Chile pet keeping rebounds as veterinary spending interest rises
Bottom line
Pet keeping in Chile is climbing again, with 75% of adults saying they have a pet in 2025, up from 71% in 2024 and back above the 73% reported in 2019, according to new survey data from market research firm Cadem reported by GlobalPETS. Dogs remain the most common companion animal, but the survey also points to more multi-pet households and higher spending on care. For pet parents, food and veterinary care remain the biggest expense categories, while willingness to pay for veterinary insurance rose from 41% in 2024 to 55% in 2025, suggesting a broader shift toward more formalized pet health spending. (globalpetindustry.com)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the headline isn’t just higher pet penetration. It’s that Chile’s pet population appears to be getting more medically engaged. The same Cadem-backed reporting shows stronger interest in veterinary services, insurance, and other paid care categories, while a USDA market report describes veterinary clinics as a trusted channel for prescription and specialized diets, even as supermarkets lead routine pet food sales. That combination could support more demand for preventive care, chronic disease nutrition, and client financing conversations, especially if insurers and retailers expand their presence. (globalpetindustry.com)
What to watch: Watch whether rising insurance interest turns into actual policy uptake, and whether clinics can hold their advisory role as supermarkets, pet specialty, and digital channels compete harder for everyday pet care spending. (globalpetindustry.com)
Chile’s pet market is rebounding sharply, with 3 in 4 adults now reporting they have a pet, according to new 2025 survey findings from Cadem cited by GlobalPETS. The figure, 75%, is up from 71% in 2024 and slightly above the 73% reported in 2019, signaling that pet keeping has not only recovered from recent softness, but may be settling back into a structurally high baseline. The report also points to more multi-pet households and rising consumer willingness to spend on veterinary care, insurance, and related services. (globalpetindustry.com)
That matters in a Chilean market that’s already been expanding across food, retail, and services. A USDA Foreign Agricultural Service report published in late 2025 estimated Chile’s dog and cat food market would rise from $1.33 billion in 2024 to $1.4 billion in 2025. The same report described a consumer shift toward higher-quality, more specialized nutrition, including formulas tailored to age, breed, and health conditions. In other words, the new ownership data fits a broader pattern: more households with pets, and more willingness to pay for differentiated care. (apps.fas.usda.gov)
GlobalPETS’ coverage of the Cadem survey suggests that veterinary care is becoming a more visible part of household pet budgets. Food and veterinary care were identified as the largest spending categories in 2025, and willingness to pay for veterinary insurance increased from 41% in 2024 to 55% in 2025. That doesn’t necessarily mean insurance penetration is already high, but it does suggest growing receptivity to products that spread out care costs, which could alter how pet parents approach diagnostics, treatment plans, and follow-up care. (globalpetindustry.com)
The retail backdrop is also important. In separate reporting on the same Cadem research, GlobalPETS said supermarkets account for 48% of pet food purchases in Chile, while social media is becoming a more important source of nutrition information. The USDA report similarly found supermarkets are the leading pet food channel, with 44% of total pet-related purchases in that category, while veterinary clinics account for 5% of pet food sales and remain a key outlet for prescription and specialized diets. That split reinforces a familiar pattern for clinics: they may not win the basket on convenience purchases, but they still hold credibility in higher-acuity, medically guided nutrition. (apps.fas.usda.gov)
Other research shows Chile’s pet-human bond remains strong, even if methodologies differ. Activa Research reported in November 2025 that 74.4% of respondents viewed pets as family members, 93.2% said pets improve quality of life, and most respondents reported at least annual veterinary visits. Activa’s channel findings differ from the Cadem-based reporting, with specialized stores leading food purchases in that survey, but both datasets point in the same direction: pet care is mainstream, emotionally anchored, and increasingly commercialized across multiple channels. That kind of market maturity usually creates more competition for routine spend, while increasing the value of clinical trust. (chile.activasite.com)
There was limited directly attributable expert commentary available beyond the trade and market reporting, but the USDA analysis offers a useful industry read: Chilean consumers are increasingly focused on health, wellness, ingredient transparency, and specialized formulas, while veterinary clinics remain central for prescription nutrition. That aligns with the reported jump in insurance interest and suggests that Chile’s veterinary sector may benefit less from simple visit volume alone than from a richer mix of preventive care, nutrition counseling, and chronic disease management. This is an inference based on the survey and market data, rather than a direct forecast from the sources. (apps.fas.usda.gov)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, this story is about demand quality as much as demand quantity. A larger pet base can lift caseloads, but the more consequential signal is that Chilean pet parents appear more willing to spend on health-related services and financial products tied to care. If that trend holds, clinics may see more opportunities in wellness plans, insurance-friendly workflows, therapeutic diets, and earlier intervention. At the same time, supermarkets, specialty retailers, and online sellers are all trying to capture more of the pet wallet, so practices may need to sharpen their role as medical advisors rather than rely on product sales alone. (globalpetindustry.com)
What to watch: The next markers will be whether insurers, retailers, and veterinary groups publish harder evidence of conversion, including actual insurance uptake, visit frequency, and category growth, and whether future Cadem or other Chilean surveys confirm that 2025’s rebound represents a durable shift rather than a one-year snapback. (globalpetindustry.com)