thepetbill

Vet price guides

What the new vet price rules mean, what a price has to include, and how to compare what practices charge. Every rule we describe cites the article of the Order it comes from.

Updated · 5 min readWhat the CMA vet price rules mean for pet ownersFrom 23 December 2026 big vet groups must publish a standard price list. Here is what changes, when, and what you can do with it.Read the guide Updated · 4 min readWhat's included in a neuter or spay priceThe seven tick boxes every UK vet price list must show for castration, spays and dentals, and how to read them before you compare prices.Read the guide Updated · 4 min readHow to compare vet prices in the UKA practical checklist for comparing vet price lists fairly, from consultation minutes and vaccine bundles to out-of-hours cover and cremation.Read the guide Updated · 8 min readCat vaccination cost in the UK: kitten course, boosters and what the price includesWhat a cat or kitten vaccination price covers under the new CMA price lists, why a primary course costs more than a booster, and what to ask before you book.Read the guide Updated · 7 min readDog and puppy vaccination cost in the UK: primary course, boosters and kennel coughWhat a puppy course, an annual dog booster and a kennel cough vaccine price must include on the new CMA price lists, why the prices differ, and what to ask.Read the guide Updated · 8 min readPet cremation cost in the UK: communal vs individual, ashes, and what vets must now tell youThe difference between communal and individual cremation, what the CMA found pet owners were paying, and the new rules that make vets show cremation prices and options from December 2026.Read the guide Updated · 7 min readPet euthanasia cost in the UK: what the price includes and what is charged separatelyHow vets price euthanasia, why cremation is a separate item, what the CMA rules require practices to tell you, and the questions worth asking before the appointment.Read the guide Updated · 6 min readVet consultation fees in the UK: first, repeat, nurse and out-of-hours appointmentsHow much a vet consultation costs, what the CMA found, why first and repeat appointments are priced differently, and why the appointment length now sits next to the price.Read the guide Updated · 7 min readOut-of-hours and emergency vet costs in the UK: why nights cost more and what you can checkWhy emergency vet care outside normal hours costs more, who usually provides it, and the new CMA rules that make practices show out-of-hours prices and providers in advance.Read the guide Updated · 7 min readVet prescription fees in the UK: the new £21.40 cap and buying pet medicines elsewhereWhat vets may charge for a written prescription under the CMA Order, when the caps start, what the CMA found practices were charging, and how to buy your pet's medicine from another retailer.Read the guide Updated · 7 min readPet care plans explained: what they cover, what they cost and how to compare themWhat a vet's monthly pet care plan includes, what the CMA found about whether plans save money, and the new rules on how practices must show plan contents and savings.Read the guide Updated · 8 min readCat neutering cost in the UK: castration and spay prices comparedWhat UK practices that already publish charge to neuter a cat, what a castration or spay price must include under the CMA Order, and where to get help with the cost.Read the guide Updated · 8 min readDog neutering cost in the UK: castration and spay prices by weight bandWhat UK practices that already publish charge to neuter a dog, by the five weight bands on the CMA price list, open versus keyhole spay, and what the price must include.Read the guide Updated · 9 min readLow-cost and charity vet care in the UK: who qualifies and where to find the cheapest vetWho qualifies for free or reduced-cost vet care from PDSA, Blue Cross, RSPCA branches, Cats Protection and Dogs Trust, and how to find the cheapest paid practice near you if you don't.Read the guide Updated · 8 min readHow to complain about a vet bill or a price in the UKThe steps that work for a disputed vet bill or price: the practice's own complaints process, free mediation through the VCMS, what the RCVS can and cannot do, and what the CMA Order changes from 23 March 2027.Read the guide