PET owners are paying over the odds for treatment, warns a report into vets.
Last October the Competition and Markets Authority proposed a shake-up of the £6.7billion veterinary industry, including forcing it to publish price lists and to cap prescriptions.
The regulator highlighted customers not being made aware of the price of common services, or not given estimates for treatments that can cost thousands.
At the time the CMA found huge prices variations. Jabs can be anything from £50 to £200, depending on the vaccination and pet prescriptions can be £16 to £36, emergency out-of-hours consultations range from £200 to £300, and neutering costs £120 to £700 for dogs and £50 to £300 for cats.
And the regulator also said owners could be paying twice as much for common medicines than if they got them online, leaving them hundreds of pounds out of pocket.
Average vet prices rocketed 63% between 2016 and 2023 – well above inflation.
The probe found the problems were market-wide so owners “do not benefit from strong competition”. In addition, the CMA said pet owners pay 16.6% more on average at large vet groups than at independents.
Vets could be made to tell owners if it is cheaper to buy medicines online and, where it is needed frequently, give a written prescription so people can shop around.
