I found a report online from the financial analysis company William Blair on veterinarian attitudes regarding the future of their business and how that impacts the outlook for major pharmaceutical companies. In general, they found that spending on pets is less affected by fluctuations in the economy than other categories and veterinarians were cautiously optimistic about pet owner spending for 2008. They expect revenue to increase most from increased diagnostic testing, which the report points out is due to increased availability of testing, need to monitor pet’s vital signs when they are on some prescription drugs, and increased interest in specialty practices which typically do more testing. They also noted a trend toward larger veterinary practices which is expected to continue. The report is almost 60 pages long and they’ll send you a copy in pdf format at no charge if you ask.