Vet price reforms are now law: what changes and when

The CMA's new rules for vet practices are now legally binding, with the first changes for pet owners arriving on 23 December 2026.

The rules that will change how vets show and charge their prices are now law. On 22 September 2026 the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) published its final Order for the vet market, along with promises from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) to help put it into practice. If you take a dog, cat or rabbit to the vet, you will start to see the difference from this winter.

This follows the CMA's final decision in March 2026, which found that competition in the vet market was not working well for pet owners. The CMA's inquiry chair summed it up simply: "Our reforms are now law."

What changes for you

The Order places duties on vet businesses to be clearer about prices and to make it easier to shop around. The main changes are:

• Price lists. Practices must publish prices for common care such as consultations and vaccinations.
• Pet care plans. Clear breakdowns of what a monthly plan includes.
• Written estimates. Advance estimates for more expensive treatment, so you can plan before you agree to it.
• Itemised bills. A bill that shows what you paid for.
• Prescriptions. A cap on the fee for a written prescription, and more awareness that you can buy medicines elsewhere.
• Complaints. An in house complaints process at every practice, with mediation if that fails.
• Ownership. Practices must say who owns them.

When each change arrives

The CMA splits vet businesses into large and small. A small business has fewer than 15 practices. Large groups go first, and smaller ones get extra time.

From 23 December, the biggest vet groups must show you their prices before you walk in.

What to do now

Nothing changes overnight, and most of the rules for smaller practices will not apply until 2027. Until then, it is still worth asking your practice for a price before any planned treatment, and asking for a written prescription if you want to buy medicines online.

The RCVS is also due to improve its Find a Vet website by June 2027, so owners can compare practices, and every practice must be part of it from September 2027.

You do not have to wait for the new rules to compare what practices near you charge. Compare vet prices near you for consultations, vaccinations and common treatments.