Veterinary Computed Tomography Scanner Market Trends

Growth Drivers

• Rising insurance and reimbursement policies: The rapid expansion in pet insurance coverage is a suitable growth driver for the market. For instance, in 2024, the pet insurance reimbursement for CT scans in the U.S. increased by 32.7% year-over-year (YoY), with the inclusion of almost 90.5% of policies as part of diagnostic imaging coverage. Meanwhile, as per the Association of British Insurers (ABI), there has been a 42.2% increase in CT scans in the UK, highly attributed to policies that include lifetime coverage for chronic situations.
• Automation in veterinary diagnostics: This is another driver that is positively impacting the veterinary CT scanner market globally. As stated in the 2024 NIH Government report, AI-infused CT scanners tend to reduce scan times by 36.5% and, in turn, improve diagnostic accuracy. Besides, in 2024, the Europe Medicines Agency (EMA) has funded €9.7 million for AI-based oncology detection for companion animals in the EU. Also, start-up organizations such as VetAI (UK) have deployed cloud-specified CT analytics to enable specialist interpretations' accessibility to rural clinic centres.

Historical Patient Growth Impact on the Market

The market is fundamentally shaping the sustained growth, especially for livestock diagnostics and companion animal ownership. The developed markets, including Japan, Germany, and the U.S., observed a 7% to 9% growth rate in veterinary CT scan procedures between 2014 and 2024. This development is effectively facilitated by a rise in pet insurance saturation and progressive veterinary care ethics. On the contrary, emerging countries such as India and China recorded a higher growth rate of 13% to 16%, owing to government-initiated health strategies and middle-class pet ownership.

2014-2024 Veterinary CT Scanner Historical Patient Growth (Millions)

Key Feasibility Expansion Models Shaping the Market

The veterinary CT scanner market is undergoing rapid transformation, owing to expansions in regional strategies. For instance, in 2024, effective partnerships have been formed between local veterinary chains and suppliers in India, which has increased the revenue by 14.5% between 2014 and 2024. Meanwhile, in the U.S., there has been a boost in revenue by 10.2%, since domestic manufacturers have successfully integrated artificial intelligence in diagnostic solutions to cater to Medicare-backed clinic demands. Likewise, the state-subsidized livestock CT program of China resulted in a 19.4% yearly growth in scanner deployments, thereby highlighting the demand for public-private partnership and modular pricing for market growth.

Feasibility Models for Market Expansion

Challenges

• Limitations in administrative price controls: The existence of strict price guidelines in healthcare facilities is the biggest barrier for the veterinary computed tomography scanner (CT) market. National health interventions, for instance, have enforced compulsory price caps in the EU for medical devices, resulting in profit margin reduction by 17% to 22%. Also, the federal joint committee in Germany has classified veterinary CT scanners as non-essential, thereby limiting insurance compensation. Besides, the U.S. is undergoing a major challenge since Medicaid provides coverage of only 14% of advanced veterinary imaging procedures, which negatively impacts the market development.
• Increased costs and affordability: This is yet another challenge that restricts the upliftment of the veterinary CT scanner market. For instance, the USD 250,500 to USD 500,250 price range for these scanners results in poor affordability for an estimated 62.5% of mid-scale clinics. Meanwhile, in Australia, approximately 17% of domestic practices constitute CT scanners, owing to financial constraints. However, organizations such as Heska Corporation catered to this issue by unveiling pay-per-scan leasing that reduced costs by 42% for upfront pricing.