Theme this week
Revenue is still positive, but patient, invoice, and product-purchase measures are weaker. Vet Watch reported revenue up 2.4% through June 20, while its Week 23 report showed clients, invoices, and patients down through June 13. This week, compare revenue with patients, invoices, purchases, refills, prescription handoffs, and intake scripts before changing forecasts or staffing plans. 1, 2
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Executive takeaways
- Compare revenue, patients, invoices, and purchases each week. Vet Watch data show revenue up while patients, invoices, clients, and several purchase categories are down. 1, 2
- Check care-plan services completed against services sold this month. Heart + Paw’s care plans add monthly payments, unlimited technician visits, remote triage support, and Nest-managed plan administration. 3
- Track allergy treatment switches and refill completion this month. MSD Animal Health reported treatment switching by dog owners and veterinarians, which raises pressure on cost wording and follow-up. 4
- Update FIP and poison-call scripts this month. American Veterinary Medical Association’s (AVMA’s) feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) and Pet Poison Helpline articles point to a need for clearer prescription handoffs, cost wording, exposure questions, and medicine-storage messages. 5, 6
- Log Prime Day and screwworm questions this week. Track price questions, written prescription requests, travel-history questions, and wound calls until better data show whether these are broader demand issues. 7, 8, 9, 10
Signals
1. Vet Watch shows revenue up while patient counts and purchase spending fall
OBSERVED
Vet Watch reported year-to-date revenue up 2.4% through the week ending June 20, 2026, across nearly 3,000 reporting practices. It also reported weaker year-to-date purchase spending through May 31 across more than 32,000 practices and shelter locations. 1
The weaker purchase categories were core and lifestyle canine and feline vaccines, down 4.5%; kennel cough vaccines, down 8.2%; parasiticides, or parasite control products, down 3.0%; and surgery consumables, down 0.9%. Chronic care products were up 1.9%. 1
Vet Watch’s Week 23 report showed year-to-date clients down 1.9%, invoices down 2.5%, patients down 2.4%, and revenue up 2.4% through June 13, 2026. 2
VIEWPOINT
Revenue is not enough to forecast demand this week. The gap suggests some revenue may be coming from higher prices, different case types, or more services per visit rather than more patients. Operators should compare revenue with patients, invoices, and product purchases before changing forecasts.
CONFIDENCE
High — Vet Watch data support the revenue, patient, invoice, and purchase-spending measures. Higher prices, different cases, or different products and services may explain part of the gap.
ACTIONS
Independent veterinary practices
- Compare revenue, invoices, patients, and product purchases each week.
- Ask the practice manager to explain weeks when revenue rises but patients fall.
Corporate veterinary groups and clinic consolidators
- Flag clinics where revenue rises but patients fall each week.
- Review vaccine and parasite control purchases before the next buying cycle.
Distributors, e-retail and home delivery providers
- Compare clinic reorders with patient counts and invoice counts this month.
- Review vaccine and parasite control reorder settings this month.
Manufacturers and commercial operators
- Compare dollar sales with clinic purchase spending this month.
- Ask account leads to explain regions where clinic purchases fall this week.
2. Heart + Paw care plans link payment and follow-up
OBSERVED
Heart + Paw announced on June 17, 2026, that it launched personalized, veterinarian-guided annual care plans for dogs and cats. It said each plan is recommended by the veterinarian based on the pet’s age, health history, and lifestyle. Clients receive a yearly routine care plan with interest free monthly payments and no annual or enrolment fee. 3
Heart + Paw said the plans include personalized preventive care, services that can be added or removed, a dental services discount, unlimited technician visits, 24/7 remote triage support, and needs-based customization. It also said Nest works inside existing practice systems and manages enrolment, billing, renewals, compliance tracking, and analytics. 3
VIEWPOINT
Heart + Paw is using care plans to keep preventive care, payment, renewals, and follow-up in one system. That may help retention if clients complete the services they buy. Practices should check whether unlimited technician visits fill staff schedules without increasing completed preventive care.
CONFIDENCE
High — Heart + Paw’s own release supports the launch and plan features. The main uncertainty is enrolment, renewal, use, and margin.
ACTIONS
Independent veterinary practices
- Compare plan services sold with services completed this month.
- Set limits for unlimited technician visits before enrolment grows.
Corporate veterinary groups and clinic consolidators
- Compare plan enrolment, renewals, and technician visits each month.
- Standardize plan change approval rules within 30 days.
Distributors, e-retail and home delivery providers
- List where plan clients are sent for home delivery this month.
- Compare preventive orders from plan clinics with non-plan clinics this quarter.
Manufacturers and commercial operators
- List products included in covered visits this quarter.
- Prepare account questions about plan reminders and completed refills this month.
3. MSD survey puts allergy refills and cost conversations under pressure
OBSERVED
MSD Animal Health announced on June 17, 2026, that about one third of canine patients seen by US veterinarians have itchy skin or allergic skin disease. The company also said 28% of US dog owners and 36% of US veterinarians switched allergy treatments in the past year. 4
MSD said the 11-country survey included 1,710 dog owners and 1,413 veterinarians. It reported gaps around diagnosis, treatment expectations, whether owners give medicines as directed, whether treatments work, cost, safety, and how long treatment lasts. 4
VIEWPOINT
Allergy care depends on repeat visits and repeat refills. Switching suggests some clients and veterinarians are still testing whether cost, speed of effect, safety, and how often the medicine is given fit the case.
Clinics and manufacturers should check patients who start treatment but do not keep refilling it.
CONFIDENCE
High — MSD’s survey release supports the reported switching and treatment concerns. The main uncertainty is how survey findings translate to local refill behavior.
ACTIONS
Independent veterinary practices
- Track allergy treatment switches each week.
- Update client wording about allergy cost and treatment length this month.
Corporate veterinary groups and clinic consolidators
- Review allergy rechecks completed within 30 days.
- Add allergy treatment change reasons to medical record templates this month.
Distributors, e-retail and home delivery providers
- Track allergy product reorders by clinic and sales channel this month.
- Prepare customer service wording for delayed allergy refills this week.
Manufacturers and commercial operators
- Test field messages against cost objections this month.
- Track how often clients switch allergy products this month.
4. AVMA FIP guidance puts cat prescription handoffs in focus
OBSERVED
AVMA published a June 23, 2026, article on updated FIP guidance. AVMA said the European Advisory Board on Cat Diseases guideline was published April 9 in Viruses. It covers antiviral medicines, including GS-441524, shorter treatment approaches, monitoring, and prognosis. 5
AVMA also said no antiviral has been approved for use in cats. It said many FIP antiviral preparations now come through compounding pharmacies. Compounded GS-441524 must follow U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) compounding guidance and be prescribed by a veterinarian for a specific cat. 5
VIEWPOINT
This changes the clinic steps around FIP cases. The main steps are prescription records, compounding pharmacy communication, client cost wording, monitoring reminders, and follow-up calls. Clinics should decide who owns each step before the next suspected FIP case.
CONFIDENCE
High — AVMA’s article supports the guideline, antiviral, compounding, and monitoring facts. The main uncertainty is how clinics change prescription and follow-up work.
ACTIONS
Independent veterinary practices
- List who handles FIP prescription handoffs this week.
- Prepare client wording for FIP cost and follow-up calls this month.
Corporate veterinary groups and clinic consolidators
- Standardize FIP documentation steps within 30 days.
- Track completed FIP follow-up calls across clinics this quarter.
Distributors, e-retail and home delivery providers
- Log compounding pharmacy questions from clinics this quarter.
- List who receives, verifies, or routes cat antiviral prescriptions within 30 days.
Manufacturers and commercial operators
- Write sales team do-and-do-not-discuss points for FIP access questions this month.
- Review feline antiviral updates with medical affairs this month.
5. Pet Poison Helpline calls add triage work
OBSERVED
AVMA reported on June 17, 2026, that Pet Poison Helpline received more than 600 calls about psychedelic and hallucinogenic mushrooms in 2025, compared with about 50 in 2020. AVMA said hallucinogen related pet poison calls had jumped by more than 1,000% since 2020. 6
The same article said Pet Poison Helpline’s 2025 Annual Report Card flagged oclacitinib allergy medicine overdoses as an emerging concern. AVMA said a chewable oclacitinib version introduced in October 2023 was likely linked with more accidental exposures, citing a 2025 study. 6
VIEWPOINT
Front desks and technicians may need clearer questions about mushrooms, hallucinogens, and chewable medicines. Clinics should update call scripts before the next exposure call. This is intake and triage evidence. It should not be treated as product performance evidence.
CONFIDENCE
High — AVMA’s article supports the call trend and oclacitinib exposure concern. The main uncertainty is local clinic case volume.
ACTIONS
Independent veterinary practices
- Add hallucinogen questions to intake scripts this week.
- Review chewable medicine storage wording during allergy refills this month.
Corporate veterinary groups and clinic consolidators
- Update triage call trees for hallucinogen exposures this week.
- Track toxicology calls by substance across sites each month.
Distributors, e-retail and home delivery providers
- Prepare poison control referral wording for service teams this week.
- Log clinic questions about chewable medicine packaging this month.
Manufacturers and commercial operators
- Review exposure messages for chewable medicines this month.
- Label helpline calls as exposure data in field materials this week.
Early watch items
1. Amazon Prime Day may shift pet refill questions
OBSERVED
Amazon said Prime Day 2026 runs June 23 through June 26 for Prime members, with millions of deals across more than 35 categories. 7
Amazon’s deal preview named pet supplies from Zesty Paws, Blue Buffalo, Purina, and Seresto. Amazon also promoted Alexa for Shopping tools, including personalized deal guides, deal and price alerts, auto-buy at a target price, and up to 365 days of price history on hundreds of millions of products. 8
SPECULATIVE ASSESSMENT
Prime Day may change how some pet owners compare prices and set up repeat orders. The issue is most relevant for flea, tick, wellness, and chronic care products, where clients already compare clinic, Amazon, and home delivery prices.
This remains Early watch because higher 2026 pet supply sales and refill changes are not yet observed.
CONFIDENCE
Moderate — Amazon confirms the event, pet brands, and price tools. Higher pet supply sales and refill changes are not yet confirmed.
WHAT WOULD CONFIRM THIS
- Post-event reports show higher pet supply sales within 72 hours of event close.
- Clinics report more written prescription requests during or after Prime Day.
- Home delivery providers report higher flea, tick, or chronic refill orders.
- Chewy, Walmart, or 1800PetMeds increase recurring delivery offers during the event.
WHAT WOULD RULE THIS OUT
- Post-event reports do not show higher pet supply sales.
- Clinics do not report more price or prescription questions.
- Flea, tick, and chronic refill orders stay at recent usual levels.
- Competitor recurring delivery offers do not change during the event.
HOW TO PREPARE NOW
Independent veterinary practices
- Track price and refill questions during Prime Day.
- Review parasite and chronic medicine refill delays next week.
Corporate veterinary groups and clinic consolidators
- Compare written prescription requests before and after Prime Day.
- Ask pharmacy teams to log Amazon price questions this week.
Distributors, e-retail and home delivery providers
- Track event-week flea, tick, and chronic refill orders by account.
- Prepare customer wording for recurring delivery substitutions this week.
Manufacturers and commercial operators
- Check marketplace prices and where products appear in deal pages each day.
- Review temporary discount approvals with sales leads next week.
2. New World screwworm adds pet travel and wound-intake checks
OBSERVED
AVMA reported on June 22, 2026, that New World screwworm had returned to the US and that 15 cases had been reported in Texas, including a dog residing in New Mexico. AVMA also stated that New World screwworm can infest pets as well as livestock and wildlife. 9
FDA issued a June 11, 2026, emergency use authorization for generic over-the-counter nitenpyram tablets for New World screwworm infestations in dogs and cats that meet FDA age and weight limits. FDA said most US dogs and cats are at low risk, with higher risk for pets recently in areas with confirmed cases. 10
SPECULATIVE ASSESSMENT
Clinics in affected areas may need to ask more questions about travel and wounds. They may also need current reporting contacts and the latest FDA-authorized screwworm product list. This is not yet evidence that clinics nationwide will see more pet cases.
CONFIDENCE
Moderate — AVMA and FDA sources support a real pet preparedness issue. The main uncertainty is pet case volume outside affected areas.
WHAT WOULD CONFIRM THIS
- Additional pet cases are reported outside the current Texas-linked reports.
- Pet travel rules add more clinic paperwork.
- Clinics report more wound calls tied to recent travel.
- FDA, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), or states issue more pet-specific drug or reporting updates.
WHAT WOULD RULE THIS OUT
- No further pet cases are reported.
- Cases stay within the current affected areas.
- Pet travel rules do not add clinic paperwork.
- Clinics outside affected areas report no related intake questions.
HOW TO PREPARE NOW
Independent veterinary practices
- Add travel history questions to wound intake scripts this week.
- Confirm New World screwworm reporting contacts this week.
Corporate veterinary groups and clinic consolidators
- Send regional guidance to clinics near travel corridors this week.
- Track wound calls mentioning Texas, New Mexico, or Mexico each week.
Distributors, e-retail and home delivery providers
- Track affected-region orders for FDA-authorized screwworm products each week.
- Confirm which affected state accounts have stock this week.
Manufacturers and commercial operators
- Review FDA authorization and species limits before field teams contact clinics this week.
- Check new FDA and state screwworm updates each week.
Methodology and governance
This PULSE Edition covers developments posted or acted on from June 17 through June 24, 2026, using U.S. Eastern Time.
Observed statements are anchored to public sources and attributed subscriber reports cited below. Viewpoints are PETMETRIX assessments that interpret commercial implications for operators. Early watch items are early hypotheses. They are not yet strong enough for a full Signal, and they include what would confirm or rule out the pattern.
PETMETRIX PULSE commercial intelligence is provided for informational use and to support lawful, independent business decisions. It is not legal, clinical, reimbursement, accounting, or financial advice. Route legal, clinical, reimbursement, accounting, and financial decisions to qualified advisers. Respect for the veterinary-client-patient relationship is mandatory.
Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Methodology and Data Disclaimer
Glossary
Compounding pharmacy: A pharmacy that prepares a patient-specific medicine when a prescriber orders a formulation, strength, or form that is not available as a standard product.
Confidence: PETMETRIX rating of the strength and consistency of a signal. It is expressed as High, Moderate, or Low and does not mean certainty.
Early watch item: An early pattern with real indicators, but incomplete proof of commercial behavior.
Emergency-use authorization: FDA authorization that allows a product to be used for a specific emergency need under stated conditions.
Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP): A serious inflammatory disease in cats linked to feline coronavirus. In this edition, FIP matters because updated guidance affects prescription, compounding, cost, and follow-up work.
GS-441524: An antiviral compound that serves as the primary active metabolite of the prodrug remdesivir. It is most prominently recognised for its efficacy in treating feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), a historically fatal disease in cats.
New World screwworm: A parasitic fly whose larvae burrow into and feed on living tissue in warm-blooded animals.
Nitenpyram: An oral flea treatment active ingredient used in products such as Capstar and PetArmor CapAction.
Observed: A statement anchored in an attributable source, for example a company announcement, regulator posting, publication, data release, or market report.
Remote triage support: A first check by chat, phone, or video to decide the next care step, such as urgent care, an in-person visit, or follow-up.
Signal: A sourced market, company, product, policy, data, or behaviour change with a clear commercial implication.
Speculative assessment: A forward-looking hypothesis based on early indicators, with criteria that would confirm or rule out the pattern.
Viewpoint: PETMETRIX interpretation of observed facts through a commercial lens.
References
- DVMetrics. “Vet Watch® Insight Report Week 24 - June 2026.” Subscriber email received by PETMETRIX, June 23, 2026. https://www.vetwatch.com
- DVMetrics. “Vet Watch® Weekly Insight Report Week 23 – June 13th.” Subscriber email received by PETMETRIX, June 13, 2026. https://www.vetwatch.com
- Heart + Paw. “Heart + Paw® Launches Personalized Care Plans, Redefining Preventive Petcare with Flexible, Customized Wellness Solutions.” June 17, 2026. https://heartandpaw.com/press/heart-paw-launches-personalized-care-plans-redefining-preventive-petcare-with-flexible-customized-wellness-solutions
- MSD Animal Health. “Study Reveals Dog Owners and Veterinarians See Challenges in Treating Allergic Skin Disease, Highlighting a Need for a Targeted Rapid Onset Treatment for Dogs of All Ages.” June 17, 2026. https://www.msd-animal-health.com/news-and-insights/news-releases/study-reveals-dog-owners-and-veterinarians-see-challenges-in-treating-allergic-skin-disease-highlighting-a-need-for-a-targeted-rapid-onset-treatment-for-dogs-of-all-ages/
- American Veterinary Medical Association. “New FIP guidelines highlight available antivirals, shorter treatment course.” June 23, 2026. https://www.avma.org/news/new-fip-guidelines-highlight-available-antivirals-shorter-treatment-course
- American Veterinary Medical Association. “Helpline sees 'staggering' surge in calls about pets ingesting hallucinogens.” June 17, 2026. https://www.avma.org/news/helpline-sees-staggering-surge-calls-about-pets-ingesting-hallucinogens
- Amazon. “When is Amazon Prime Day 2026? Prime members get four days of exclusive savings June 23-26.” June 23, 2026. https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/retail/amazon-prime-day-2026-date
- Amazon. “Prime Day 2026: The biggest deals to add to your wish list.” June 23, 2026. https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/retail/prime-day-2026-deals-preview
- American Veterinary Medical Association. “A year plus of planning gives response efforts head start ahead of screwworm's return.” June 22, 2026. https://www.avma.org/news/year-plus-planning-gives-response-efforts-head-start-ahead-screwworms-return
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “FDA Issues Emergency Use Authorization for Generic Over-the-Counter Drug to Treat New World Screwworm in Dogs and Cats.” June 11, 2026. https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-issues-emergency-use-authorization-generic-over-counter-drug-treat-new-world-screwworm-dogs-and