Current State of Animal Medical Device Development

With the improvement of residents' consumption levels, more and more pet owners are willing to spend on their pets' health. However, the development of animal medical devices is not very satisfactory. Many pet diseases do not yet have specialized equipment for treatment. Additionally, as the animal medical device industry is still in the development stage, the costs of necessary talent and financial resources for animal healthcare are high, and breaking through the bottleneck still requires some time.

Limitations to the Development of Animal Medical Devices

Geographical Restrictions of Pet Hospitals

CT, as a high-power large medical device, has strict requirements for its usage environment. For example, under normal circumstances, the rated capacity of the power supply for CT equipment needs to be above 65kVA. This is easy for hospitals but difficult for pet hospitals. Many pet hospitals do not have the independence of choice and are often located in office buildings, which cannot provide the power capacity required for the operation of CT.

High Cost of Procuring Animal Medical Devices

The equipment procurement cost for setting up a relatively complete pet hospital can be as high as four to five hundred thousand yuan, accounting for a significant portion of the direct costs of pet hospitals, usually exceeding 20%. Most pet hospitals, like the clinics around us, offer only basic consultation and medication services and do not have the manpower and capital to make corresponding investments. It was not until recent years, when capital entered the market, that some pet hospitals began to grow vigorously in the form of chains. This has alleviated the cost pressure and allowed for large-scale procurement of animal medical devices.

Lack of Animal Medical Talent

Demand for animal healthcare is preceding supply, with the production of imaging equipment lagging behind pet hospitals, and pet hospitals lagging behind the training of veterinary talents. Additionally, medical machines suppliers are struggling to keep up with the increasing demand. The lack of veterinarians with film-reading experience naturally makes it impossible to provide corresponding services.

High Treatment Costs

Animal healthcare is not covered by insurance. An X-ray examination can cost four to five hundred yuan, a CT scan around 2,000 yuan, and a cardiac ultrasound about five to six hundred yuan. The cost of medical treatment for animals is usually 8-10 times that for humans, and there are still not many families able to afford it.

Current Development Status of Animal Medical Devices

With the surge in the number of pets in recent years, a large number of pets have entered their senior years in China, thereby increasing the demand for medical treatment and driving the development of animal medical devices.

Currently, animal medical devices are mainly concentrated in medical imaging, in vitro diagnostics, surgical instruments, and ICU equipment, most of which are extensions of human medical equipment principles adapted to the pet field. Among animal medical devices, the main imaging equipment includes ultrasound, DR, MRI, and CT; in vitro diagnostic equipment includes test reagents, blood analyzers, biochemical analyzers, endocrine analyzers, ophthalmic microscopes, endoscopes, etc.; surgical instruments and ICU equipment mainly include ultrasonic knives and anesthesia machines.