Parents and retired pet owners hit hardest by rising vet bills

Key takeaways

• Parents and retired pet owners are most affected by rising emergency vet visits, with parents and retired dog owners reporting frequent costly trips.

• Vet care costs have surged faster than inflation, with emergency visits now averaging £268.92 and most practices lacking transparent pricing.

• Pet insurance and policies offering emergency phone or video consultations can help ease financial pressure and potentially avoid unnecessary emergency vet visits.

The cost of veterinary treatments continue to rise

Vet care costs in the UK have risen in recent years as practices reported higher running expenses, rising wages for skilled staff carrying out diagnostics and costs of more advanced treatments. 

Data from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) found that vet costs have risen nearly twice as fast as inflation (64%),² with 84% of veterinary practice websites not displaying pricing information.³

A third of pet owners have made an emergency visit to the vet in the last year

As for who is feeling these price rises the most, we conducted a survey of UK pet owners to find what kinds of pet owners are paying for these emergency costs.

According to our survey, costly emergency visits were highest among parents, with almost half (44%) of those living with children having visited an emergency vet at least once in the last year.

Among pet owners with children, 22% had made three or more visits, and 12% had visited the emergency vet over five times within the same period.¹

Furthermore, the survey found that 43% of retired dog owners visit the emergency vet one or two times a year on average.

Kara Gammell
Personal Finance & Insurance Expert

Emergencies are when you need insurance the most

Emergency vet visits are typically more expensive than a routine appointment and now average £268.92 - 6% more than last year.⁴

When pets are sick or injured, getting them the care they need comes first, but the worry of a three-figure bill can be financially daunting.

With 1 in 3 pet owners making an emergency visit to the vet in the last 12 months, having pet insurance is more important than ever.

It helps to ensure you’re covered financially, so your focus at the vet can remain on your pet’s health, not how you’ll manage the cost.

How pet insurance could help you avoid the emergency vets all together

Many pet owners aren’t aware that some pet insurance policies include emergency phone and video consultations.

These services allow you to speak with an expert for guidance, potentially saving you both the cost and stress of an emergency vet visit.

Be sure to check your policy for eligibility, as well as other benefits that can support you in urgent situations.

<sup>Sources
1. Research conducted by YouGov in August 2025. 2,193 people were surveyed of which 1,115 were pet owners.
2. GovUK: Major reforms would require vet businesses to make fundamental changes to the way they support pet owners
3. GovUK: Vets market investigation: an update from the Inquiry Chair
4. GovUK: Major reforms would require vet businesses to make fundamental changes to the way they support pet owners</sup>