Zoetis – spun off – from Pfizer in 2013 via an IPO has retained part of its Pfizer DNA intact which pertains to growing aggressively via acquisitions. Starting as a pure pharma / drug company, Zoetis of today is a diagnostics leading company with capacity built via a string of related acqusitions.
Veterinary diagnostics has quietly become an important part of the growth strategy at Zoetis.
Zoetis is still best known for animal medicines, Monoclonal Antibodies and vaccines. But since 2018, Zoetis has repeatedly bought / acquired veterinary testing companies, laboratory networks and specialist diagnostic businesses to potentially create an entire eco-system for support and supplies to Vets, especially Companion Animals Vets.
The result is a clear pattern: Zoetis wants to be involved not only in treating animal disease, but also in finding it earlier and helping veterinarians make faster treatment decisions.
A detailed review of official Zoetis announcements and company filings has helped us identify at least six major acquisitions directly linked to veterinary diagnostic products or laboratory services since 2018: Abaxis, Phoenix Lab, ZNLabs, Ethos Diagnostic Science, Fish Vet Group and Veterinary Pathology Group. We may update this further, based on additional information, in case we have missed any.
2018: Abaxis marks entry / changes the direction of Zoetis diagnostics
The biggest turning point came in July 2018, when Zoetis completed its acquisition of Abaxis for approximately $2 billion in cash.
Zoetis paid $83 per Abaxis share. At the time, the company described veterinary diagnostics as a business that had been growing at about 10% annually over the previous three years. Abaxis brought Zoetis the VetScan range of veterinary testing equipment and rapid tests. Incidentally VetScan Opticell was announced as Best New Companion Animal Health Product of the Year, last year.
These included systems for blood chemistry and blood cell testing, along with discs, kits and cartridges that veterinary clinics had to purchase repeatedly.
The numbers explain why Abaxis was attractive. In its 2018 financial year, 83% of Abaxis revenue, or $201.9 million, came from veterinary diagnostic products and services. Consumables accounted for about 78% of total company revenue, or $191.3 million. This was not simply an equipment acquisition.
By buying Abaxis, Zoetis entered a business where the sale of a testing machine could be followed by continuing sales of test discs, cartridges and other supplies.
2019: Phoenix Lab takes Zoetis into outside laboratory testing
One year later, Zoetis made another important move. In October 2019, it completed the acquisition of Phoenix Central Laboratory for Veterinarians, known as Phoenix Lab.
The purchase marked Zoetis’ formal entry into veterinary laboratory services in the United States. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Phoenix Lab, based in Washington state, offered testing of blood, tissue and other animal samples. Its services included blood cell testing, chemistry, microbiology and disease-related testing.
The strategic reason was simple. VetScan allowed veterinarians to perform some tests inside their own clinics. Phoenix Lab allowed Zoetis to support more detailed tests that had to be sent to an outside laboratory.
Zoetis was beginning to connect testing inside the veterinary clinic with specialist laboratory testing.
2019: ZNLabs expands the laboratory network across the United States
Only weeks after the Phoenix Lab deal, Zoetis acquired ZNLabs in November 2019. ZNLabs operated a network of full-service veterinary laboratories in the United States. Again, the acquisition price was not disclosed.
The company focused mainly on companion animal testing and had built its business around a simple test menu, fast results and a no-contract service model.
The acquisition showed how quickly Zoetis was moving. Within roughly a year and a half of buying Abaxis, the company had moved from veterinary testing equipment into a growing US laboratory network.
At the time of the ZNLabs acquisition, Zoetis estimated the global veterinary diagnostics market at around $4 billion, with growth of approximately 10% annually during the previous three years.
2020: Ethos Diagnostic Science adds three specialist laboratories
In February 2020, Zoetis acquired Ethos Diagnostic Science, the laboratory business of Ethos Veterinary Health. The deal added laboratories in Boston, Denver and San Diego. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Ethos Diagnostic Science provided testing across a wide range of areas, including blood testing, urine testing, microbiology, parasites, hormones and examination of cells and tissues.
Importantly, the laboratories served specialist animal hospitals, veterinary clinics and researchers. Zoetis’ own corporate history groups Phoenix Lab, ZNLabs and Ethos Diagnostic Science together as the acquisitions that expanded its US veterinary laboratory capabilities.
The three businesses were later brought into a wider Zoetis laboratory network. In 2025, Zoetis said it had integrated Ethos Diagnostic Science, Phoenix Lab and ZNLabs into a unified diagnostics portfolio.
2020: Fish Vet Group takes Zoetis diagnostics deeper into aquaculture
Zoetis’ diagnostics acquisition strategy has not been limited to dogs and cats. In July 2020, the company acquired Fish Vet Group from Benchmark Holdings and added the business to its Pharmaq fish health operations.
The purchase price was not disclosed in the Zoetis announcement. Fish Vet Group operated diagnostic laboratories in Scotland, Norway, Ireland and Chile.
Its services included testing for bacteria, examination of animal tissues and PCR-based disease testing. The company also provided environmental testing for fish farms, including checks on water and seabed conditions.
This made the acquisition different from Zoetis’ US laboratory deals. Fish Vet Group helped Zoetis combine fish vaccines, veterinary services, disease testing and environmental monitoring within its aquaculture business.
Zoetis had already acquired Pharmaq in 2015. The Fish Vet Group deal strengthened the diagnostic and testing side of that fish health platform.
2025: Veterinary Pathology Group gives Zoetis a stronger UK and Ireland laboratory presence
The latest major move came in November of 2025, when Zoetis acquired Veterinary Pathology Group, or VPG.
VPG operates veterinary diagnostic laboratories across the UK and Ireland and provides a broad range of specialist testing services. The acquisition price was not disclosed. For Zoetis, the acquisition marks an important geographical expansion of its laboratory strategy.
The company had already built a reference laboratory network in the United States. It had strengthened fish diagnostics in important aquaculture markets. VPG added an established veterinary laboratory group in the UK and Ireland.
Zoetis described the acquisition as a key step in expanding its veterinary diagnostics presence in these markets.
Zoetis diagnostics acquisitions at a glance
| Year | Company acquired | Main diagnostic business | Deal value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Abaxis | In-clinic testing equipment and rapid tests | Approx. $2 billion |
| 2019 | Phoenix Lab | Veterinary laboratory services | Not disclosed |
| 2019 | ZNLabs | US veterinary laboratory network | Not disclosed |
| 2020 | Ethos Diagnostic Science | Specialist veterinary laboratory testing | Not disclosed |
| 2020 | Fish Vet Group | Fish disease and environmental testing | Not disclosed |
| 2025 | Veterinary Pathology Group | UK and Ireland veterinary laboratory services | Not disclosed |
