Dutch veterinarians warn rising corporate control drives up pet care costs
Veterinarians across the Netherlands report increasing pressure from commercial chains like Evidensia to push expensive, often unnecessary treatments and pet care subscriptions, resulting in soaring bills for pet owners, De Gelderlander reports.
Since Evidensia’s acquisition of independent clinics, doctors reportedly face management interference in medical decisions, enforced sales targets, and software that forces extra procedures, driving costs sharply higher. At the same time, veterinarians’ professional independence erodes, prompting some to leave or start their own practices.
Maikel Koot, a veterinarian in Veendam, recalls the shock when his clinic was sold to Evidensia last December. “The atmosphere was like a family had been destroyed. I’ve never seen colleagues so deeply sad,” Koot told De Gelderlander.
Despite promises that medical decisions would remain independent, Koot and others say revenue targets dominate. “If you sell fewer deworming products than others, you get called out.” This pressure is backed by management via calls and reviews.
A veterinary assistant in Venlo confirms staff were pushed to sell monthly care plans costing up to 45 euros, with comparisons between clinics used as leverage. Interviews with dozens of vets, assistants, and ex-owners reveal a shift from local, trusted practices focused on animal welfare to large chains prioritizing profit and metrics, De Gelderlander reported.
Evidensia, owned partly by investment funds EQT and Silver Lake and Nestlé, now controls 350 clinics, specialized hospitals, and crematoria in the Netherlands. Behind familiar clinic facades, pricing, purchasing, and treatment protocols are centrally managed. For example, software allegedly forces vets to add multiple X-rays or expensive blood tests even when not medically necessary.
Prices have surged far beyond inflation since 1991, especially in chain clinics. A routine consult now costs up to 65 euros, and weekend emergency care is 40 percent more expensive than at independent clinics. Treatments like chemotherapy can cost pet owners up to 4,000 euros.
Ischa Swartz, former Evidensia operations director, told De Gelderlander prices “have gone too far” and profits “do not go back to vets.” Several vets describe feeling trapped by corporate demands, sacrificing medical judgment for sales targets. Rinske Huijser, a former Evidensia vet, allegedly refused to start unnecessary injections despite management pressure.
The impact is also felt in livestock veterinary care, with centralized control and digital tracking reportedly making vets feel like “working for a spreadsheet.” Yet vets acknowledge some benefits: better equipment and more specialization.
Staff turnover is high; some vets leave to start independent clinics again. Paul Mandigers, veterinary neurologist and KNMvD board member, stressed to De Gelderlander that medical decisions must remain the vet’s responsibility, not influenced by investors or manufacturers.
Evidensia responded to the newspaper that vets remain fully independent and rising costs reflect global trends, investments in technology, and shortages of qualified vets. They deny Nestlé influences daily operations and say they are making organizational improvements based on employee feedback.
