Britain’s vets look set for a boom in business as the UK pet population rises to more than 57 million.
From the traditional favourites of cats, dogs and budgies to newcomers – including reptiles, exotic fish and even spiders, companion animals are finding themselves ever more welcome in ever more British homes.
40% of UK homes have discovered the benefits of an animal in the house with another 55% of those surveyed by the Pet Food Manufacturers Association stating they were open to sharing their homes with a pet in the future. The PFMA’s survey showed that most of the UK’s 7.5 million cats called the South-west, South-east or Wales, home. Of the UK’s 8.5 million dogs. most live in Northern Ireland, North-eastern England and Wales.
The highest proportion of the UK’s 800,000 pet rabbits reside in the North-east and, while outdoor fish are most popular in the South-east and South-west, fish in Wales, the North-east and the West Midlands tend to prefer life indoors.
Busy times ahead for British vets
Of the households currently without a pet on the sofa, in a tank, cage or garden pond only 4% gave economics as the reason for this absence, indicating that pet owners are prepared to commit financially to the expense and enjoyment a pet brings to a home. All of this adds up to busy times ahead for British vets.
Stretched resources and time pressures in veterinary practices and laboratories mean that UK vets will need to work smarter if they’re to keep up with the pet-owning public’s demands and expectations. The good news is that there’s plenty of time and money to be saved simply by the smart use of veterinary supplies and laboratory consumables.
Ordering in ready-made solutions, for techniques such as faecal flotation, and pre-filled histology pots optimally pre-filled with 10% neutral buffered formaldehyde solution, frees up valuable time and lab space for higher value activities.
Laboratory efficiency and accuracy of diagnosis
Greater use of disposables, and purpose-specific blood tubes, increases laboratory efficiency and accuracy of diagnosis with the added assurance that critical samples have been collected, transported and stored in optimal conditions.
With more work on the way for UK vets and veterinary laboratories, reliable supplies of veterinary consumables, disposables and ready-made solutions is likely to be a key factor in the efficient financial management of large and small veterinary practices nationwide.
