New Surveys from Instinct Science Reveal Surprising Shifts in Veterinary Practice

PHILADELPHIA, March 11, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Instinct Science has released findings from two new surveys examining the state of veterinary medicine in 2026 across specialty, emergency, urgent care, and general practice settings. The results highlight unexpected changes in workload, pressure points, staffing models, and technology adoption.

New this year, Instinct Science's inaugural State of General Practice Veterinary Care reveals that staff turnover is manageable for now, but practices are feeling pressure to actively retain staff, and workplace flexibility has gone from a perk to an expectation. Fewer than 10% of practices still operate on a traditional full-time, fixed schedule, while 40% offer part-time roles and 25% have moved to a four-day work week.

The survey also found that AI adoption is accelerating. Nearly half (48%) of general practices are using AI in some form, led by medical record and SOAP note creation (63%) and diagnostic assistance (38%). Nearly three-quarters of AI users say it has made them more efficient. Twenty-six percent say cloud-based veterinary software had the most positive impact on daily work, compared with just 13% for server-based software.

Instinct Science’s third annual Specialty, Emergency & Urgent Care Survey found that staffing shortages remain the industry's top challenge, cited by 85% of respondents, up from 78% last year. Although 55% of practices hired more full-time team members in 2025, 32% still reported working more hours. That suggests hiring is lagging behind workloads.

Client financial limitations emerged as a new pressure point, cited by 79% of respondents. One encouraging shift: stress and compassion fatigue dropped to 70% from a high of 83% in 2023, a sign that targeted interventions may be working.

Technology adoption brought some relief. Among specialty and emergency clinics, 67% reported improved efficiency and 57% saw better patient care after adopting new tools. More than half said technology reduced treatment or diagnostic errors, and 25% reported it helped capture additional revenue. Digital treatment sheets had the greatest efficiency impact (55%), followed by cloud-based practice management software (32%) and AI scribes (21%), which saw the biggest jump in adoption since 2024.

"Technology is delivering real, measurable impact in terms of better workflow efficiency, better patient care, and in many cases, better profitability," said Caleb Frankel, VMD, CEO of Instinct Science. "Whether it's an emergency hospital managing surge volume or a GP practice trying to retain staff, the right tools can make a real difference."

For more details and full survey findings, visit Instinct.vet.

About Instinct Science
Instinct is an animal health technology company on a mission to transform veterinary medicine through thoughtfully designed software and essential clinical decision support tools that support veterinary professionals in delivering lifesaving, compassionate care. Serving over 360,000 veterinary professionals worldwide, Instinct brings together innovative software with trusted clinical tools like Instinct EMR, ScribbleVet, Standards of Care, Plumb’s, and Clinician’s Brief that veterinary teams rely on every day to make critical, informed care decisions. For more information, visit Instinct.vet.

Media Contact:
Abe Cohen
press@instinct.vet

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