners have experienced anxiety or distrust.
Considering that 90.5% of respondents in the satisfaction survey answered 'satisfied,' it is clear that a considerable number of owners are 'generally satisfied but have experienced anxiety in specific situations.' This result reveals the true feelings of owners that satisfaction surveys alone cannot capture.
Next, the 117 respondents who answered 'yes' to having experienced anxiety or distrust were asked about the specific situations.
The top answer was 'A test or procedure was suggested, but I doubted if it was really necessary' (35.9%), followed closely by 'There was no prior explanation of costs, and the bill was higher than expected' (35.0%). These were followed by 'There was not enough explanation about the effectiveness or necessity of the treatment' (26.5%) and 'The same treatment was continued even though my pet's condition did not improve' (25.6%).
A common theme among the top four items is that they all relate to a 'lack of explanation or understanding.' It is not dissatisfaction with the tests or treatments themselves, but the insufficient communication of information such as 'why is this procedure necessary?' and 'how much will it cost?' that leads to owner anxiety.
In veterinary medicine, where pets cannot verbally communicate their symptoms, the veterinarian's explanation to the owner is particularly important. Thorough informed consent, including explaining treatment plans and providing cost estimates in advance, is essential for building a relationship of trust with owners.
Furthermore, the 117 individuals who had experienced anxiety or distrust were asked if they had changed veterinary hospitals as a result.
'I thought about changing, but I haven't' (49.6%) accounted for about half, significantly outnumbering those who had actually 'changed' (25.6%). The result shows that the largest group of owners are those who feel anxiety and distrust but have not taken the step to switch hospitals.
Reasons for hesitating to switch may include 'no other options nearby,' 'they have been seeing my pet for a long time, so it's hard to change now,' and 'I can't tell if another hospital would be better.' As seen from the fact that 'close to home' was the overwhelming top reason for choosing a regular vet at 76.3%, locational constraints may be a major hurdle to switching.
When feeling anxious, it is important to first try to frankly communicate your concerns to your regular veterinarian. If that does not resolve the issue, seeking a second opinion from another veterinary hospital is also an option. Creating an environment where owners can proceed with treatment with full understanding is crucial for protecting the pet's health.
FAQ
What is the main purpose of this survey?
The main purpose is to clarify the actual state of pet owners' satisfaction, dissatisfaction, anxiety, and distrust towards their regular veterinary hospitals through a questionnaire survey.
How satisfied are pet owners with their veterinary hospitals?
A total of 90.5% of respondents answered that they were 'very satisfied' or 'somewhat satisfied,' indicating a very high level of satisfaction.
What is the most important factor when choosing a veterinary hospital?
'Close to home/easy to visit' was the overwhelming top reason at 76.3%, showing that accessibility is the main criterion.
What are the main reasons for pet owners to feel distrust towards their vet?
The main reasons cited are related to a lack of informed consent, such as 'doubts about the necessity of tests or procedures' and 'lack of prior explanation about costs.'
Why do many pet owners not switch hospitals even if they feel distrust?
About half of the owners who felt distrust answered they 'wanted to switch but haven't,' and it is thought that locational constraints, such as 'no other options nearby,' are a major hurdle.