Most practices wait too long to start looking for another associate veterinarian. By the time the question even crosses your mind, the practice has usually already grown past what your current team can reasonably carry. That is not a problem. It is a sign of a healthy, trusted, in-demand practice.
Adding an associate veterinarian is not something to overthink or fear. It is one of the most supportive decisions you can make for your clients, your team, and your long-term pace. And with how competitive the veterinary labor market is today, starting the search early matters. Finding the right associate can take months, and sometimes much longer.
Here are some everyday signals that the practice has already moved into the stage where adding makes sense.
1. Clients are waiting longer than you’d like for appointments
This is the biggest signal owners miss. When you consistently hear clients asking for earlier availability, or you notice appointment slots filling faster than usual, the practice is already behind on access. This is a sign of growing demand — a positive one — and hiring an associate helps you meet that demand without burning out your team.
2. Your current veterinarians are carrying more than feels steady
You do not need spreadsheets to see this. You feel it in the day. When your veterinarians finish later than planned, lose the buffer time they used to have, or carry a pace that feels too tight, it means the community needs more capacity than your current team can give. This is not a performance issue. It is a growth indicator.
3. Your team would benefit from a calmer, more sustainable pace
When the day feels heavier than it used to, even though the team is working well together, it usually means demand has outpaced supply. An associate veterinarian brings breathing room. The flow steadies. Clients get in faster. The team’s day feels more manageable again.
4. Your practice is busy, your days are long, and your clients want more
You do not need to run complex financial analysis to recognize this. If your practice is consistently busy, clients are returning, and your community values your care, another associate veterinarian almost always strengthens the financial picture. Associates generate access, revenue, and retention — not strain — when the practice is already in demand.
5. You can see the future getting busier, not quieter
Growth does not happen all at once. It builds slowly: returning clients, new clients, seasonal waves, stronger word-of-mouth, more pets per household. If you can already sense that your practice is on an upward path, starting the associate search now sets you up to meet that growth instead of reacting to it later.
A simple truth
If you are asking whether your practice is ready, you are probably already in the window where adding an associate veterinarian will make the practice healthier, steadier, and more sustainable.
And in a competitive hiring market, starting early is the strongest advantage you can give yourself.
Wondering if you are ready for another associate veterinarian?
If you are sensing that adding an associate could support your team and your clients, we can help you think through the next steps so you can move forward with clarity and confidence.