Veterinary surveys show AI gains, but staffing strain persists

Veterinary practices are adopting AI and other digital tools faster than many expected, according to two new 2026 surveys from Instinct Science spanning general practice, specialty, emergency, and urgent care. In general practice, 91% of respondents said they adopted or changed at least one technology in the past year, 48% reported using AI in some capacity, and fewer than 10% still operate on a traditional fixed full-time schedule. In specialty, emergency, and urgent care, staffing shortages remained the top challenge, cited by 85% of respondents, even as more hospitals added full-time staff and expanded their tech stack. Other industry data suggests the shift is broader than one vendor survey: an AAHA-Digitail survey of nearly 4,000 veterinary professionals found 83% were familiar with AI tools and 39% were already using them in practice, though 70% raised reliability concerns and 43% said they lacked proper training. (globenewswire.com)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the surveys suggest technology is no longer a side project. It's becoming part of the operating model for documentation, diagnostics, scheduling, retention, and even hiring workflows. Instinct reported that nearly three-quarters of AI users in general practice said the tools improved efficiency, while specialty and emergency teams linked digital treatment sheets, cloud-based software, and AI scribes to better workflow, fewer errors, and, in some cases, added revenue. But the data also shows tech isn't solving the workforce problem on its own: 60% of general practices said staffing shortages limit flexibility, and other reporting points to a governance gap as adoption spreads. Industry groups and vendors are increasingly arguing that clinics need a designated AI lead or champion to handle tool selection, training, prompt and template updates, and oversight rather than treating AI like set-it-and-forget-it software. Regulators are likewise signaling that veterinarians remain responsible for standards of care, recordkeeping, transparency, and data protection when AI is used. (globenewswire.com)

What to watch: Expect more scrutiny of how practices implement AI, especially around documentation, client communication, privacy, clinical oversight, and internal governance, as adoption spreads faster than formal guardrails. It's also worth watching adjacent digital-care models such as telehealth, which remain underused in some markets despite strong consumer interest and could become part of the same workflow redesign conversation. (aavsb.org)