VDS

What VDS does

VDS (Veterinary Dentistry Specialists) is a specialty veterinary dental and oral surgery practice network founded in 2018 by Dr. Carlos Rice, serving companion animals — primarily dogs and cats — that require advanced dental care beyond the scope of general veterinary practice. The network operates across multiple U.S. metropolitan sites including a flagship in Mt. Laurel, NJ, with additional locations in Madison NJ, Twin Cities MN, and planned openings in Philadelphia and Salt Lake City. Core services span periodontics, endodontics, orthodontics, oral surgery, and anesthesia, with cardiology offered at the Mt. Laurel site. Cases are board-certified-specialist-led at every location, and the practice accepts referrals from primary-care veterinarians in its respective markets.

The clinical footprint is built on advanced imaging and procedural equipment, including cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and digital radiographs, supporting diagnosis and surgical planning for complex dental and oral surgery cases. The company has invested in a continuing-education ecosystem — Silo Academy, Spring Symposiums, and a Residency Program — that trains the next cohort of veterinary dental specialists and reinforces ties with the referring veterinary community. AAHA accreditation is held at two locations, signaling adherence to external quality benchmarks.

The business model is a referral-driven specialty services model: revenue is generated per procedure across dental and oral surgery cases, with payment sourced from pet owners (facilitated by third-party financing such as CareCredit and Scratchpay) and case flow sourced from referring general-practice veterinarians. There is no subscription, retainer, or recurring-contract layer; each transaction is episodic and tied to a clinical episode. Growth has been pursued through programmatic geographic expansion and service-line broadening rather than through disclosed capital raises or M&A.

Name

VDS

Legal name

Veterinary Dentistry Specialists

Website

https://vdsvets.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

VDS is a specialty veterinary dental and oral surgery practice network founded in 2018 by Dr. Carlos Rice, operating across multiple U.S. sites with board-certified specialists serving dogs and cats requiring advanced dental care.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Veterinary Specialty Dentistry Services

NAICS

Veterinary Services (541940)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Veterinary Dentistry & Oral Surgery Specialty Centers (HLAMACAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Veterinary Specialty Referral Hospitals (Multi-specialty) (HLAMACAB), Veterinary Anesthesia & Pain Management Specialty Services (HLAMACAJ), Veterinary Cardiology & Respiratory Specialty Centers (HLAMACAE), Veterinary Specialty Imaging Centers (CT/MRI/Advanced Imaging) (HLAMACAL), Companion Animal Veterinary Clinics & Hospitals (AFAEANAA), Veterinary Imaging, Surgery & Specialty Referral Centers (AFAEANAG)

Keywords

• Veterinary dentistry services
• Veterinary oral surgery
• Veterinary anesthesia services
• Pet dental specialists
• Veterinary diagnostic imaging

Headquarters

HQ city

Chadds Ford

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Veterinary Specialty Dental Services: VDS generates revenue through providing advanced veterinary dentistry and oral surgery services, including consultations, procedures, diagnostic imaging, and anesthesia services. Pricing is quote-based and determined after evaluation of the patient's specific needs. The practice accepts cash, credit cards, and third-party financing options including CareCredit, Scratchpay, Cherry, and All Pet.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Veterinary Dentistry Specialists (VDS) operates a network of specialty veterinary practices providing advanced dentistry, oral surgery, anesthesia, and cardiology services exclusively for companion animals (dogs and cats). Services are delivered by board-certified veterinary dental specialists, anesthesiologists, and a cardiologist, supported by advanced diagnostic imaging including cone-beam CT and digital radiography across multiple US clinic locations.

Product overview

Veterinary Dentistry Specialists (VDS) is a network of specialty veterinary practices providing advanced dentistry, oral surgery, anesthesia, and cardiology services exclusively for companion animals (dogs and cats). The core offering consists of board-certified veterinary dental specialists and anesthesiologists working together at each location, supported by diagnostic imaging (digital x-rays and cone-beam CT). The practice operates on a hub-and-spoke model with locations in Mount Laurel NJ, Chadds Ford PA, Katy TX, Madison NJ, Philadelphia PA, and Twin Cities MN. Additional services include residency training programs, continuing education (Lunch & Learn, Silo Academy), and the VDS Veterinary Care Foundation for financial assistance. The Concierge Care approach differentiates the client experience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• VDS Residency Program: AVDC-approved residency program for veterinarians specializing in dentistry and oral surgery
• Silo Academy
• Concierge Care

Products and services

• Advanced Veterinary Dentistry Advanced veterinary dentistry services for dogs and cats, including periodontics, tooth restoration, endodontics, and orthodontics, provided by board-certified veterinary dental specialists.
• Veterinary Oral Surgery Advanced oral surgery procedures including difficult extractions, oncologic surgery for oral cancers, palate defect correction, and maxillofacial trauma repair for dogs and cats.
• Veterinary Anesthesia Full-time, board-certified veterinary anesthesiologist-managed anesthesia services for dental procedures, including pre-procedure evaluation, individualized dosing, and comprehensive monitoring.
• Veterinary Cardiology Outpatient veterinary cardiology services including echocardiography, electrocardiography, blood pressure monitoring, and pre-anesthetic cardiac evaluations, available at the Mt. Laurel, NJ location.
• Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging Advanced diagnostic imaging services including digital radiographs (x-rays) and cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) for accurate diagnosis and treatment planning.

Quantifiable outcome

• 95% success rate for root canal treatments
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Veterinary Care Foundation (VCF)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVDS has partnered with the Veterinary Care Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit charity that helps veterinary practices discount or completely cover the cost of treatment for families and rescue groups in need. Unlike other veterinary charities, 100% of every contribution to VCF goes directly to improving pets' quality of life.
• CareCreditminorOthersThird-party financing option offered at VDS Chadds Ford, PA, Katy, TX, Mount Laurel, NJ, and Twin Cities/Woodbury, MN locations for pet owners to finance veterinary dental procedures.
• ScratchpayminorOthersThird-party financing option offered at VDS Katy, TX, Madison, NJ, and Mount Laurel, NJ locations for pet owners to finance veterinary dental procedures.
• CherryminorOthersThird-party financing option offered at VDS Mount Laurel, NJ location for pet owners to finance veterinary dental procedures.
• All PetminorOthersThird-party financing option offered at VDS Katy, TX location for pet owners to finance veterinary dental procedures.
• Pet Medical Insurance CompaniesminorOthersVDS works with numerous pet medical insurance companies and assists pet owners in filing insurance claims for veterinary dental procedures.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• VCA Animal Hospitals: Broad incumbent - one of the largest veterinary service networks in North America; offers specialty dental services at select locations and represents the broader consolidation thesis affecting specialty vet care.
• MedVet: Broad incumbent - multi-specialty veterinary referral hospital network with emergency and specialty services; offers dental specialty services at certain locations and competes for specialist talent and referral relationships.
• Animal Medical Center (NYC): Broad incumbent - large non-profit veterinary teaching hospital offering specialty dentistry and oral surgery among many specialties; comparable clinical capabilities and academic affiliation, serving as a regional referral option in the Northeast.
• BluePearl Specialty + Emergency Pet Hospital: Broad incumbent - large multi-specialty and emergency veterinary hospital network offering dental as one of many services; competes indirectly for advanced dental referrals and represents potential acquirer or roll-up platform.

Direct peers

• Animal Dentistry & Oral Surgery Specialists: Direct peer - independent veterinary dental specialty practice offering periodontics, endodontics, oral surgery for companion animals, operating in the Mid-Atlantic region with similar specialist-led model.
• Arizona Veterinary Dental Specialists: Direct peer - specialty veterinary dental practice offering advanced dentistry and oral surgery for companion animals, with a similar specialist-only clinical model and referral pipeline.
• Pacific Veterinary Dentistry & Oral Surgery Specialists: Direct peer - multi-location veterinary dental specialty group on the West Coast providing comparable periodontics, endodontics, oral surgery, and orthodontics services with board-certified specialists.
• Dallas Veterinary Dentistry & Oral Surgery: Direct peer - board-certified veterinary dentist specialty practice in Texas serving the Dallas-Fort Worth metro, comparable service mix and referral-based GTM motion.

Emerging players

• Thrive Pet Healthcare: Emerging player - growing specialty and general veterinary care network expanding into specialty services including dentistry; represents a potential roll-up acquirer or competitive specialty entrant with capital backing.
• Veterinary Emergency Group (VEG): Emerging player - rapidly expanding emergency and specialty veterinary chain with growing specialty capabilities; competes for specialist talent and represents the broader consolidation trend in specialty vet care.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/VDSChaddsFord
• Instagraminstagram.com/vdschaddsford
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/veterinary-dentistry-specialists

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about VDS