Pricing issues do not always look like pricing issues. Most of the time, they show up as financial strain, staffing tension, or pressure on the owner long before anyone looks at the fee structure. These signs are not about failure. They are indicators that the pricing no longer matches the cost and effort behind the work.
Here are the most common signs.
1. You are busy all day, but the practice is not making money
This is the clearest signal that the structure does not match the workload. If the schedule stays full and the team works hard, yet the numbers are tight, pricing is often the root cause.
2. You cannot afford to hire the support you actually need
When pricing is out of alignment, there is not enough room in the budget to staff appropriately. The team ends up stretched, the PM absorbs more, and the whole practice feels heavier than it should.
3. You struggle to pay people fairly or offer raises
Consistent staffing pressure is almost always tied to revenue structure. If you want to pay well but cannot, it usually means the pricing is not supporting the level of care you are delivering.
4. Benefits feel out of reach
Health insurance, PTO, continuing education, and other benefits become the first things cut when pricing lags behind costs. This creates long-term strain on both the team and the owner.
5. The owner stops paying themselves or earns below market
Owner pay is usually the final place the strain shows up. When pricing is not aligned with the workload, the owner carries the gap in silence by reducing or delaying their own pay.
6. Your COGS are too high, even when you negotiate well
High COGS can be a symptom, not a problem. If pricing is too low relative to the cost of care, the numbers will never balance, no matter how well you manage inventory.
7. Clients tell you that your prices are a great deal
This sounds positive, but in most practices it means the pricing has not kept pace with inflation, cost of labor, or the level of medicine you provide. When clients volunteer that you are “affordable,” it is often a sign of undercharging.
8. You are falling behind on bills
When a practice cannot comfortably cover routine expenses, even with consistent caseload, it usually means the pricing structure is not supporting the real cost of operations.
A simple truth
Pricing in veterinary medicine is not about charging more. It is about aligning the number on the screen with the cost, time, and responsibility required to deliver care. When that alignment returns, the practice becomes steadier, staffing improves, and financial pressure eases. If you are sensing strain
If you are sensing that effort is increasing while margins stay tight, we can help you review your pricing structure and understand what is creating the gap. Small adjustments often have a meaningful impact on stability and stress.