UK veterinary practices may exploit pet owners

The UK Competition and Markets Authority has announced it will be radically changing a number matters that involve the service that veterinary businesses provide to consumers.

The current regulatory system, it believes, is unfit for purpose. It must be updated to ensure that pet owners are protected and keep up with the commercial practices.

CMA says UK vets may be exploiting pet parents according to CMA

The CMA proposes 21 new initiatives, including better information about prices, treatments and medicines, as well as a cap on the price of written prescriptions.

The initial findings indicate that many local business owners do not know the costs of services they use and whether or not their practices are part large national chains.

It is impossible to compare vet prices online and in-person when you get a new pet or move to a different area. You may end up paying double the price for common prescription medicines at veterinary practices.

Furthermore, owners often receive no written estimate for courses of treatment running to hundreds – or even thousands – of pounds and are often unable to tell if they are getting good value for money from pet care plans.

Some pet owners in the UK have been known to combine their holiday with a visit to a foreign veterinarian, where they believe that prices are cheaper.

If you look at the negative side of things, people may overpay for individual cremations. And they often don’t have a way to complain when something goes wrong.

These factors affect the entire market and consumers are not benefited by the strong competition among vet businesses. The average vet price on the market has increased by 63 percent between 2016 and 2023, which is higher than the inflation rate.

UK veterinary businesses could be exploiting pet parents with higher prices than the individual vets charged

The CMA has also determined that on average pet owners pay 16.6% more for large vet groups as compared to independent veterinarians. At least three of these large groups have seen their average prices increase faster after they purchased practices than those that remained independently owned.

The CMA also found that the existing regulatory system was not suitable for its purpose, as it only regulates veterinary professionals, not businesses. This is despite most practices being a part of large corporate groups.

CMA will consult now on the Provisional Decision. Interested parties can respond to the provisional conclusion by Wednesday, November 12, 2025.

The final CMA decision will be made public by March 2026. Reforms could be implemented via a legally binding CMA Order. Some measures may come into force by the end of 2026.