Kevin Toman, DVMFounder, Helping Pets Live Longer · Veterinary Longevity Specialist

Why Veterinarians Suck… at Helping Your Pet Live Longer. #petlongevity #pettalk #dogcare #cats

3 Dec 2025 · 2 min

Watch on YouTube

1:43

In this YouTube monologue, Dr. Kevin Toman explains why most veterinarians in the United States fall short in supporting pet longevity. He outlines three primary reasons: (1) many vets are trained to treat acute problems but are not taught to listen to owners’ hopes and fears about extending a pet’s healthy lifespan; (2) a nationwide veterinary shortage forces clinicians to work longer hours and see more patients, leaving little time for long‑term strategy planning; and (3) roughly half of U.S. veterinary practices are owned by large corporate entities that dictate protocols and drug choices, often excluding emerging longevity science from their vocabulary. Dr. Toman positions himself as a relationship‑focused alternative, inviting viewers to visit his website (helpingpetslonger.com), comment with questions, and sign up for free “Longevity Strategy Sessions” held via Zoom four days a week. He emphasizes a collaborative, supportive approach to help pets achieve their longest, best lives.

Chapters

Why do most veterinarians actually suck when it comes to helping your pet live longer? There are 3 reasons. First off, us veterinarians are wonderful problem solvers. Give us a cut to sew up or an abscess to treat or a pet to spay and we're on it. But many of us never learned to actually sit down and listen to you, your hopes and your fears around helping your pet live their longest and best life. Point number 2 is that there's a tremendous veterinary shortage here in the US. So fewer veterinarians are working longer hours and seeing more patients in an effort to make ends meet. And that means that they simply don't have time to sit and develop a strategy session for the years of your pet's life left. Point number 3 is that here in the US, almost half of veterinary practices are not owned by veterinarians like me. They're now owned by big corporate businesses. And those corporate businesses tell their employed veterinarians exactly what to say and exactly what drugs to use, and longevity science just simply isn't part of their vocabulary. If these things matter to you, and they should, let's get together. I'm Dr. Kevin Toman Toman. I run www.helpingpetslive longer.com, and I am a relationship builder. I will work with you to help your pet live their longest and best life. If you have a question or a message, drop it into the comment section below and I will answer it, or sign up for the free Longevity Strategy Sessions that I offer 4 days a week on Zoom. I'll drop a link into the comments below. We're all in this together, and I will help you if I can.