I’ve found a practice I like – what next?
You've found the perfect veterinary practice for you and your pet. Our guide will help you with the registration process, scheduling appointments, and paying for services.
On this page:
Registering with the practice
We strongly encourage you to register with your vet practice as soon as possible, rather than the point at which your pet might suddenly need treatment. This ensures that your pet will have quick access to professional care whenever they need it.
You can usually register over the phone, in person, or online. You’ll need to provide your name and contact details, plus basic information about your pet(s), including their species, breed, age, name, microchip number and whether they are insured.
This is also a good time to check how to book appointments at your practice, and to confirm their arrangements for providing emergency services and out-of-hours care.
Booking appointments
It is your responsibility to ensure your animal has access to regular vet care to help maintain their health and welfare.
Your vet will be able to advise how often your animal should have a check-up or other routine appointment.
You can usually book appointments over the phone, although some practices offer online or app bookings too.
Vet practices are generally very busy, so try to book well in advance for routine appointments to avoid delays, and ensure you arrive in good time.
If you are unable to visit a vet practice in person, you might wish to consider registering with a mobile vet service, or seeking advice from an online vet service.
Consultations
Whether you’ve booked an appointment for routine treatment or a specific issue, during the consultation your vet will ask questions about your pet’s health, listen to your answers, and examine your animal.
It's also a really good opportunity to ask your vet or vet nurse any questions you may have, whether it's about your pet's health, their condition, or any treatments the vet might recommend.
Typically, a consultation lasts between 10 and 15 minutes, although different practices may have different procedures. Your consultation may be in person or online.
Seeking treatment
We expect vets and vet nurses to make animal health and welfare their priority, and to provide vet care and nursing care that is appropriate and adequate.
At the same time, it is your legal responsibility to take positive steps to protect your animal from pain, suffering, injury and disease.
You should act promptly if you have any concerns about your animal’s health. If in doubt, always contact your vet practice for advice.
Read more in Treatment and care.
Making payments
Vet practices are private businesses that need 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.
Vets should be open and honest about their fees and provide you with. They should offer 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 the proposed treatment to understand what you are agreeing to and make an informed decision. This is known as giving informed consent.