If you’re a pet owner, you may have noticed that vet costs have increased in recent years. The average cost of a pet booster shot rose by 48% in the UK between 2020 and early 2024, while pet insurance prices rose by 21% in the year to March. Many families struggle to care for their pets.
However, this situation is not just about rising prices; it is also about how these changes are affecting the people at the center of veterinary medicine. For the past three years, I’ve been studying the experiences of early career veterans, and I’ve found something disturbing.
The veterinarians I spoke with described emotional and ethical struggles that go far beyond day-to-day pet care. Increasingly, there is a need to balance the cost of treatment with the animal’s welfare, and in some cases, owners are forced to euthanize healthy pets because they cannot afford treatment.
Concerns about veterinarian medical fees have also received national attention. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is investigating this area due to the lack of transparency in pricing and the dominance of corporate ownership. For example, 60% of veterinary practices in the UK are owned by just six companies, including VetPartners, MediVet and IVC.
The strike at the Valley Veterinary Association branch in south Wales – the first of its kind in the UK veterinary industry – has also drawn attention to pay issues and rising costs of treatment. Staff at the practice, owned by York-based VetPartners, are demanding fair wages and opposing fee increases that would force owners to pay more for their care.
For veterinarians, the stakes are high. Many people enter the profession out of a love for animals, but the high costs can mean difficult conversations with owners who can’t afford the treatment they need.
A junior veterinarian I interviewed talked about treating a 4-month-old puppy with a broken leg. The owner was unable to pay for the surgery and had to make the heartbreaking decision to give up the dog. This was distressing not only for the family but also for the veterinary team performing the procedure.
prevention
Veterinarians are increasingly promoting preventive care to avoid costly treatments in the future. However, some pet owners consider this simply an attempt to maximize profits.
The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), which regulates the sector, has expressed concern about the rise in abuses against veterans. RCVS encourages business owners to raise fee issues with clinic management rather than individual veterans. Although many medical institutions have begun removing abusive clients from their client lists, some veterans I spoke to are unhappy that abusive clients are being allowed to return. Some people were.
Veterinary students are taught how to discuss costs with clients. But for many new veterans, these conversations can be nerve-wracking, especially when the fees are high. Several veterans explained that they either “forgot” to claim an item or claimed a reduced amount when they thought the fee was too high. In some cases, veterinarians believed administrators had chosen not to notice, while in others they were criticized.
But as veterans gained experience, they began to charge more accurately, in part because they valued training and expertise. They also found that if they reduced the bill, customers were more likely to complain if the next vet billed them correctly.
60% of veterinary practices in the UK are owned by just six companies. Famveld/Shutterstock
I have found evidence that some veterinarians become less emotionally attached to their patients over time, especially if they have not had a long-term relationship with their owners. They always wanted to alleviate suffering and provide the best care. But they were also angry at pet owners who bought pets without researching their future expenses or who didn’t set aside money for emergencies.
Others expressed dissatisfaction with clinic operators imposing significant price increases. They explained that warnings to management that further price increases would lead to a loss of customers were ignored, and they claimed vindication when customers left and the associated revenue fell.
A review of the CMA could reshape the veterinary sector and promote price transparency and competition. The RCVS welcomes this inquiry, seeing it as an opportunity for much-needed legal reform.
It also seeks to expand the scope of regulatory oversight beyond individual veterinarians and nurses to the entire veterinary practice. However, the CMA warns to be cautious about splitting up businesses as it could lead to clinics closing and pet owners losing access to veterinary care.
intersection
The veterinarian profession is at a crossroads. Rising costs, recruitment and retention challenges, and increased emotional burnout have led many veterans to leave the profession. Meanwhile, pet owners are faced with difficult decisions about how much care they can provide for their beloved animals.
There are no easy answers. Teaching veterinary students how to provide treatment options that fit a variety of budgets can help reduce the emotional burden on both veterinarians and pet owners. Addressing veterinary retention through manageable working hours, supportive workplaces, and fair pay may also alleviate pressure.
Transparent pricing and educating owners about the true costs of caring for their pets can help enable more informed decisions. And giving veterans a voice in business and pricing decisions could help balance economic sustainability with compassionate animal care.
