Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging Equipment Market

On 24 March 2026 the UK Competition and Markets Authority concluded its market investigation into veterinary services and imposed legally binding remedies under competition law, including written estimates for any treatment expected to cost £500 or more and a duty on large veterinary groups to show common ownership on every practice. The ruling put the price of a CT scan, an MRI study and an ultrasound workup in front of pet owners before they agree to it, in a sector the CMA values at over £6.7 billion. Douglas Insights values the veterinary diagnostic imaging equipment market at USD 2.50 billion in 2025 and forecasts USD 5.68 billion by 2035, a compound growth rate of 8.55%. The receipt is about 58,400 veterinary imaging systems shipped in 2025 at an average realised price of USD 42,800, across digital radiography, veterinary ultrasound, computed tomography and magnetic resonance, dental and specialty imaging. Unit shipments grow 5.8% a year as clinics equip and replace, while realised price rises 2.6% a year as cross-sectional imaging and higher-specification ultrasound take share from basic radiography. The report sits within Douglas Insights coverage of veterinary diagnostics and devices and follows the published Douglas Insights methodology.

What does the veterinary diagnostic imaging equipment market include?

The veterinary diagnostic imaging equipment market covers imaging systems sold for animal diagnosis, about 58,400 of them in 2025. Digital radiography covers direct and computed radiography, tables, generators and detectors configured for veterinary use, including portable equine and large animal units. Veterinary ultrasound covers cart-based and portable systems with veterinary probes and presets, from general practice abdominal scanning to cardiology and reproductive work. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance covers cross-sectional imaging, including refurbished human systems adapted for animals and purpose-built veterinary units. Dental and specialty imaging covers intraoral radiography, fluoroscopy, nuclear imaging and endoscopic imaging platforms. Buyers are companion animal general practice, referral and specialty hospitals, equine and large animal practice, and academic centres, and they purchase as independent practices, corporate veterinary groups or new clinics in emerging markets. Consumables, contrast media, standalone image management software, in-house laboratory analysers and human medical imaging sit outside the boundary. Value is measured at the price practices and hospitals pay for the system, including veterinary configuration.

What did the CMA’s ruling change for veterinary diagnostic imaging equipment?

The CMA’s ruling made veterinary diagnostic imaging equipment a visible line on the pet owner’s bill, because every scan above £500 now needs a written estimate. Advanced imaging is the clearest example: a CT or MRI study in a UK referral hospital typically costs well over £1,000 once sedation and reporting are added, so owners now see the price, and in large groups the owning company, before they consent. The CMA found that fewer than half of people using a large veterinary group knew their practice belonged to a chain, and the new branding duty applies to the groups that buy most advanced imaging. Douglas Insights reads the ruling as a push toward in-house imaging at lower cost per study rather than a brake on it: practices that can quote a competitive price for an ultrasound or CT scan keep the case, which favours standard fleet platforms and higher scan volumes per system. Douglas Insights estimates UK practices bought about USD 150 million of veterinary imaging systems in 2025, 21% of European value, and expects them to grow 7.9% a year, slightly below Europe’s 8.2%, as groups adjust pricing before new capital programmes.

How many pet owners pay for veterinary diagnostic imaging?

About 60% of UK households owned a pet in 2024, 17.2 million homes according to the CMA, and owners who see their animals as family now expect a diagnosis rather than a wait-and-see approach. Pet health insurance removes the cost barrier at the moment of decision for insured animals and raises the share of cases that go on to advanced imaging. Clinical practice moved at the same time: ultrasound became a first-line tool in general practice, and cross-sectional imaging became standard for surgical planning, oncology staging and complex orthopaedic and neurological cases where radiography cannot answer the question. Practice owners also know that imaging done in-house is revenue kept rather than referred away. Douglas Insights estimates a general practice ultrasound system performing four scans a day pays back its purchase price in under two years, and that veterinary diagnostic imaging equipment revenue per practice has risen about 6% a year since 2020.

What drives veterinary diagnostic imaging equipment demand?

Corporate consolidation drives the largest share of veterinary diagnostic imaging equipment demand. Large veterinary groups equip their estates to a standard specification and refresh on defined cycles, turning fragmented replacement buying into predictable fleet purchasing, and Douglas Insights estimates corporate groups bought about 45% of 2025 systems by value in North America and Western Europe, up from about 30% in 2018. A supplier that wins a group standard secures hundreds of placements at once, while one that loses it can be shut out for the life of the agreement.

An ageing pet population is the second driver. The pet ownership surge of 2020 and 2021 has matured into a population of dogs and cats entering middle and older age, when diagnostic imaging use per animal is highest, and Douglas Insights estimates an animal over eight years old receives about three times as many imaging studies a year as a young adult. This lifts system utilisation and shortens replacement cycles, supporting unit growth of 5.8% a year, from about 58,400 systems in 2025 to about 102,600 in 2035.

Modality migration is the third driver. Practices that own only radiography add ultrasound, practices with ultrasound add cross-sectional imaging, and each step carries a much higher system price. CT and MRI systems hold 20% of 2025 value, USD 500 million, and are the fastest-growing segment at 11.49% a year, reaching USD 1.48 billion by 2035, which accounts for most of the 2.6% annual rise in realised price, from USD 42,800 to about USD 55,300.

Clinic formation in emerging markets is the fourth driver. Rising incomes and urban pet ownership in China, India, Brazil and Southeast Asia are creating modern practices that equip from scratch, and Douglas Insights estimates new clinics accounted for about 35% of Asia Pacific veterinary diagnostic imaging equipment units in 2025, against about 10% in North America. China’s urban pet population has grown quickly since 2019, and new chains there open clinics with digital radiography and ultrasound from day one, skipping the analogue and computed radiography that older markets are still replacing, so Asia Pacific adds more first-time buyers than any other region through 2035.

What holds back veterinary diagnostic imaging equipment purchasing?

Three restraints cut the 2035 veterinary diagnostic imaging equipment figure to about USD 3.93 billion in the slower case. Practice capital discipline comes first: veterinary groups face margin pressure from wage inflation and from pricing scrutiny such as the CMA’s 2026 remedies, and capital programmes are among the first items deferred when margins tighten. Douglas Insights estimates a one-year pause in corporate group programmes removes about USD 180 million of system orders in North America and Europe.

Workforce shortage comes second: a shortage of veterinarians and qualified imaging interpreters means some practices cannot staff equipment they could afford, and an idle system does not earn the revenue that justified it. Refurbished and grey market supply comes third: Douglas Insights estimates refurbished systems made up about 30% of veterinary CT installations in 2025, sold at 30% to 50% of new prices, which removes units from the new equipment count. Each 1-point change in unit growth moves the 2035 figure by about USD 560 million.

Which veterinary diagnostic imaging equipment segment carries the value, and why is digital radiography at 38% the first machine a practice buys?

Digital radiography leads with 38% of 2025 value. These veterinary diagnostic imaging equipment systems earned USD 950 million, growing 6.50% a year to USD 1.78 billion, because radiography is the first imaging purchase most practices make and ageing computed radiography still needs replacing. Veterinary ultrasound holds 30%, USD 750 million, growing 8.50% a year to USD 1.69 billion, the highest unit volume because portable systems are affordable for general practice. CT and MRI systems hold 20%, USD 500 million, and are the fastest-growing segment at 11.49% a year as referral hospitals and larger corporate sites install cross-sectional imaging. Dental and specialty imaging holds 12%, USD 300 million, growing 9.10% a year to USD 716 million as veterinary dentistry becomes a distinct service line.

By practice type, Douglas Insights estimates companion animal general practice took about 58% of 2025 value, referral and specialty hospitals about 27%, equine and large animal practice about 11% and academic centres about 4%.

Which regions buy the most veterinary diagnostic imaging equipment, and which grows fastest?

North America buys the most, 42% of 2025 value, and Asia Pacific is the fastest-growing region at 10.2% a year. North American veterinary diagnostic imaging equipment sales reached USD 1.05 billion in 2025, growing 7.8% a year to USD 2.21 billion, on the highest spend per animal, the deepest corporate consolidation and the widest access to referral imaging. Europe holds 28%, USD 700 million, growing 8.2% a year, with the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the Nordic countries combining established companion animal practice with strong equine imaging demand. Asia Pacific holds 22%, USD 550 million, rising to USD 1.45 billion by 2035 as urban pet ownership spreads in China, India, Japan, South Korea and Southeast Asia. Latin America adds USD 125 million at 8.8%, led by Brazil and Mexico, the Middle East USD 50.0 million at 9.4% and Africa USD 25.0 million at 8.6%, weighted toward livestock and mixed practice.

Which companies supply veterinary diagnostic imaging equipment?

Veterinary diagnostic imaging equipment is fragmented: Douglas Insights estimates IDEXX Laboratories holds about 11% of 2025 value and the five largest suppliers about 40%. IDEXX bundles digital radiography with its laboratory diagnostics and practice software, which makes the sale about workflow rather than hardware. Mindray and Esaote supply ultrasound across general and specialist practice, while Fujifilm, Canon Medical and Konica Minolta bring human imaging engineering into veterinary radiography and ultrasound. Sound, part of Covetrus, sells radiography and ultrasound to North American practices, and Hallmarq leads in purpose-built veterinary MRI and standing equine imaging. Epica and smaller makers supply veterinary CT, and dealers and refurbishers supply adapted human systems. Competition turns on software, teleradiology access and service coverage, because a practice without an in-house radiologist needs interpretation attached to the machine. Diagnostic ultrasound for human medicine is sized in our Color Ultrasound Diagnostic Equipment Market report.

How much does veterinary diagnostic imaging equipment cost?

Veterinary diagnostic imaging equipment cost an average USD 42,800 per system in 2025, across a very wide range. A portable ultrasound for general practice costs about USD 15,000 to USD 40,000, and a full digital radiography suite about USD 40,000 to USD 90,000. A purpose-built veterinary CT system sells for about USD 150,000 to USD 400,000, and a veterinary MRI installation for USD 300,000 to over USD 1 million before shielding and siting. Most practices lease or pay in instalments and compare the monthly payment with expected scan revenue, which lets suppliers compete on finance terms and bundled service rather than discounts. Corporate group agreements are priced well below single-practice levels in return for standardisation, and refurbished CT systems at 30% to 50% of new prices set a ceiling in price-sensitive segments. Douglas Insights expects the average price to reach about USD 43,900 in 2026 and USD 55,300 by 2035 as cross-sectional systems take share.

How could the veterinary diagnostic imaging equipment forecast change by 2035?

The veterinary diagnostic imaging equipment forecast ranges from USD 3.93 billion to USD 7.70 billion in 2035. The base case carries 5.8% unit growth and 2.6% price growth, for an 8.55% revenue CAGR and USD 5.68 billion. The capital-restraint scenario, in which margin pressure after pricing rulings like the CMA’s defers group programmes and refurbished supply takes more share, sets the legs at 3.4% and 1.2%, for 4.64% growth. The modality-migration scenario, in which CT spreads faster into corporate referral sites and clinic formation in Asia accelerates, sets them at 7.6% and 4.0%, for 11.90% growth. Each 1-point change in unit growth moves the 2035 figure by about USD 560 million. Spending on medicines in the same practices is sized in our Veterinary Pharmaceuticals Market report.

How does teleradiology change veterinary diagnostic imaging equipment purchases?

Teleradiology decides whether veterinary diagnostic imaging equipment gets used, because most practices that own advanced imaging employ nobody qualified to read it. A general practice veterinarian receives limited radiology training and almost none in cross-sectional interpretation, so a clinic that installs a CT scanner without a reading pathway has bought a device it will hesitate to rely on. Teleradiology services make board-certified radiologists available remotely per study, usually within hours, so a practice can offer advanced imaging without hiring a specialist it could never keep busy. Douglas Insights estimates about 70% of veterinary CT studies in North America are read remotely. Systems that send studies to a reading service without manual handling and return reports into the practice record are easier to sell than better hardware that does not, and each study carries a reading fee that must be priced into the scan, which the CMA’s written-estimate rule now puts in front of the owner.

Douglas Exclusive: the veterinary diagnostic imaging equipment practice equipping ledger

The Douglas Exclusive ledger records, by practice type and region, the installed veterinary diagnostic imaging equipment mix, the share of practices holding each modality, replacement cycles, corporate group agreements and their standard platforms, refurbished penetration and the interpretation pathway available, and converts practice population forecasts into system demand in 30 countries. Licence holders receive it as a maintained tab in the Excel model.

Which regulations shape the veterinary diagnostic imaging equipment market?

Three layers of rules shape the veterinary diagnostic imaging equipment market, starting with the CMA’s legally binding remedies of 24 March 2026 in the UK. Radiation protection comes first and matters most day to day: in the European Union, Council Directive 2013/59/Euratom requires practices using X-rays to be authorised, to shield rooms, to monitor staff dose and to train operators, and national rules in the United States and elsewhere do the same, which adds cost and time to every radiography and CT installation. Equipment rules come second: veterinary imaging devices generally do not need the premarket approval that human medical devices need, which lowers barriers to entry and allows human systems to be adapted, while electrical safety and electromagnetic compatibility rules still apply. Practice and pricing rules come third: accreditation schemes set expectations for imaging quality and interpretation, and the CMA remedies require UK practices to publish prices and give written estimates.

What methodology sits behind the veterinary diagnostic imaging equipment model?

The veterinary diagnostic imaging equipment model is built bottom-up from about 58,400 systems shipped in 2025 at an average USD 42,800 each. It covers 4 modality segments, 4 practice types, 3 buyer types and 6 regions, with country tables for 30 countries. Units come from veterinary practice counts by type, modality penetration and replacement cycles, corporate group capital programmes and new clinic formation; prices come from list prices, tender results and manufacturer disclosures, with refurbished share applied by modality. Consumables, contrast media, standalone software, laboratory analysers and human medical imaging are excluded, and growth is decomposed as units times realised price. Every figure carries a numbered source and a confidence grade in the fact sheet above, and the working model ships with every licence. The next scheduled review of this study is September 2027.

Sources

1. Competition and Markets Authority CMA concludes market investigation with major reforms to veterinary sector (2026)
2. EUR-Lex Council Directive 2013/59/Euratom (basic safety standards for ionising radiation) (2013)