Hi friend,
I want to talk about something that’s been sitting with me. Not because it’s scary — I don’t want to be one more scary headline in your inbox — but because being informed is one of the quietest, kindest things you can do for your dog.
Here’s the news, plainly.
Last month, Chewy — yes, that Chewy, the one you order food and pet supplies and the good treats from — announced it’s acquiring a veterinary chain called Modern Animal. Modern Animal started here in Los Angeles, so I’ve watched them from the very beginning. Beautiful clinics, a great app, 24/7 virtual care, a membership model. In under a decade they grew to 29 clinics. Chewy already owned 18 vet clinics of its own. After this deal closes, they’ll own 47.
So now think about what that means. The same company that sells your dog’s food, supplements, medications, prescription diets, the bed, the water bowl — that company is also the one seeing your dog at the vet.
I had two reactions, back to back, and I want to share both because I think you might feel them too.
The first was: that is a lot of incentive for one company to recommend its own products. And I don’t say that to alarm you. I say it because Chewy told its own investors it expects this to lift how much each pet parent spends by roughly 15–20% through “cross-category purchasing.” That’s not a secret. It’s the plan. And here’s the thing I keep coming back to — there is nothing inherently wrong with corporate ownership in veterinary medicine. It can bring better diagnostics, after-hours coverage, more transparent pricing. It genuinely can. But you deserve to know it, because it’s the quiet backdrop to every recommendation you’ll ever hear in an exam room.
(Read the Investor Press Release here)
My second reaction, honestly? Modern Animal is really good at what they do. The convenience is real.
For a lot of families, easy access to care is the difference between a problem getting handled and a problem getting ignored. So is this great news or scary news? Honestly — both. That’s usually the truth with these things.
I’m not here to tell you corporate is bad or independent is good. We are lucky to have different models, and the right one is the one where you feel heard and your dog is genuinely cared for. What I want to do is hand you the three things I’d want my own family to know.
One — find out who actually owns your vet. You’d be surprised how many clinics that look local and independent are backed by a corporate or private equity group. There are directories now where you can look this up in a few minutes. Decisions about your dog’s care are either being made by the people who actually touch your dog — or by people much higher up whose names you’ll never know, whose interests may extend past your dog. There’s nothing wrong with asking. You deserve to know.
Two — keep your own copy of your dog’s records. Especially lab work, major health conditions, and a running list of medications. Keep it in a folder or a simple spreadsheet. The day you need it — an urgent visit, a new doctor, a second opinion — you will be so grateful you have it, and your dog will get more consistent care because of it.
Three — you are allowed to ask “why this one?” If someone recommends a specific brand of food or a specific preventive, it is completely okay to ask, “Is there a reason you’re recommending this particular one?” The answer might be entirely clinical and excellent. It might not be. Both happen. A good veterinary team will never be offended by that question — explaining the reasoning is the job. You being an educated, empowered pet parent is not difficult. It’s good medicine.
That’s it. The landscape under your feet is being reshaped in real time, and the single most powerful thing you can do is stay curious about it.
So tell me — and I mean this, send us an email at info@integrativepet.com, I read every single one:
Have you ever wondered why your vet recommended one specific brand of food or preventive? Did you ask? What happened?
I’ll share some of your stories (anonymously, always) in a future issue, because I think we learn a lot from each other here.
Thank you for being here. Thank you for being the kind of pet parent who reads the boring-but-important stuff all the way to the end. Your pet is so lucky to have you.
🩷 Talk soon,
Dr. Lily
P.S. — Know someone with a pet and a vet? Forward this to them. Knowing who owns your vet is the kind of thing every pet parent deserves to hear from a friend, not find out the hard way.