There’s a few factors at play, which the article rather rambles around a bit.
vet clinics are increasingly owned by private equity groups. This is primary in recent years, and linked neatly to the “untapped market potential” of the next item
people are more willing now than ever to spend money on their pets - “pets are family”, “I’m a pet parent”. I heard about a hip replacement in a senior Guinea pig, an animal with a lifespan around 6 years.
medical costs are expensive, and in countries with single payer or public healthcare, a lot of those costs can be transparent (for humans) which leads to sticker shock “how can the blood tests be £150, my GP doesn’t charge!”
There’s a few factors at play, which the article rather rambles around a bit.