Londoners have welcomed the announcement that the market watchdog may impose reforms on the veterinary industry, after its finding that pet owners are prevented from making informed choices.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) put forward 21 proposals to remedy ‘competition problems’ in the industry, which it claims often lead to significant and unexpected charges for pet owners, in a provisional report on Wednesday 15 October.
These included measures to cap prescription charges at £16, to require practices to publish price lists, and to make it compulsory for vets to inform customers of the savings they could make by buying medicines online.
Ella Calvo Sanchez, who owns two cats, hailed the proposals as ‘brilliant’.
She said: “I have found it frustrating to have to ask for prices in advance when considering vets so this proposal seems fair — it would make the market fairer.”
This sentiment was echoed by fellow pet owner Eve Freeman, who said they ‘would be very happy to see more regulation’.
Freeman added: “Going to the vet can be a very expensive experience and it’s not always very transparent.”
These proposals come as the CMA’s research raised a number of concerns, including that pet owners are often unaware of the costs of commonly used services and thus unable to compare vet prices, often not receiving written price estimates in advance of more complex treatments.
They also found that pet owners are paying as much as twice the amount for medicine prescribed by vets as they could be paying online.
Ava Griffiths, whose dog was recently treated for an injury, spoke of how high vet fees have become something which people have come to expect.
She said: “As soon as you bring up that you had to take your pet to the vet, even if they’re not at the same vet as me, everyone is like ‘oh my God I bet it was so expensive’.
“I just think the speed it gets into the thousands is really quite scary.”
The British Veterinary Association stated that it welcomed ‘greater transparency of pricing and practice ownership’ and regulatory reform, but called on more clarity on certain measures, such as the introduction of price lists.
The body’s president, Dr Rob Williams, said: “Unless the CMA gets this right, it could end up creating greater confusion for consumers, which in turn could have a negative impact on animal welfare.”
The CMA will be accepting responses to their provisional decision until 14 November, and will publish their final decision before the statutory deadline of May 2026.
The measures put forward in their final decision would be legally-binding and come into force by the end of 2026.
Featured image credit: Mikhail Nilov via Pexels
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