Organization and management of companion animal clinics in Istanbul established by veterinarians graduated from Istanbul University

Abstract

Besides being healthcare units, veterinary clinics are enterprises which contribute to national economy and supply employment opportunity for the public. It is important to know the clinic’s general structure, equipment facilities and provided services in order to determine the powerful and vulnerable areas of the companion animal sector and make required supports. In this study, a face-to-face survey was applied to veterinary clinic owners who graduated from Istanbul University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and have veterinary clinics in Istanbul. The results indicated that most of the veterinary clinics are single-storey, have 2 exam rooms and have one operation room. Pet boarding and pet coiffeur services were provided by the majority of the clinics, but an ambulance and a parking lot was not sufficiently provided. Clinics have made various medical equipment investments and the number of clinics having diagnostic tools is high. In terms of the patient demographics, it was determined that 62.6% of the patients were cats and 32.8% of the patients were dogs. Majority of the patients were between 2-5 years of age. Mini-small dog breeds were the dominant breeds, followed by medium-size dog breeds. Sex distribution was determined as similar between cat and dog patients. Furthermore, it was found that 73.8% of the dogs and 65.7% of the cats make regular visits. In conclusion, companion animal clinics in Istanbul were determined to have fragmented and independent structure, which results in high competition. In order to be successful in this competition, it was determined that veterinary clinics should have made investments into their medical equipment and diversify their services.