Michael Sheils McNameeBusiness reporter and
Jim ConnollyBBC News Investigations
Getty ImagesVets should be forced to publish price lists so pet owners can see costs up front and shop around for the best deal, the competition watchdog has said.
Owners are often unaware of prices or not given estimates for treatments that can run into thousands of pounds, its investigation into soaring vet costs found.
Vet prices have risen at nearly twice the rate of inflation, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) also found.
Its proposals included making vets reveal if they are part of a large group, capping prescription fees and banning bonuses on offering specific treatments.
‘£12,000 in vet bills’
Steve Fildes / BBCNicole Hawley, 26, got in touch via Your Voice, Your BBC News after receiving an unexpected £12,000 bill to treat her dog Ernie, after he inhaled a grass seed while out on a walk and it became infected.
“We were given two choices by the emergency vet, either put him down or pay an extortionate bill for surgery,” she told the BBC.
Ms Hawley was in the process of finding a different pet insurance provider for Ernie when he fell ill, meaning she didn’t have financial support.
She and her partner ended up taking out a loan to pay for the procedure, and used money they had been saving for their wedding.
“We didn’t have the money. But it took us five minutes to decide that we would find it from somewhere,” Ms Hawley said.
Kept in the dark
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, the CMA’s Martin Coleman said veterinary prices had increased by 63% over a seven year period, which was nearly twice the rate of inflation.
“Many people were paying twice what they needed to for vet medicines,” Mr Coleman said.
“It’s not right to keep pet owners in the dark about key matters that affect them and their pets and their pockets.
“We’re often not being told up-front basic information such as who owns the practice, the price of commonly used services, and we’re not often given estimates of the likely price of treatment costing hundreds, even thousands of pounds.”
The CMA also found practices owned by large vet groups charge 16.6% more on average than independent vets.
Mr Coleman said the regulatory system was set up in 1966, “when the world of veterinary services was very different to the world that we have today.”
“There is regulation of individual vets, but there is no regulation of the businesses that own the majority of the practices in the country,” Mr Coleman said.
Wednesday’s findings into the £6.3bn sector are provisional, with interested parties now having until next month to make submissions before a final decision is published next year.
After the decision, changes will be implemented through a legally binding CMA order, which is expected to come before the end of 2026. Smaller vet businesses given additional time to implement it.
The CMA’s recommendations include:
- Making it easier for pet owners to access cheaper medicines online, including by requiring vets to tell pet owners about savings they make by buying medicines online
- Where a medicine is likely to be needed frequently, automatically providing a written prescription to enable the pet owner to purchase the medicine elsewhere
- Capping the price of providing prescriptions at £16
- Requiring vets to give pet owners clear price information when they are choosing a treatment, with prices in writing for treatments over £500 and itemised bills
- Making the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons to improve its ‘Find a Vet’ website to include pricing data
- Making vets give clear price information to pet owners arranging a cremation and pet care plans
