Have you ever thought of combining your vacation with your pet’s next veterinary visit? It’s a combination that’s on the rise due to increasing vet costs here in the U.S.
More than a decade ago, Anna Ginsky was told her terrier mix Ellie’s teeth cleaning in San Diego, Calif., would cost more than $2,000. Then, a friend recommended checking out Tijuana, Mexico, for the cleaning instead, according to a recent report in The Independent.
That friend told Ginsky that she opted to go to Mexico for human dental procedures. Earlier this year, research from American University’s Kogod School of Business showed that 1.3 million Americans traveled to Mexico for medical care in 2024 alone, contributing an estimated $430 million to border economies.
“Despite these staggering numbers, most healthcare executives and policymakers remain unaware that U.S. citizens have quietly built a sophisticated, bi-national healthcare system that operates in parallel to America's traditional medical infrastructure,” said the university.
In Tijuana, Ginsky did find a deal for Ellie’s cleaning. She was able to get dental cleaning, extractions and bloodwork done for around $400, a fraction of what the U.S. vet quoted her.
It was an inspiring experience. Four years later, Ginsky had started her business MexiVet Express to connect San Diego residents with affordable Mexican veterinary care. MexiVet Express offers animal transportation and translation services.
While many of its clients are from California, they also come from all over the U.S. ABC News reported in 2024 that Miguel Lazcano had MexiVet Express transport his long-haired dachshund named Henry from New York City, N.Y, to Mexico for dental care. Not only does Ginksy’s business now have 15 full time employees making several trips per day, it’s also been joined by competitors.
“The price difference is insane,” Valerie Silva told USA Today of the price difference for vet care in Mexico compared to the U.S. back in 2023. Silva found an animal hospital near her grandparent’s home in Mexicali.
Other Mexican cities, including Los Algodones and tourist hotspot Cancun, have become dental tourism hubs, The Independent noted. As medical tourism grows in Mexico, the U.S. has cracked down on its own borders since the start of President Donald Trump’s second term last year.
Audacy reported last year that spending on pets was expected to increase by 7% to 10% by the end of 2025, a much faster rate than the 2.5% cost-of-living increase that Social Security recipients received.
Data from the American Veterinary Medical Association indicated that 45.5% of American households include pet dogs and 32.1% of American households include cats. That data also showed that households spend $580 per year on veterinary services for dogs and $433 on those services for cats. Fortune reported in March that many vet surgeries cost $11,000.
Last month, Intelligencer also reported that veterinary prices in the U.S. were rising at more than double the rate of the Consumer Price Index. Compared to 2014, prices are up by more than 60%, according to the outlet.
“Experts attribute it to factors like the high cost of running a service-intensive business and the ever-expanding presence of private equity and corporate consolidation, which is substantially increasing the cost of services in the pursuit of profits,” Intelligencer said. It noted that some people are even building their vacations around heading to Mexico for their dog’s veterinary care and this south-of-the-border tourism is only expected to grow.
According to USA Today, just over 20,000 dogs and cats traveled from the U.S. to Mexico in 2019, before pet ownership rates spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic. By 2023, that was up to 33,500 crossings – a 68% increase over 2019.
As veterinary tourism gains popularity, American Veterinary Medical Association Dr. Michael Q Bailey told Intelligencer that he warns against it. Per the AVMA (which represents 111,000 U.S. vets), only one veterinary school in Mexico meets U.S. accreditation standards.
“The initial savings may be appealing, but there are often hidden costs and risks that deserve careful consideration,” Bailey said.
Still, the Mexican government recently noted that the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) recently placed Mexico among the top 10 countries “with the best animal health status among the 183 member nations of the OMSA.” The U.S. is on that list as well, but there are concerns here about a veterinary care shortage.
