Vet price lists: what UK vets must publish, and when

Every UK vet practice must publish a price list on its website, under a legally binding order from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). Practices in groups with 15 or more sites must do it by 22 December 2026, and every other practice by 22 March 2027. The list covers up to 36 standard treatments, from a first consultation to cremation. Prices must include VAT, and the list must be no more than one click from the practice’s homepage.

As of 19 October 2026, we found a price list on the websites of 3,437 of the 7,602 practices we track: 45%. We count any list we find, without checking that it meets every rule below (how we collect our data).

By type of owner:

• Corporate practices: 2,401 of 4,713 (51%)
• Independent practices: 1,022 of 2,794 (37%)

Independent practices have until 22 March 2027, so we expect fewer of them to have one yet. See which practices publish prices.

How to find your vet’s price list

• On the practice website: look for “Prices”, “Pricing” or “Fees” in the menu. The rules require one of those words. If the practice belongs to a group, look on its own page on the group’s website.
• In our directory: find the practice and its page says whether it publishes a price list, with a link when we’ve found one. You can also show only practices that publish prices.
• At the practice: the list must be available there too, so you can ask at reception.
• When you book: the first email or text confirming an appointment must include the consultation price and a link to the price list.

What a vet price list must include

The CMA set out 36 items in five groups. A practice lists the ones it offers, using the CMA’s exact names, so you can set one practice’s “First consultation” against another’s. Here they are in plain English; the lists themselves use the CMA’s wording, such as “Cytology (fine needle aspiration)” for a needle sample test.

• Consultations and preventive care (12): first consultation, repeat consultation, out-of-hours consultation, nurse consultation, nail clipping, anal gland expression, microchipping, animal health certificate, vaccinations (primary course, booster and kennel cough), and pet care plans (monthly cost).
• Prescriptions and medicines (6): prescription fee, fee for each extra item on the same prescription, repeat prescription fee, dispensing fee, injection fee and insurance admin fee.
• Surgery and treatments (6): dental assessment (scale and polish), castration, spay (open), spay (keyhole), physiotherapy session and laser therapy session.
• Tests and scans (9): X-ray, abdominal ultrasound, heart ultrasound, ear swab test, needle sample test, urine test, CT scan, MRI scan and pre-anaesthetic blood test.
• End-of-life care (3): euthanasia, communal cremation and individual cremation.

The list must also:

• Include VAT in every price.
• Price by pet size where the price varies: cat, small dog (under 10kg), medium dog (10kg to under 25kg), large dog (25kg to under 40kg), extra-large dog (40kg to under 60kg) and giant dog (60kg and over).
• Show the typical price, including the costs that are an essential part of the treatment, and say that complex cases can cost more.
• Tick off what surgery includes. For dental work, castration and spays, checkboxes show which of these are in the price: general anaesthetic, local anaesthetic, sedation, pain relief, hospital stay and monitoring, blood tests before the operation, and check-ups after it.
• Give appointment lengths in minutes for consultations, nurse appointments, physiotherapy and laser therapy.
• Show out-of-hours prices. If another business covers the practice’s nights and weekends, the list gives that provider’s consultation price and links to its price list.
• Price cremation, even when another company carries it out.
• Stay up to date. A practice must change the list before it charges a new price.

Practices that sell flea, tick and worming treatments must also publish a separate price list for them, with a link to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate’s register of online retailers, so you can compare prices elsewhere.

When vets must publish price lists

• 22 December 2026: practices that are part of a business with 15 or more practices or out-of-hours centres.
• 22 March 2027: every other practice.

Our groups by size page shows which groups run 15 or more open practices, by our count, and each practice’s page in our directory names its owner. Other reforms, including the prescription fee cap, have their own dates: see the CMA reforms explained.

How to compare vet prices

1. Compare the same line. Because every list uses the same names, you can set “Vaccinations booster” at one practice against the same line at another. Check the appointment length as well as the price.
2. Read the price for your pet’s size. Where a price depends on the animal, the list gives one for cats and one for each dog weight band.
3. Check the ticks on surgery prices. A cheaper spay that leaves out pain relief or check-ups can cost more by the time you’ve paid for them.
4. Ask for a written estimate before significant treatment. The list shows a typical case; your pet’s may differ.
5. Look at prescription fees if your pet takes regular medicine. Buying it online with a written prescription often costs less.
6. Check who owns the practice. Two practices with different names can belong to the same group. Search near you to see who owns each one, and compare independent practices too.

What to do if your vet hasn’t published a price list

1. Check the deadline. A practice outside the large groups has until 22 March 2027.
2. Look again. Try the menu, the page footer and, for a group practice, the practice’s own page on the group website.
3. Ask the practice. Ask reception for the list, or email the practice manager. The practice must make its list available on the premises.
4. Report it to the CMA. If a practice still has no list after its deadline, report it to the CMA online or email general.enquiries@cma.gov.uk. Give the practice’s name, address and website, and the date you checked.

If our directory says a practice has no price list and you’ve found one, tell us and we’ll check it.