PEIThe P.E.I. Humane Society says it is doing far more fundraising than it used to, and that rising expenses — including the cost of animal medications — are a big reason why.Supply shortages are driving up costs, says national veterinarian groupThinh Nguyen · CBC News · Posted: Dec 06, 2025 5:00 AM EST | Last Updated: 4 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 4 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.The steep increase in the cost of animal medication is a major concern for the P.E.I. Humane Society, says Ashley Travis, the organization’s development and communications co-ordinator. (Safiyah Marhnouj/CBC)The P.E.I. Humane Society says it is doing far more fundraising than it used to, and rising expenses — including the cost of animal medications — are a big reason why.Ashley Travis, the organization’s development and communications co-ordinator, said the price of drugs has seen a “steep increase” in recent years, from pain management products to medications used to reduce anxiety.She said it’s not only medications the shelter uses in-house that are getting more expensive, but also drugs used at veterinary clinics the society partners with across the Island.“This is something that does deeply concern us moving forward, because we are on the cusp of greatly expanding our facility, and so as more animals come into our care, cost rising is something we have to look at strategically,” Travis told CBC News.Travis said the increased prices haven’t affected the shelter’s ability to provide care, but they have added pressure.The society isn’t aware of the exact reasons for the increases, Travis said, but she noted that, much like basic supplies and food, the price of medications may be affected by general inflation.Limited optionsBeyond inflation, the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) says shortages are also driving up the cost.At a recent news conference in Ottawa, the association called on the federal government to regulate veterinary drug prices, warning of a “severe decline” in the availability of many essential medications like antibiotics, sedatives and vaccines.Trevor Lawson, a past CVMA president who’s now a large-animal veterinarian in Shubenacadie, N.S., said he has noticed a worsening supply of drugs over the last five to seven years.At a recent news conference, the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association said pet owners deserve access to affordable medicine. (Steven D’Souza/CBC)The association estimates Canada has seen a 40 per cent decline in registered veterinary medications.“That’s become a real concern for colleagues across Canada,” Lawson said. “It, at times, has limited our options for treatment of common diseases.”Lawson said Canada is a small market compared to many other countries, and that has made it harder to keep products here. Smaller markets in Europe are seeing similar challenges.Lawson said some products that were available earlier in his career are no longer licensed for use because their registrations have lapsed. Canada isn’t seeing many new products come to market either.When medications that are typically available suddenly disappear, he said veterinarians are forced to find alternatives, like looking to the human supply chain.“The alternative might be something that does have a higher price point, perhaps equally as effective, but now it does come with a higher cost,” Lawson said. He added that shortages and rising prices also affect animal owners, including livestock farmers, who risk financial losses when animals get sick.CVMA calling for regulatory harmonizationBack at the P.E.I. Humane Society, Travis said the shelter had to get creative with fundraising, since medication, surgeries and general animal care are funded entirely by donors.“But the main strategy we’re using to combat this is more diligent budgeting, of course, and choosing where we purchase our medications and in what volume we purchase our medications more strategically so that we’re never without the necessary medications, but we may choose to purchase less at a given time in order to save,” she said.The P.E.I. Humane Society has been doing more fundraising than in the past, partly due to the rising costs things like animal medications, Travis says. (Submitted by Ashley Travis)Meanwhile, the CVMA is calling on Health Canada to reduce regulatory barriers and costs to bringing more products to Canada.Lawson said Canada should harmonize its approval process with regions that have similar approval standards to Canada.“We’re hoping that in the days ahead, we’re going to be able to hopefully see products come to Canada that maybe have been approved, for example, through a very robust system in the EU or in New Zealand or Australia,” he said.“There might be a few caveats within that, but that could help see some of these products maybe get licensed in Canada with less effort and expense, but also have us have the assurance that they’re safe and effective.”With files from Jackie Sharkey and Julie Clow
P.E.I. Humane Society feeling the pinch as the price of drugs for animals climbs
