A new consumer survey by Elanco Animal Health has found that 93 percent of pet owners maintained or increased their pet spending over the past three months, despite broader cost-of-living pressures. The findings suggest that pet health and wellbeing remain important household priorities in the United States.
Published on 6 November 2026, the research surveyed 2018 US adults, including 1495 dog and cat owners, between 16 and 21 October.
The results showed that 32 percent of pet owners had increased their pet-related spending during the period. Meanwhile, 93 percent expected to maintain or increase spending over the following year, consistent with Elanco’s earlier surveys in February (93 percent) and May (91 percent).
Pet health and wellbeing remain a priority
Pet health also ranked among the last household expenses consumers would reduce during financial pressure. Only 7 percent said they would cut spending on pet health, compared with 54 percent for dining out and entertainment, 44 percent for travel and 33 percent for digital subscriptions.
The survey also highlighted the growing importance of pet wellbeing. While 87 percent of respondents considered their pets’ happiness and wellbeing as important as their own, 63 percent said it was more important. Keeping pets healthy and helping them live longer was the leading spending motivation (65 percent).
Purchasing habits
Purchasing habits are also changing. Around 38 percent of pet owners reported shifting medication purchases outside veterinary clinics over the past one or two years. Purchasing channels included veterinary clinics (37 percent), online pet specialty pharmacies (31 percent), mass retail and grocery stores (28 percent) and physical pet specialty retailers (27 percent). Veterinary recommendations remained the leading reason for switching medications, ahead of discounts and rebates.
Looking ahead, 21 percent of all respondents expected to add a pet in the next year, while 25 percent of existing pet owners planned to adopt another.
The findings indicate continued consumer commitment to pet health, alongside growing demand for convenient, multi-channel purchasing options.
