Pet owners in the United Kingdom may soon find it much easier—and potentially cheaper—to care for their animals, thanks to sweeping proposals unveiled by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) on October 15, 2025. After months of mounting concern about soaring veterinary costs and a lack of transparency, the CMA has recommended a raft of changes to the £6.3 billion vet services market, aiming to empower consumers with clearer information and fairer pricing.
The watchdog’s provisional decision is the result of a comprehensive investigation, prompted in part by a BBC File on Four exposé earlier this year that highlighted skyrocketing vet bills. Whistleblowers from within the industry pointed fingers at large corporate groups buying up independent practices, fueling price hikes that have left many pet owners reeling. According to the CMA’s findings, veterinary prices have surged by 63% over the past seven years—nearly double the rate of inflation.
One of the most striking revelations from the CMA’s inquiry: a staggering 84% of veterinary practice websites fail to display any pricing information at all. This lack of transparency leaves many pet owners blindsided by costs for everything from routine vaccinations to emergency surgeries. For instance, published price ranges from the CMA show vaccinations costing anywhere from £50 to £200, neutering dogs from £120 to £700, and emergency out-of-hours care between £200 and £300. The wide variation underscores the difficulty consumers face in making informed choices.
Nicole Hawley, a 26-year-old pet owner who contacted the BBC, shared her harrowing experience with surprise bills. After her dog Ernie inhaled a grass seed that became infected, she was presented with two options by the emergency vet: put him down or pay an unexpected £12,000 for surgery. "We didn't have the money. But it took us five minutes to decide that we would find it from somewhere," Hawley told the BBC. She and her partner ended up taking out a loan and using their wedding savings to cover the cost.
Stories like Hawley’s are not isolated. Many pet owners have reported delaying or even avoiding treatment for their animals due to spiraling costs, with some forced to make the heartbreaking decision to put their pets down. According to the CMA, consumers are often unaware not only of the costs but also whether their local vet is part of a large national chain or an independent practice. This matters: the CMA found that practices owned by large groups charge, on average, 16.6% more than independents.
The CMA’s recommendations are sweeping. Vets would be required to publish comprehensive price lists, both online and in-practice, so owners can shop around and avoid nasty surprises. Practices would have to declare if they are part of a larger group, capping prescription fees at £16, and banning bonuses tied to offering specific treatments. The watchdog also calls for an independent price comparison website to help pet owners compare costs and services more easily.
Martin Coleman, chair of the CMA’s inquiry group, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: "Many people were paying twice what they needed to for vet medicines... and we're not often given estimates of the likely price of treatment costing hundreds, even thousands of pounds. It's not right to keep pet owners in the dark about key matters that affect them and their pets and their pockets." In another statement, Coleman added: "Pet owners are often left in the dark, not knowing whether their practice is independent or part of a chain or what a fair price looks like. They are sometimes committing to expensive treatment without understanding the price in advance. And they do not always feel confident asking for a prescription or buying medicine online—even when it could save them hundreds of pounds."
Online pharmacies, such as Pharmacy2U, have welcomed the CMA’s proposals. CEO Kevin Heath said the new rules would highlight "the importance of transparency in pet medication pricing and the 50 per cent-plus savings that can be made online." He added, "The CMA’s proposal to improve price transparency will empower pet owners to make informed choices and help ensure that essential treatments remain both accessible and affordable for all." Pharmacy2U claims to have served over 100,000 pet owners to date, a number that’s only growing as more people seek alternatives to high street prices.
The British Veterinary Association (BVA) has responded with cautious support. While the BVA welcomed the push for greater transparency and acknowledged the need to update regulations dating back to 1966, it expressed reservations about some of the proposed remedies. BVA president Dr. Rob Williams noted: "In particular, we need clarity on the proposed introduction of comprehensive price lists, because how vet care is delivered is varied and complex and unless the CMA gets this right, it could end up creating greater confusion for consumers." The association also flagged potential challenges around medicines, out-of-hours care, cremations, and standardized price lists. "It’s vital that any measures the CMA presses forward with do not risk undermining the ability of veterinary professionals to do their job or compromise the sustainability of the sector, which could have negative consequences for the welfare of the animals in our care," the BVA said in a statement.
Animal charities, including the RSPCA, have thrown their weight behind the CMA’s transparency drive. Caroline Allen, the RSPCA’s Chief Veterinary Officer, told the BBC: "Our frontline officers sadly see first-hand the consequences when people delay or avoid seeking professional help, or even attempt to treat conditions themselves. Vets are under pressure, and have a key role to play on the frontline of animal welfare—but it's important people trust the industry."
Some independent veterinarians, however, stress that high costs are often driven by the price of advanced equipment and the need for skilled staff. Francesca Verney, Veterinary Director at Pet People, explained to the BBC: "It's frustrating to be thought of as us having the wrong motivations, being driven by money. If we're going to do a CT scan on a dog, that machine has cost me a quarter of a million pounds, plus the staff to run it safely. It's a big deal. We also have to anaesthetise animals for procedures that we would ask humans to lie still for." Dr. Natalie Morris Webb, who owns Malthouse Vets in Shropshire, added: "We love our pets so much but ultimately they are a luxury item and we need to accept the fact that they're not cheap." She urged owners to consider the full cost of pet ownership and to insure their animals.
The CMA’s recommendations also include making it easier for pet owners to access cheaper medicines online, requiring vets to inform clients about online savings, and automatically providing written prescriptions when frequent medication is needed. The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons will be asked to improve its ‘Find a Vet’ website to include pricing data, further helping consumers make informed choices.
These findings are provisional, with interested parties invited to submit their views before a final decision is published—likely in early 2026. If the proposals are adopted, legally binding changes could be in place by the end of 2026, with smaller vet businesses given additional time to comply. For now, the debate continues, but one thing is clear: the days of pet owners being left in the dark about vet bills may soon be coming to an end.
