Nature of Operations (Details)	Sep. 30, 2012 Laboratory State Hospital
Nature of Operations (Textuals) [Abstract]
Number of hospitals operated	601
Number of states in which hospitals are operated	41
Number of states in which the company operate a full-service veterinary diagnostic laboratory network	50
Number of laboratories operated	55

The number of states in which the Company operate a full-service veterinary diagnostic laboratory network.

No definition available.

Name:	woof_NumberOfStatesInWhichCompanyOperateFullServiceVeterinaryDiagnosticLaboratoryNetwork
Namespace Prefix:	woof_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant