Demand for veterinary care in Sweden has increased, not least because many people acquired dogs during the pandemic. At the same time, the price of emergency veterinary care, which makes up the majority of care on the market, has increased by around 50 percent from 2020 to 2025, according to the Swedish Competition Authority.
Is it because there are few players who own or operate clinics?
"That is clearly an important parameter. The few animal hospitals in Sweden that are open 24/7 and all year round are owned by the large chains, with a couple of exceptions," says Nordqvist.
“No price gougers”
Is ownership concentration a problem?
The companies are not price squeezers. They are involved in driving price developments, as is clearly evident in the report. Then you can discuss whether the market shares are local, regional or national, because the animal care market is usually local.
Evidensia and Anicura, which are the largest animal care chains on the Swedish market, wrote in an email to TT that they have collaborated with the Swedish Competition Authority.
"We support measures that genuinely improve transparency and do not unintentionally limit access to care, unnecessarily increase the administrative burden or slow down medical development," writes Evidensia.
“We support meaningful transparency for pet owners so they can make informed decisions about treatment for their animal,” Anicura writes.
National treatment recommendations
Insurance companies have also not done enough to keep prices down, the Swedish Competition Authority points out.
The industry has a great responsibility to "be part of the solution," says Linda Kreutz, CEO of the insurance company Sveland, in a press release.
"Together with healthcare providers and authorities, we need to break the cost trend and create long-term sustainable conditions for the country's pet owners," says Kreutz.
The Swedish Competition Authority suggests that clinics should have clearer pricing information, both on their websites and on-site. It also suggests that national treatment recommendations for animal care be developed.
Those recommendations will form the basis for all pricing, says Nordqvist.
