Vet surveys show AI gains, but staffing pressure still bites: full analysis

Veterinary medicine's technology shift is accelerating, but the profession's workforce problems haven't eased with it. New 2026 survey findings released by Instinct Science show general practices rapidly adopting new digital tools, including AI, while specialty, emergency, and urgent care teams continue to report severe staffing strain. The data points to a profession trying to modernize operations and protect staff time at the same time. (globenewswire.com)

The general practice survey, based on responses from 763 veterinary professionals, found that 91% of practices adopted or changed at least one technology in the past year. Digital diagnostics and imaging were already used by 90% of respondents, while 75% reported using digital client communication tools. Instinct also found that flexibility is reshaping practice structure: only 10% of practices still use a traditional fixed schedule, 40% offer part-time roles, and a quarter have moved to a four-day work week. (instinct.vet)

AI is part of that shift, though not yet universal. Instinct reported that 48% of general practices are using AI in some form, most often for medical record and SOAP note creation, followed by diagnostic assistance. Among those already using AI, nearly three-quarters said it improved efficiency. In specialty and emergency settings, AI scribes were among the fastest-rising tools, while digital treatment sheets and cloud-based practice software were cited as having the biggest efficiency impact. Instinct said 67% of specialty and emergency respondents saw improved efficiency after adopting new tools, 57% reported better patient care, and more than half said technology reduced treatment or diagnostic errors. (globenewswire.com)

Still, the surveys suggest technology adoption is happening alongside, not instead of, operational stress. Instinct's specialty, emergency, and urgent care survey found staffing shortages remained the industry's top challenge in 2026, cited by 85% of respondents, up from 78% the year before. Even though 55% said they hired more full-time staff in 2025, 32% still reported working more hours, suggesting caseload and workflow demands continue to outpace hiring. Client financial limitations were cited by 79% as a growing pressure point, adding another layer of strain for teams already balancing access, affordability, and burnout risk. (globenewswire.com)

That broader tension is consistent with outside industry data. The AVMA's 2025 economic report found that 76.5% of represented practices already had practice management software in place in 2024, and 75.1% of practice owners said the pace of digital transformation in their clinic felt "about right." Earlier AAHA coverage of a 2024 Digitail survey also found nearly 40% of veterinary professionals were already using AI tools, suggesting Instinct's newer general practice findings reflect continued growth rather than a sudden jump from zero. Meanwhile, AAVMC has continued to warn of significant veterinary workforce shortages across sectors, especially in companion animal care. (ebusiness.avma.org)

Expert commentary around AI in veterinary workflows has been notably pragmatic. In dvm360, ScribbleVet's Kat Reardon, DVM, argued that AI can improve productivity by helping with charting and scheduling, but can't replace the emotional intelligence, judgment, and client communication at the core of veterinary care. AAHA's coverage of the Digitail survey struck a similar note, describing AI as a viable tool for specific applications rather than something ready for universal implementation. That framing matters because it mirrors what many practices appear to be doing now: using AI first in narrow, high-friction administrative tasks, not as a substitute for clinical teams. (dvm360.com)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, these surveys reinforce that the industry's biggest operational changes are now happening on two tracks. One is technological: more cloud systems, more digital workflows, more AI-assisted documentation, and more pressure to evaluate new tools quickly. The other is structural: retention, schedule flexibility, support-staff compensation, and sustainable workload design. If Instinct's data holds, the most competitive practices may be the ones that connect those two tracks, using technology to reduce friction while also making jobs more workable for veterinarians, technicians, assistants, and client-facing teams. (globenewswire.com)

What to watch: The next question is whether these tools produce durable gains in retention and care delivery, or simply help practices cope with a still-constrained labor market. Watch for more benchmarking on AI use cases, more vendor consolidation around veterinary workflow software, and more discussion about governance, training, and trust as AI moves deeper into everyday practice operations. An inference from the current data is that adoption will keep rising, but practices will be selective about where automation is allowed to touch the clinical workflow. (globenewswire.com)