Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging Market Size & Share Analysis - Growth Trends & Forecasts (2025 - 2030)

Global Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging Market Trends and Insights

Growing Global Companion-Animal Population Fuelling Expenditure on Advanced Imaging Modalities

Pet ownership among younger households is reshaping spending priorities and lifting routine demand for imaging beyond acute care. Pet insurance that reimburses X-rays and MRI lowers cost barriers, with MRI reimbursements ranging between USD 2,500 and USD 6,000, encouraging broader clinical use. Asia’s rapid rise in pet numbers, particularly in China and India, extends the customer base and opens niches for exotics and specialty services. Clinics such as Ohana Veterinary in Kuala Lumpur already employ AI-driven analyzers that benchmark blood and image data against global databases, demonstrating how demographic change directly translates into technology adoption. The sustained humanization narrative underpins long-term procedure volume growth, making advanced diagnostics part of routine wellness care rather than last-resort investigations.

Rapid Technological Innovations in Digital Radiography, Multi-slice CT and AI-based Image Analytics

Deep-learning algorithms embedded in systems such as Vetscan Imagyst flag abnormalities within seconds, raising diagnostic confidence and reinforcing client compliance. Professional bodies now publish guidance on validation and transparency, signaling an alignment between regulators and innovators. Photon-counting CT and zero-helium MRI units improve image clarity while trimming radiation dose and maintenance complexity, widening appeal among mid-sized practices. Early adopters report faster throughput and higher diagnostic yield, creating a competitive gap that presses lagging clinics to upgrade infrastructure. Collectively, technology convergence accelerates the replacement cycle and drives incremental equipment revenue within the veterinary diagnostic imaging market.

Rising Burden of Chronic & Orthopedic Disorders in Pets Necessitating Early Diagnostic Imaging

An aging pet population brings a higher prevalence of osteoarthritis, hip dysplasia, and neoplasia that require imaging to guide therapy plans. AI-assisted screening tools now enable non-invasive oncology detection that supports individualized interventions. Standing CT platforms for equine limbs, for example, allow full weight-bearing scans without general anesthesia, expanding preventive musculoskeletal surveillance in sports horses.^{[2]Source: Hallmarq Veterinary Imaging, “Guide to Standing Equine MRI: Everything You Need to Know,” hallmarq.net} Preventive care programs introduced by corporate practice groups incorporate routine imaging into wellness packages, shifting revenue from episodic to recurring streams. Consequently, chronic disease management reinforces sustained equipment usage and positions imaging as a cornerstone of lifetime pet health tracking.

Government-Led Livestock Disease Surveillance Programs Mandating Imaging-Based Screening

Regulatory orders such as the USDA’s mandatory H5N1 testing in dairy cattle before interstate movement create unavoidable imaging demand and standardize minimum diagnostic capabilities. National plans in Australia allocate funding for portable screening platforms, ensuring that disease control strategies include imaging infrastructure. These directives stabilize capital-expenditure plans for suppliers and guarantee procedure volumes for service providers. Moreover, adherence to surveillance protocols elevates biosecurity credentials, which are vital for export-oriented producers seeking to avoid trade disruptions.

Global Shortage of Board-Certified Veterinary Radiologists and Trained Imaging Technicians

Despite rising interest in imaging careers, training capacity remains flat, leading to a constrained talent pipeline that could leave a shortfall of more than 17,000 veterinarians by 2032, with imaging specialists among the scarcest.^{[3]Source: Hallmarq Veterinary Imaging, “Guide to Standing Equine MRI: Everything You Need to Know,” hallmarq.net} The scarcity lengthens report turnaround times and limits the range of services smaller clinics can provide. Providers increasingly turn to teleradiology partnerships and AI-based preliminary reads to maintain service levels. While stop-gaps partly offset workload pressure, the underlying shortage continues to cap throughput, restraining the full growth potential of the veterinary diagnostic imaging market.

High Capital & Lifecycle Cost of High-Field MRI and Multi-slice CT Systems for Smaller Practices

Advanced modalities remain expensive, with CT scanners priced from USD 150,000 to more than USD 1 million, plus installation outlays and annual maintenance contracts. Even compact digital radiography units run USD 21,000–USD 35,000, stretching budgets for single-doctor practices. Financing packages and tax incentives soften upfront pain, yet lifecycle expenses such as room shielding, software upgrades, and staff certification persist. This cost profile keeps equipment penetration skewed toward corporate groups and specialty hospitals and explains why mobile imaging fleets and shared diagnostic centers grow faster than individual in-house purchases.

Segment Analysis

By Equipment: Digital Innovation Drives Transformation

Radiography systems retained the largest revenue slice at 35.64% in 2024, demonstrating their role as the workhorse modality across companion-animal practice. The intuitive workflows, near-instant image availability, and lower radiation dose that accompany digital platforms encourage clinics to replace legacy film units, sustaining a vital pillar of the veterinary diagnostic imaging market. Ultrasound, bolstered by handheld probes and cloud-based AI triage, broadens access in first-opinion settings and farm calls. 

Cone-beam CT units packaged in compact footprints unlock 3-D imaging for dental, orthopedic, and oncology cases within general practice environments. MRI, though premium in cost, differentiates referral centers, especially with innovations such as zero-helium magnets that mitigate helium supply risk and lower operational overhead. Video endoscopy, forecast to climb at an 8.84% CAGR, benefits from rising minimally invasive procedures and GI case complexity. Together, these trends keep the equipment landscape dynamic and spur continuous upgrades within the veterinary diagnostic imaging market

Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase

By Application: Oncology Emerges as Growth Leader

Orthopedics controlled 34.45% of 2024 revenue and remains core in small-animal referral workups, particularly for cruciate ligament, elbow dysplasia, and fracture management. Digital radiography allows rapid follow-up post-surgery, while 3-D CT refines pre-operative planning through virtual templating. In contrast, oncology claims the fastest trajectory with a 9.63% CAGR as early screening protocols penetrate routine check-ups. AI segmentation tools locate pulmonary nodules or abdominal masses at millimeter resolution, supporting treatment decisions and prognosis discussions. 

Cardiology maintains stable demand through echocardiography and cardiovascular CT, helped by motion-compensating algorithms that capture accurate data despite respiratory and heart movement. Neurology benefits from standing MRI in equine and large breed dogs, mitigating anesthesia risk and post-procedure recovery time. Dentistry and gastroenterology leverage portable X-ray and high-definition endoscopes that broaden point-of-care capabilities. Cross-discipline blending of imaging and lab biomarkers solidifies imaging as the central pillar in multimodal diagnostics for the veterinary diagnostic imaging market.

By Animal Type: Large Animals Gain Momentum

The small-animal cohort—dogs, cats, and other household companions—accounted for 68.56% of revenue in 2024 and continues to drive bulk procedure volume. However, livestock and equine segments grow at 8.23% CAGR underpinned by policy-driven surveillance and sports medicine investments. The large animal segment's growth is driven by government-mandated surveillance programs and the increasing economic value of livestock in global food production systems. Dogs represent the largest individual segment within small animals, benefiting from advanced imaging technologies originally developed for human medicine and adapted for veterinary use. Cats present unique imaging challenges due to their size and temperament, driving innovation in portable and rapid imaging solutions.

Standing CT atlases for equine limb evaluation open new preventive pathways for athletic horses, while bovine ultrasound screens mastitis and reproductive status on-farm without needing transport to hospitals. Large animal imaging faces unique challenges including equipment portability requirements and the need for specialized restraint systems that ensure both animal welfare and diagnostic quality.

By End User: Diagnostic Centers Show Promise

Veterinary hospitals and clinics held 67.45% of spending in 2024 because most imaging is tied to direct clinical care. Consolidation trends among corporate groups deliver scale for multi-modality suites and negotiate favorable service contracts, deepening their foothold in the veterinary diagnostic imaging market. Dedicated imaging centers, expanding at an 8.53% CAGR, thrive on shared-service models that permit general practices to refer complex scans without heavy capital commitments. 

Academic and research institutes invest steadily to pioneer modality advances—Tufts University recently allocated USD 7.5 million for a next-generation CT unit, underscoring the sector’s innovation engine. Mobile imaging fleets further widen access in rural corridors and during equine events, ensuring that advanced diagnostics reach animals independent of facility constraints.

Geography Analysis

North America retained a 41.83% share in 2024, anchored by high per-capita pet expenditures, mature insurance uptake, and dense specialty hospital networks. The United States continues to upgrade its digital infrastructure and adopt AI, yet it also grapples with acute radiologist shortages that accelerate teleradiology outsourcing. Canada’s strict radiation-safety codes prolong installation timelines but safeguard staff and animal welfare.  

Europe delivers steady progress thanks to robust regulation and reimbursement structures. Germany and France sustain equipment renewal cycles, while the United Kingdom’s radiologist gap triggers policy discussion and increased AI pilot programs. EU-wide animal health strategies encourage cross-border knowledge exchange, reinforcing homogeneity in standards and supporting regional vendors.  

Asia Pacific leads growth at a 9.32% CAGR as disposable incomes rise and millennials prioritize pet wellness. China’s urban market sees chain clinics adopting CT as a differentiator, whereas India’s emerging middle class lifts baseline demand for ultrasound and digital X-ray. Japan targets geriatric pet care, rolling out home-visit services equipped with portable imaging. Government programs across Australia and New Zealand strengthen livestock imaging to protect export revenue streams. Together, these dynamics underpin sustained expansion of the veterinary diagnostic imaging market in the region.