Why Vet Bills Went Up: What the UK Competition Inquiry Found
UK vet prices rose 63% from 2016 to 2023, against 32% inflation. What the competition inquiry found, what it ordered, and when the new rules apply.
Written by thecanineledger
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Between January 2016 and December 2023, average prices at UK vet businesses rose by 63%. General inflation over the same period was 32%. Those figures come from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), the UK regulator that spent from September 2023 to March 2026 investigating vet services for household pets (CMA final report summary, 24 March 2026).
While a regulator’s report is not the last word, this one is the most detailed independent study of vet pricing we found in any country. It had access to practice prices, insurance claims and company accounts that no owner, journalist or charity could see. This page explains what it found, what it ordered, and what changes for you.
This page is about the UK. We found no equivalent inquiry in the US or Canada.
1. What the inquiry found about prices
The headline finding: “Average prices of vet services have risen sharply and much faster than general inflation”. The CMA also measured what owners spent on a pet’s treatment in its first year, which it calls “a measure of overall vet bills”. That rose by 53%.
Some of the increase paid for better care. The CMA accepted that there “may have been investments that have led to improvements in quality and increases in salary costs”. However, it concluded that these “do not justify the full extent of the increases in average prices”.
2. Who owns your vet
Ownership has changed fast. The CMA found that “in 2013, just 10% of vet practices were owned by large groups.” Today, large groups “now own the majority (60%) of vet practices in the UK”.
That matters for three reasons the inquiry found:
- Group practices charged more. Average prices at practices owned by five of the large groups were “(together) 18.3% higher than average prices at independent practices”.
- Prices rose after takeovers. For at least three of the five groups that bought practices since 2015, “acquisitions led to an increase in average prices of 9% four years later”.
- Many owners don’t know. Fewer than half of the surveyed owners at group practices knew their practice was part of a group.
Our note: The 18.3% and 9% figures are averages across groups and services. Some group practices will be cheaper than some independents.
3. Why competition didn’t keep prices down
Most owners have a choice of practice. The CMA found that “for pet owners at 89% of FOPs, our analysis indicates that there is a choice of four or more competitors” (FOPs are first-opinion practices: your ordinary vet).
The problem, in the CMA’s view, was information. Owners couldn’t easily compare prices, didn’t know who owned the practice, and often weren’t told that a prescription would let them buy medicines elsewhere. Of the practice websites that showed any prices, “only 52%” had a price for a written prescription.
The CMA also looked at profits. It found that four of the six large groups “made profits which materially exceeded the cost of capital over a sustained period.”
4. What the CMA decided not to do
The CMA did not cap vet prices in general. It said a general price control “is likely to be particularly ill-suited to this complex multi-product clinical services sector”. It also decided against capping profits, and against limiting how many practices the large groups can own.
The one exception is the fee for a written prescription. → Buying Your Dog’s Medicines Online, Safely
5. What changes, and when
In September 2026, the CMA made a legally binding Order. Its guidance sets out the deadlines. Each rule applies from the next working day after the date shown (CMA guidance for large veterinary businesses, 2026; CMA guidance for small veterinary businesses, 2026).
| What practices must do | Large businesses (15+ practices) | Small businesses (14 or fewer) |
|---|---|---|
| Publish a price list for standard services | 22 December 2026 | 22 March 2027 |
| Show which group owns the practice | 22 March 2027 | 22 March 2027 |
| Cap the written-prescription fee | 22 March 2027 | 22 September 2027 |
| Have a complaints process and offer mediation | 22 March 2027 | 22 March 2027 |
| Give written estimates and itemised bills | 22 June 2027 | 22 September 2027 |
The price list must cover “all of the 36 services listed in Schedule 1 to the Order” that the practice offers. A written estimate is required when the treatment plan is “reasonably likely to cost £500 or more, including VAT”. Practices don’t have to give one if the pet “needs urgent treatment” and waiting would harm its welfare, or if you’ve said you don’t want one.
How often will that apply? The CMA estimated that “around 20% of treatments for which insurance claims were made over a 12-month period were for £500 or more (including VAT).”
Our note: We took these dates from the CMA’s two guidance pages, not the Order itself, and the guidance says practices “should not rely solely on this guide.” Dates can change.
Our note: The guidance sets out exactly when a new estimate is needed. In short, ask for a new estimate if the plan changes.
6. What you can do now
The rules aren’t all in force yet. You can still:
- Ask for a written estimate before any treatment that could be expensive.
- Ask for an itemised bill.
- Ask for a written prescription for any ongoing medicine, and compare the price elsewhere.
- Ask who owns the practice, if it isn’t clear.
- Complain to the practice first if something goes wrong. The CMA found the current system wanting: “The complaints system appears to us to be ineffective”.
Our note: We haven’t read the RCVS’s concerns process, so we don’t cover complaints beyond the practice.
7. What we could not verify
| Commonly said | What we found |
|---|---|
| “Vets are ripping people off” | Not what the inquiry said. It found weak competition and poor information, and that some large groups made high profits. It did not single out individual vets. |
| “Independent vets are always cheaper” | Not always. Group practices were 18.3% dearer on average; individual practices vary. |
| “The CMA capped vet prices” | No. Only the written-prescription fee is capped. |
| US or Canadian price rises | Not researched. We found no equivalent inquiry. |
Sources
- Competition and Markets Authority: Veterinary services for household pets: summary of final report (24 March 2026; UK regulator; read in full)
- Competition and Markets Authority: Large veterinary businesses: complying with the CMA’s Order (13 October 2026, updated 15 October 2026; read)
- Competition and Markets Authority: Small veterinary businesses: complying with the CMA’s Order (13 October 2026, updated 15 October 2026; read)
Always confirm with your vet before acting on anything on this page.