Older adults lean on pets, even as costs strain care

Older adults are getting more emotional benefit from pets, even as the cost of care is becoming harder to absorb. A new University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging found that 55% of U.S. adults age 50 and older have a pet, and 83% of pet parents said their animals give them a sense of purpose, up from 73% in 2018 among adults ages 50 to 80. At the same time, 31% said having a pet strains their budget, compared with 18% in 2018. The September 2025 survey, released in February 2026, was conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago for the University of Michigan Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation. Respondents most likely to report financial strain included women, adults with household incomes below $60,000, those in fair or poor physical or mental health, and those with disabilities that limit daily activities. (ihpi.umich.edu)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the poll reinforces a familiar tension: pets are central to many older clients’ daily routine, social connection, and sense of meaning, but affordability is becoming a bigger barrier to care. That has implications for preventive care uptake, adherence, and how teams communicate about diagnostics, treatment plans, and follow-up. Industry guidance from AAHA has increasingly framed access to care through a family-centered lens, urging practices to account for financial, mobility, and caregiving barriers, while senior care guidance notes that financial constraints can add to caregiver burden for families of older pets. (aaha.org)

What to watch: Expect this poll to add fuel to ongoing conversations about spectrum-of-care protocols, transportation and house-call support, and other ways practices can reduce access barriers for older pet parents. (dvm360.com)