YMYL disclaimer. This page reports veterinary statistics. It is not veterinary advice. Consult a licensed veterinarian for medical decisions about your pet.
Household Pet Ownership
66%#1 of US households own at least one pet, equivalent to roughly 86.9 million homes.
44.5%#2 of US households own a dog, the most widely kept companion species.
Source: AVMA US Pet Ownership Statistics
11.1 million#6 US households own a freshwater fish setup, the third most common pet category.
Source: APPA National Pet Owners Survey
6.2 million#8 US households own a small mammal such as a hamster, guinea pig, or rabbit.
Source: APPA National Pet Owners Survey
1.46#11 average dogs per dog-owning household in the US.
1.78#12 average cats per cat-owning household in the US.
Labrador Retriever#13 the most registered AKC dog breed for 31 consecutive years before being unseated by the French Bulldog in 2022.
Source: AKC Most Popular Breeds Rankings
French Bulldog#14 the most popular AKC-registered breed in the US for 2022 and 2023.
Source: AKC 2023 Most Popular Breeds
35%#16 of US dog-owning households also own a cat, indicating substantial multi-species overlap.
Source: AVMA US Pet Ownership Sourcebook
Gen Z & Millennials#17 together account for over half of current US pet owners by household share.
Source: APPA National Pet Owners Survey
85%#18 of dog owners and 76% of cat owners consider their pet a member of the family.
Source: AVMA Pet Ownership Sourcebook
$5.4 billion#19 spent by APPA-tracked US owners on live animal purchases in 2023.
Cost of Ownership
$147 billion#20 total US pet industry expenditures in 2023, covering food, supplies, vet care, services, and live animal purchases.
$64.4 billion#21 US pet food and treats spend in 2023, the single largest pet-industry category.
Source: APPA Pet Industry Spending
$31.5 billion#23 US spend on pet supplies, OTC medicines, and other goods in 2023.
Source: APPA Pet Industry Spending
$11.4 billion#24 US spend on other pet services (boarding, grooming, training, walking, sitting, insurance) in 2023.
Source: APPA Pet Industry Spending
$1,533#25 average annual basic care cost for a dog, including food, routine vet, treats, and supplies, per APPA category averages.
$1,153#26 average annual basic care cost for a cat, including food, routine vet, litter, and supplies.
$228#33 average annual kennel boarding spend by dog owners using boarding facilities.
Source: APPA Pet Owner Survey
$120#34 average annual kennel boarding spend by cat owners using boarding facilities.
Source: APPA Pet Owner Survey
$99#35 average annual professional grooming spend reported by dog owners using groomers.
Source: APPA Pet Owner Survey
+5.0%#36 retail dollar growth in US pet food in 2023, outpacing total grocery growth.
$53 billion+#37 US retail value of pet food at manufacturer prices in 2023 per industry trade publication tracking.
Source: Pet Food Industry market data
Veterinary Visit Frequency & Spending
2.4#38 average dog vet visits per year for US dog-owning households.
1.3#39 average cat vet visits per year for US cat-owning households.
$410#40 mean annual veterinary expenditure per dog-owning household.
Source: AVMA US Pet Ownership Sourcebook
$182#41 mean annual veterinary expenditure per cat-owning household.
Source: AVMA US Pet Ownership Sourcebook
82.5%#42 of US dog owners visited a veterinarian at least once in the prior year.
Source: AVMA Pet Ownership Sourcebook
54.9%#43 of US cat owners visited a veterinarian at least once in the prior year, a longstanding gap relative to dogs.
Source: AVMA Pet Ownership Sourcebook
~127,000#44 US veterinarians in active employment per the most recent AVMA workforce reporting.
~32,000#45 companion-animal-exclusive veterinary practices operating in the US.
15-30%#46 consolidation share of US companion-animal practices owned by corporate groups, up from under 10% a decade earlier.
9.6 minutes#47 average reported wellness visit length at Banfield Pet Hospital, the largest US companion-animal practice network.
3 million+#48 dogs and cats receive care annually across Banfield's hospital network, providing one of the largest US companion-animal datasets.
+10.4%#49 year-over-year increase in average vet visit price tracked across major US practice networks in 2023.
37%#50 of US pet owners say cost is a barrier to seeking the veterinary care they want for their pet.
Pet Insurance Penetration
6.25 million#51 total pets insured in North America at year-end 2023.
5.68 million#52 pets insured in the United States at year-end 2023.
3.9%#53 US pet insurance penetration of insured pets as a share of all owned dogs and cats, leaving over 95% uninsured.
+17%#54 year-over-year growth in total US insured pets between 2022 and 2023.
$3.9 billion#55 total US gross written pet insurance premiums in 2023.
82%#56 of insured US pets are dogs versus 18% cats, indicating a strong dog skew in the insured population.
$675#57 US average annual accident-and-illness pet insurance premium for dogs in 2023.
$386#58 US average annual accident-and-illness pet insurance premium for cats in 2023.
$204#59 US average annual accident-only premium for dogs, the cheapest standard product tier.
$116#60 US average annual accident-only premium for cats.
25%+#61 compound annual growth rate of US gross written pet insurance premiums from 2018 to 2023.
Common Conditions & Diagnoses
59%#62 of US dogs are classified as overweight or obese.
61%#63 of US cats are classified as overweight or obese.
Otitis externa#64 ear inflammation, ranks among the most common canine conditions diagnosed in primary-care visits, affecting roughly 10-15% of dogs annually.
~80%#65 of dogs over age 3 show some stage of periodontal disease on oral exam, the most prevalent canine clinical disease.
~70%#66 of cats over age 3 show evidence of periodontal disease on oral exam.
20-25%#67 lifetime prevalence of osteoarthritis in adult dogs based on imaging-confirmed studies.
~6 million#68 US dogs receive a new cancer diagnosis each year per AVMA-cited oncology surveillance estimates.
Source: AVMA Cancer in Pets resource
~6 million#69 US cats receive a new cancer diagnosis each year per the same AVMA-cited surveillance estimates.
Source: AVMA Cancer in Pets resource
1 in 4#70 dogs is expected to develop neoplasia at some point in life, with cancer the leading cause of death in dogs over age 10.
~1%#71 annual prevalence of diabetes mellitus in cats based on insurance-claim and primary-care surveillance.
~30%#72 of cats over age 10 develop chronic kidney disease (CKD), the leading cause of mortality in older cats.
10-15%#73 prevalence of feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD) in cats presenting to primary-care clinics for urinary signs.
~15%#74 of dogs are estimated to be affected by atopic dermatitis (environmental allergy), one of the top dermatology diagnoses in primary care.
Heartworm#75 testing positive in roughly 1.5-2% of US dogs tested annually, concentrated in the Southeast where local positivity exceeds 5%.
~2-4%#76 US shelter and pet-population seroprevalence of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV).
~3%#77 US seroprevalence of feline leukemia virus (FeLV) infection in non-shelter cats.
~10%#78 of senior dogs (over age 11) show clinical signs consistent with canine cognitive dysfunction.
Pet Drug & Treatment Spend
$13.4 billion#79 US animal-health pharmaceutical and biologic sales in 2023, the bulk attributable to companion animals.
200+#80 active pharmaceutical ingredients are FDA-approved for use in dogs or cats under New Animal Drug Applications.
Bravecto#81 oral fluralaner became one of the highest-grossing companion-animal pharmaceuticals after its 2014 FDA approval, anchoring the multi-billion-dollar US flea-tick category.
$3 billion+#82 US retail value of the parasiticide (flea, tick, heartworm) category for companion animals.
Source: FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine consumer guidance
Librela / Solensia#83 first FDA-approved monoclonal antibody (anti-NGF) treatments for canine and feline osteoarthritis pain, approved 2022 (cat) and 2023 (dog).
10+#84 NSAIDs FDA-approved for dogs (carprofen, deracoxib, firocoxib, grapiprant, meloxicam, robenacoxib, etc.); only meloxicam and robenacoxib are FDA-approved for cats.
DEA Schedule IV#85 regulatory class for tramadol, gabapentin (in some states), and other commonly prescribed companion-animal analgesics, complicating dispensing logistics.
~70%#86 of WSAVA-surveyed companion-animal practices globally report stocking core vaccines (canine distemper, parvovirus, adenovirus; feline panleukopenia, calicivirus, herpesvirus, rabies).
Source: WSAVA Vaccination Guidelines
3 years#87 minimum duration-of-immunity for core canine and feline vaccines per WSAVA, supporting triennial rather than annual core boosters in adult animals.
Source: WSAVA Vaccination Guidelines
UC Davis#88 School of Veterinary Medicine ranks first globally in QS subject rankings for veterinary science and runs the largest US academic veterinary teaching hospital.
Cornell#89 College of Veterinary Medicine sees over 30,000 patient visits annually at its Companion Animal and Equine hospitals combined.
End-of-Life Care
11.5 years#90 median lifespan for US dogs across breeds, with substantial variation by size (small breeds often exceeding 14 years, giant breeds 6-9 years).
12-15 years#91 typical lifespan range for indoor cats; outdoor cats average notably shorter lives.
Cancer#92 the leading cause of death in dogs over age 10 and a top cause of death in older cats.
Source: AVMA Cancer in Pets
In-home euthanasia#93 demand has grown sharply over the last decade, with multiple national mobile-vet networks now offering at-home end-of-life services per AVMA workforce reporting.
$50-$300#94 typical in-clinic euthanasia fee range; $300-$700 typical in-home euthanasia fee range per AVMA-cited workforce data.
~99%#95 of US pet remains are handled by cremation or owner-arranged burial; communal versus private cremation pricing differs roughly 3-5x.
Adoption / Breeder / Shelter Mix
40%#96 of US dog owners report acquiring their dog from a breeder; 23% from a shelter or rescue.
31%#97 of US cat owners report acquiring their cat as a stray or from a friend; 27% from a shelter or rescue.
7,000+#98 animal shelters and rescues operate in the United States.
Source: AVMA Shelter Medicine resource
~6.3 million#99 companion animals enter US shelters each year, split roughly evenly between dogs and cats.
Source: AVMA Shelter Medicine resource
3.2 million#100 companion animals are adopted from US shelters annually per AVMA-cited shelter intake and outcome figures.
Source: AVMA Shelter Medicine resource