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Fees and pricing

It's important that you have enough information and understanding about fees and prices to understand the cost of veterinary care, and to be able to make informed decisions about what is the most appropriate treatment for your animal and best suited to your own circumstances.

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No NHS for animals

Vet practices are private businesses that have the right to charge fees for the services they provide. There is no NHS for animals, so treatment must be paid for at the point of care.

Like other healthcare regulators, the RCVS does not have the legal power to control the levels of fees that vets charge, and there are no statutory, or set, charges.

Comparing fees

Fees might vary between practices, so it is worth comparing prices to find a fee structure that you are comfortable with.

Remember that lower prices might not necessarily mean better value, so you should compare other aspects of each practice at the same time.

Clear pricing

Vets should be open and honest about their fees and provide you with clear and easy-to-understand information about how fees are calculated and what you are being charged for.

You should be given enough information about the cost of treatment to be able to give your informed consent, that is, to understand what you are agreeing to.

If you feel you don’t have enough information, you should ask.

Cost of different treatments

Wherever possible, your vet should discuss with you a range of reasonable treatment options, and the likely cost of each, to help you decide what is best for both you and your animal.

Remember that the most expensive option might not necessarily be the best one for either you or your animal, so you should discuss this carefully with your vet.

Every animal (and owner) is different, so a course of treatment that is best for one, may not suit another.

Discussing treatment options and asking your vet about costs does not mean you care less about your animal – you are simply trying to decide the most appropriate course of action for your animal.

Estimates

Your vet should give you a realistic estimate in writing before any treatment starts (unless it is an emergency).

This should include an itemised list of all known likely charges and a reminder that there could be additional charges if complications occur.

Alongside this estimate, your vet should also seek your informed consent to proceed.

If the price is likely to change at any point, where possible your vet should contact you again to let you and gain your additional consent, providing any delay would not affect your animal’s health or welfare.

Remember that VAT is payable on veterinary fees, and to take this into account when considering estimates.

Payment plans

To help spread the cost of treatment, your vet practice might be able to offer a payment plan.

To do so, the practice must be registered by the Financial Conduct Authority.

If you think this might be helpful, ask your practice whether they are able to offer this.

Insurance

Animal insurance can help protect you against unexpected vet fees, and/or enable you to consider a wider variety of treatment options (providing these remain in your animal’s best interests).

There are many different animal insurance policies available, so you should check carefully which ones are most appropriate for you.

In particular, you should check and compare the terms and conditions of different policies, including any excess you may need to pay, the maximum amount payable for each condition, and any restrictions relating to age, breed, species or pre-existing conditions.

During a consultation, your vet may ask if your animal is insured, so they can consider and explore different treatment options with you. If you can tell them about any restrictions on your policy, this will help them to tailor their advice accordingly.

Your vet may only recommend specific policies to you if they are authorised to do so by the Financial Conduct Authority. If you’re not sure, just ask.

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