24-Hour Pre-Approval for Veterinary Practice SBA Loans — 3A Lending

24-Hour Pre-Approval for Veterinary Practice SBA Loans — 3A Lending

Veterinary practice acquisitions and de novo builds require financing confidence before you make a serious commitment. Whether you're competing against a corporate consolidator for a practice or negotiating a lease for a new clinic, a pre-approved SBA loan gives you credibility and speed.

3A Lending turns around veterinary SBA pre-approvals in 24 hours.

What the Pre-Approval Covers

In 24 hours from document submission, you receive a written pre-approval including:

• Recommended SBA program — 7(a) for practice acquisitions and de novos; 504 for real estate or large diagnostic equipment; combination for complex deals


• Loan amount range — based on your income, credit, and deal specifics


• Down payment required — typically 10% of total project cost


• Rate and term estimate — current SBA rates and applicable term for your use case


• Lender network match — which healthcare-experienced lenders in our network are right for your deal


• Known obstacles — any issues to address before full underwriting

What We Assess for Veterinary Pre-Approvals

Credit: Soft pull, no impact on your score. We're looking for 680+ FICO (700+ preferred), no open judgments or tax liens, and a clean payment pattern in the last 24 months. Vet school debt ($150–250K) is expected and treated appropriately.

Income: Last 2 years of personal and business tax returns. For employed veterinarians, we use W-2 income. For practice owners, we calculate adjusted EBITDA and add back non-recurring items.

The deal: Tell us what you're financing — practice acquisition at $X price, de novo buildout estimate, equipment purchase, or building acquisition. We assess the deal structure and program fit.

Experience: 3–5 years of veterinary experience is baseline for practice ownership lending. Specialty credentials (DACVIM, DACVS, DAVDC, etc.) strengthen the application for specialty practice financing.

Veterinary-Specific Items We Check

Licensing: You must be licensed in the state where the practice operates. We confirm license status early.

Species: What species are you treating? Companion animal (dog/cat) is the most straightforward. Equine or large animal requires lenders with specific experience. Exotics require specialty credentials.

Transition risk: For acquisitions, we assess how dependent the practice revenue is on the selling veterinarian's personal relationships. High dependency = stricter transition agreement requirements.

Student debt load: Total student loan payments relative to projected income. Most veterinary school graduates carry significant debt — we model this carefully to ensure your income supports both personal obligations and the new practice loan.

What We Need from You

• Last 2 years personal tax returns (1040, all schedules)


• Last 2 years business tax returns (if you currently own a practice)


• Brief deal description: what are you buying/building, estimated cost, location state


• Personal financial statement (SBA Form 413 — we can send you the fillable version)


• Authorization for a soft credit pull

No business plan, equipment quotes, or practice financials are required at this stage.

Veterinary Lenders We Work With

Not all SBA lenders understand veterinary practices. We specifically partner with lenders who have:

• Veterinary practice valuation expertise (they don't just use generic business multiples)


• Healthcare accounts receivable understanding (even though most vet is cash-pay, some mixed practices carry AR)


• Equine and large animal lending experience (for those practice types)


• Familiarity with vet school debt profiles on the borrower side

You don't want your deal going through a lender's learning curve. Our network filters this for you.

Timeline: Pre-Approval to Close

• Day 1: Pre-approval issued


• Days 5–20: LOI or purchase agreement signed; documentation collection begins


• Days 20–45: Lender underwriting; practice appraisal ordered; facility appraisal (if real estate)


• Days 45–60: SBA authorization; term sheet signed


• Days 60–75: Closing

Acquisitions with no real estate close faster (45–60 days). Real estate-inclusive deals run 60–75 days.

No Upfront Fees

3A Lending charges no pre-approval fee. We're paid at closing by the lender. If we can't get your deal done, you pay nothing.

Start your veterinary practice SBA pre-approval at 3A Lending → (260) 201-1112 apply@3alending.com