Choosing a veterinary practice

Finding the right vet practice for you and your pet can feel challenging. Our guide will help you navigate the key factors to think about when choosing a veterinary clinic.

On this page: 

• Consider the type of animal you own
• RCVS-accredited practices – the Practice Standards Scheme 
• Practice ownership
• Things to consider
• Using more than one practice 
• Practice size
• Online reviews 
• Going on holiday with your pet

Consider the type of animal you own

You should choose a vet practice that is suitable for the species of animal you have.

• For pets such as dogs, cats and rabbits, look for a small animal practice. Depending on the experience of the vets, these facilities may also provide treatment for birds and exotic animals, including tortoises and snakes.
• For horses, ponies and donkeys, look for an equine practice.
• For livestock, such as cattle, sheep or pigs, you need a farm animal practice.

Some practices will provide treatment for any combination of these species.

If you’re not sure whether a practice can treat your animal, contact them to ask or use our online Find a Vet service and filter by species.

Practice ownership

Vet practices can be owned independently, as part of a wider group, or as part of a large corporate chain.

They can be owned by vets, vet nurses or by non-veterinary professionals.

They may also be owned and run by charities, to help fund and provide veterinary care for those less able to afford it.

If you would like to know who owns your vet practice but it’s not obvious, just ask the practice team.

Things to consider

Distance

Think about how far away the practice is, and how you will transport your pet there. Check if the location is served by public transport and whether parking is available nearby or on site.

Affordability

You can ask the practice about their fees for routine procedures like vaccinations, neutering, microchipping, and any associated consultation fees. You can also ask about charges for out-of-hours care. 

You can compare these prices with those of other practices in your area, but bear in mind that lower prices might not necessarily mean better value.

Out-of-hours arrangements

Different practices may have different arrangements for providing emergency services and out-of-hours care, so check in advance to see which are most suited to your circumstances. 

Using more than one practice

You may decide to use one practice for some veterinary services, and a different one for other services.

If you have more than one species of animal, say, a dog and two cats, you could also consider using a different practice for each species.

It's important to check that if more than one vet is involved in your pet's care, they communicate with each other about any important details regarding your animal, including treatments administered or scan results.

Practice size

When deciding between larger practices or practice groups and smaller clinics, it's important to weigh both the potential benefits and drawbacks of each.

For example, larger practices may have bigger teams, more facilities and offer more treatment options. On the other hand, smaller practices can be easier to get to and enable you to see the same vets or vet nurses more often.

Online reviews

Approach online reviews of practices with caution. These reviews can be genuine and useful, but they can also be inaccurate and misleading.

It’s a good idea to phone the practice to speak to them directly. You may also want to speak to people you know who already use the practice, and/or visit the practice yourself before you register your pet there.

Are there client reviews on Find a Vet?

Although we run a voluntary practice accreditation scheme that practices can choose to be part of (see RCVS-accredited practices, above), we don’t collate practice client reviews on our Find a Vet service.

While online reviews can be useful, they can also be misleading, so they would not be a reliable form of evidence for our regulatory function.

Online review platforms are available elsewhere, but we would urge caution when viewing reviews from people you don’t know. Instead, we recommend you speak to people you trust, or contact practices directly.

Going on holiday with your pet

If you are taking your pet on holiday with you in the UK, we recommend you use our free, online Find a Vet service to locate a vet practice in the local area.

It’s a good idea to contact them, or visit their website, before you set off. This way, you can check their arrangements and prices for out-of-hours or emergency treatment. Make sure to keep their contact details close at hand during your trip. You may also need to share your at home practice details with the holiday practice.  

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