Veterinary services

The Business & Industry Guides series is produced by the Library & Information Service for ICAEW members and ACA students.

We can compile tailored key players reports, mailing lists, market reports, benchmarking reports and industry news. Our enquiry team can also research other industry-specific information, such as taxation, for you. Call us on +44 (0)20 7920 8620 or email library@icaew.com.

Online articles

The library provides full access to articles from leading business, finance and management journals.

• View the latest updates on trends and forecasts for veterinary services

Access to articles is provided subject to suppliers’ terms of use.

Useful links

Innovation in animal health: Historic success, current challenges and future opportunities
Report produced for HealthforAnimals, the global animal medicines association, by Oxford Analytica in January 2016. Discusses the future of the animal health industry including vaccine use, food safety and sustainability, pet health and zoonotic diseases. Chapter 3 explores opportunities for the veterinary health sector to adopt new technologies.

Vet Futures
Joint project set up by the British Veterinary Association (BVA) and the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) in 2014 to consider issues facing the veterinary profession. The resources section includes a number of surveys and reports together with an action plan published in 2016.

ViVet: The Network for Veterinary Innovation
Programme run by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) seeking to ensure veterinary professionals are at the centre of innovation in the animal health sector. Activities include showcasing new technologies and businesses and providing advice on launching new products and services. Site includes case studies and a number of useful resources related to innovation in the veterinary sector.

Market research reports focusing on this business sector are available from a number of market research specialists. In most cases these reports are available to fee-paying subscribers or on a pay-as-you-go basis.

Some free information is available from the following market research specialists, ranging from industry news to executive summaries of the reports.

Euromonitor
A full listing of research reports for the veterinary services sector from Euromonitor, with reports available for a range of countries. Each report provides a contents listing and a useful executive summary reporting on the key trends in each country report.

IBISWorld
Business and industry research specialists offering reports on a wide range of sectors, including veterinary services in the UK. The company also produces global industry research reports.

Mintel
Reports from Mintel covering the UK petcare market. The website includes a summary and the option to view a contents listing.

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) publishes RCVS Facts annually. A range of facts and figures are provided on the veterinary profession, including number of veterinary surgeons and nurses plus number of registered veterinary practices broken down by UK region.

Office for National Statistics

The Annual Business Survey (ABS) from the Office for National Statistics collects financial information covering UK production, construction, distribution and service industries. Statistics available include:

• number of enterprises;
• total turnover;
• approximate gross value added at basic prices;
• total purchases of goods, materials and services;
• total employment costs;
• total net capital expenditure;
• total net capital expenditure – acquisitions;
• total net capital expenditure – disposals;
• total stocks and work in progress – value at end of year;
• total stocks and work in progress – value at beginning of year;
• total stocks and work in progress – increase during year.

The dataset Non-financial business economy, UK: Sections A to S includes statistics for:

• Veterinary Activities (75.00)
  See Section M: (Professional, Scientific and Technical Activities)

Eurostat

Eurostat, the EU statistics hub, collates detailed Structural Business Statistics giving the latest figures for industry, construction, trade and services by sector and country. The indicators available include:

• number of enterprises
• turnover or gross premiums written
• production value
• value added at factor cost
• gross operating surplus
• wages and salaries
• social security costs
• personnel costs
• gross investment in tangible goods
• number of employees
• number of persons employed per enterprise.

Statistics within the database are available for:

• Veterinary activities (M75)
  See database section 'SBS services'

Federation of Veterinarians of Europe

In 2019 the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE) published the FVE Survey of the Veterinary Profession in Europe. It provides detailed demographic, labour market and financial data for the veterinary profession in countries across Europe.

American Veterinary Medical Association

The American Veterinary Association (AVMA) publishes statistics related to the US veterinary profession. Some statistics are freely available, including the number of US veterinarians and their category of employment.

UK

The Office for National Statistics publication Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) includes average employment costs within this sector which can be found in Table 14. Average employment costs are provided for full-time employees, part-time employees and all employees.

The data includes average employment costs for:

• veterinarians
• veterinary nurses

The annual Business Register and Employment Survey (BRES), published by the Office for National Statistics, includes total employee and employment estimates for different industries for Great Britain and the UK. Figures are broken down to show full-time/part-time and public/private splits. The dataset Industry – Business Register and Employment Survey (BRES): Table 2 includes statistics for:

• Veterinary activities (75)

Europe

In 2019 the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE) published the FVE Survey of the Veterinary Profession in Europe. Section 4 provides a range of data related to the employment of veterinarians in Europe including average earnings and working hours.

Other regions

Please see individual country profile pages for links to sources of national statistics.

UK

GOV.UK offers guidance and information on veterinary topics, including:

• Register to practice as a veterinarian
• Registration and inspection of veterinary practice premises
• Veterinary medicines guidance

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) is the regulatory body for the UK veterinary profession. Its site includes details of government legislation together with guidance produced by the RCVS for veterinary surgeons and nurses.

Veterinary businesses: working after Brexit transition
Guidance from GOV.UK on what veterinarians need to do when the transition period after Brexit ends.

Europe

The Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE) has a section on legislation and soft law. Areas covered include animal health, animal welfare, food safety and public health, medicines, education and the veterinary profession.

Croner-i Business Focus

Business Focus is a resource that provides practical information on many small business trades and sectors. Its Business Opportunity Profiles offer detailed insights into market conditions, legal issues and the trading environment for a range of businesses. They include:

• Veterinary surgery

To find out more about Business Focus, please contact our enquiry team on +44 (0)20 7920 8620 or at library@icaew.com.

Atom Content Marketing guides

The Start Up Donut from Atom Content Marketing provides practical information on starting up and running a number of small business types. Guides cover a range of areas including market research, current trends, regulations, products and services, promotion and pricing. They include:

• Vet

VetIndex
Directory of veterinary products, services and referrals in the UK.

The websites of trade bodies and other organisations in this sector are a useful source of industry overviews, contacts and statistics.

UK

• British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA)
• British Veterinary Association (BVA)
• British Veterinary Nurses Association (BVNA)
• British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA)
• National Office of Animal Health (NOAH)
• National Association of Veterinary Physiotherapists (NAVP)
• Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS)
• Society of Practising Veterinary Surgeons (SPVS)
• Veterinary Management Group (VMG)

Europe

• Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE)

FVE publishes a list of member organisations by country.

Asia

• Federation of Asian Veterinary Associations (FAVA)

Americas

• American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)
• Veterinary Hospital Managers Association (VHMA)

Global

• World Veterinary Association
• Health for Animals - global animals medicines association

The World Veterinary Association publishes a list of member associations in countries across the world.

Trade journals, B2B magazines and specialist consumer magazines are another useful source of news and statistics.

• Veterinary Nursing Journal
• Vet Times
• Veterinary Practice

Articles and books in the Library collection

• View a list of articles and books in our collection on vets

To find out how you can borrow books from the Library please see our guide to book loans.

You can obtain copies of articles or extracts of books and reports by post or email through our document supply service.