In this blog post, we have compiled the key highlights from the session titled “Looking to the Future in Veterinary Practice: Potential, Opportunities, and Making a Difference”, presented by Prof. Dr. Duygu Dalğın, held as part of VetSummit 2025: New Horizons in Veterinary Clinical Sciences, sponsored by the Kito Healthy Pet Nutrition Ecosystem. We would like to thank our speaker for the presentation.
The New Game in Veterinary Medicine: Where Are Clinics Going, and What Should We Be Looking At?
While studying in veterinary school, many of us imagine a similar “future picture”: opening a clinic right after graduation, establishing stability within a few years, and building a comfortable life around vaccines, parasite prevention, and routine examinations. Ten to fifteen years ago, this picture was largely realistic. Today, the scene has changed—and not only locally. Globally, the veterinary sector is moving in a completely different direction.
Prof. Dr. Duygu Dalğın’s talk explains exactly this turning point. Her message is very clear:
“If we keep playing the old game, we lose. If we build the new game, we win.”
1) Let’s Face Reality: There Are Too Many of Us
The number of veterinary schools and graduates has reached a level where competition is no longer “normal.” To illustrate this, the speaker gave a striking comparison:
- In the United States, with a population of 360 million, there are 28 veterinary schools and around 2,650 graduates per year.
- In countries such as Germany, the Netherlands, and Canada, the number of schools is far lower.
- In Türkiye, there are 32 veterinary schools and nearly 3,000 graduates annually.
This is not meant to discourage—it is meant to help build strategy. Because when supply exceeds demand, doing “what everyone else is doing” decreases the chance of survival.
In short:
Opening a clinic is no longer an “automatic post-graduation step.” It is a high-risk business decision that requires a serious plan.
2) The Netherlands Example: If Resources Are Limited, Is the Game Over? No.
One of the most impactful examples was the Netherlands: a very small country, with salty soil and limited agricultural land—yet one of the world’s biggest exporters.
How?
Through added value and re-export.
They import raw products produced elsewhere, transform them through technology and processing, and then export them again at a much higher value.
The message is clear:
“Resources may be limited and conditions may be difficult, but leadership is possible with the right strategy.”
Veterinary medicine works the same way: instead of clinging to the old model, we must move toward high-value new fields.
3) Pet Ownership Has Changed, and Clinic Income Is Shrinking
For many years, the main motivation for owners to visit veterinarians was vaccines and parasite control. The speaker argues that this is no longer sustainable.
Key findings from studies:
- Vaccine skepticism is increasing among cat owners, especially after the pandemic.
- Veterinary visits occur more for routine procedures than for illness-driven consultations.
- Visits for behavioral problems or psychiatric support are extremely rare.
What does this mean?
“If a clinic survives mainly through vaccines and parasite treatments, that clinic model is already dead.”
It is harsh, but true. Without new revenue models and new service types, many clinics will either close or shrink dramatically.
4) The Biggest Wave: Geriatrics and Longevity
If you observe the patient population in clinics, you will see that cats and dogs are getting older. A significant portion of patients is now geriatric.
The speaker stated clearly:
- In cats, the proportion of patients older than 11 years is nearly half.
- Dogs show similarly high ratios.
- After age 6, the frequency of clinic visits increases dramatically.
In other words, modern companion-animal practice cannot exist without strong geriatric knowledge.
But an even bigger trend is rising: longevity and wellness.
The “long life and well-being” industry, already massive in human medicine, is rapidly entering the pet world.
In the United States, for example:
- DNA methylation / cellular age tests are being sold for pets.
- Owners collect a swab sample at home and send it to a lab.
- The result measures not chronological age, but biological/cellular age.
- Veterinarians then prescribe supplements and lifestyle protocols.
- The test is repeated in 6 months, with the goal of “pushing the age backward.”
This represents a new treatment paradigm in veterinary medicine.
And the most striking news shared:
Longevity vaccines designed to reduce IGF hormone levels in dogs have received FDA approval and are expected to enter the market in 2026.
The speaker described this almost like an alarm:
The world is shifting into a new medical paradigm, and many of us are not even aware of it.
5) Integrative / Holistic Medicine: Why Is the Profit Going Elsewhere?
Today, there is a broad “holistic medicine” market—from acupuncture and phytotherapy to behavioral counseling and rehabilitation.
But in many places, veterinarians are not the ones earning from this space. People outside the profession are taking the market, because veterinarians remain in their comfort zones.
The speaker gave a blunt example:
“There are ‘animal telepaths’ who are fully booked and earning huge money—not because I approve, but because we never entered the space, so the profit flows there.”
Integrative medicine includes many areas:
- acupuncture
- rehabilitation / physiotherapy
- laser therapy
- phytotherapy and supplementation
- regenerative medicine (stem cells, PRP, exosomes)
- hyperbaric oxygen therapy
- clinical nutrition
- behavioral medicine / psychiatry
The key idea is simple:
If you do the same work as the clinic down the street with 15 years of experience, why should the client choose you?
You need a different value proposition.
6) Pet-Tech and Wearable Technology
One of the most exciting parts of the talk was technology, because the pet industry is rapidly copying human health technology.
Examples include:
- smart feeding bowls (that open only when the correct animal approaches)
- health-monitoring collars
- glucose sensors for cats and dogs (such as Freestyle Libre)
- anxiety vests, automatic litter boxes, behavior trackers
Production in Türkiye is still extremely limited. That is why the speaker offered a recommendation:
“Partner with engineers and build pet electronics and pet-tech startups.”
This field is particularly well-suited for younger generations.
7) Halal Pet Food and the Middle East Market: An Untapped Gold Mine
Türkiye already exports large volumes of pet food to the Middle East. But the speaker pointed to a market gap that almost no one is addressing:
halal-certified dry pet food.
The Middle East wants it.
There is some supply in cat food, but halal dry dog food is almost nonexistent because:
- halal-certified production infrastructure is costly
- dry food technology requires investment
But the upside is:
You do not have to build it alone.
The speaker emphasized angel investment and startup culture:
With strong feasibility studies, investment can be secured.
8) Pet Dietetics and Cellular Therapies
Two additional high-potential niches:
Pet dietetics / clinical nutrition
Just as dietetics exploded in human health, there is a major gap on the pet side. Owners are feeding homemade diets without guidance. Veterinary dietetics—especially in large cities—could become a powerful business model.
Cellular and molecular therapies
PRP, stem cells, exosomes, immunotherapy, targeted chemotherapy, DNA/RNA-based approaches… Very few clinics currently offer these. Building a dedicated “cellular therapy center” could become a serious specialization and competitive advantage.
9) Health Tourism + Pet Tourism
Türkiye is already strong in human medical tourism. The speaker described a new “combined model”:
A person travels from abroad to Türkiye for a cosmetic or medical procedure.
They bring their cat or dog with them.
While the owner receives treatment, the pet stays at an animal hospital.
Within 10 days, both human and pet medical needs are addressed—often at one-third of the cost of Europe.
One clinic in Antalya has already launched this concept.
This may become one of the highest-income customer channels of the future.
Closing: “You Are Standing on the Edge of All Possibilities”
The talk ended as a call that blended hope and responsibility:
- Know yourself.
- Understand what kind of life you need.
- Choose the field that will allow you to build that life.
- You are not obligated to follow the traditional path.
Veterinary medicine is no longer a single road—it is hundreds of roads.
And perhaps the most critical sentence of all:
“Do not rinse yourself with the same water you washed in. The world has changed—so must you.”
We will continue sharing key highlights from the sessions of VetSummit 2025: New Horizons in Veterinary Clinical Sciences, sponsored by the Kito Healthy Pet Nutrition Ecosystem. See you in our upcoming content that will support your clinical practice.
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