The Competition regulator said that pet owners who “humanise” their animals are paying more than necessary to keep them alive.
The Competition and Markets Authority said that some pet owners pay for expensive treatments which would have previously been “addressed by euthanasia”, as they want to keep their pets alive as long as possible.
Some vets told us: “Some consumers may be influenced by the pressure to help their pets, especially when they see successful case studies on television programmes.”
The CMA is investigating the competition in the vet industry amid concerns that pet owners may be being overcharged for services.
The CMA published its initial theories on the sector Tuesday. “Advancements in animal medicine mean that increasingly complex and sophisticated treatments are now available for pets, and some conditions which were only treated through euthanasia previously can be treated.
“We note that if the increase in the provision of more sophisticated, expensive treatments is indeed occurring, it is partly due to the availability of these treatments to animals and the ‘humanisation of pets.
“We acknowledge that in certain cases, more complex treatments may be appropriate, and that the consumer, if given all options, would prefer this level of veterinary treatment (at an associated cost).
The investigation by the watchdog will examine whether six large companies dominating the veterinary industry are making pet owners worse off .
It said it would look into “self-preferencing”, where big companies tell their customers that their pets require expensive diagnostics and tests, but then refer them to a different arm of the same group without disclosing this.
CMA highlighted the lack of transparency in pricing by veterinary practices, highlighting that 80pc do not share their price list on their websites.
It added that customers are usually only informed about the cost after they have committed to a particular procedure.
The regulator warns that pet owners may be paying too much for cremations because they are unaware of the options available. This is at a time of “vulnerability” when consumers might be more susceptible.
Many pet owners don’t know that they can purchase cremation services directly from a provider instead of paying their vet.
It said that “consumers may end up paying more for cremation or buying services not suited to their specific needs.”
The regulator stated that it would examine cremation markups to see if they could be reduced due to increased competition.
CMA is concerned that one veterinarian group may dominate the local market in up to one out of eight families.
The study will also investigate why certain animal medicines are more expensive than their human counterparts, even though they are chemically identical.
The regulator stated that it would consider forcing veterinarians be more transparent and provide better information to customers about costs and options.
You could also set a maximum price for prescriptions or a maximum markup on cremations.
The final report should be published in November 2025.
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