One-in-three UK pet owners skip vet treatment as costs surge

Almost one-in-three (30%) British pet owners have delayed or skipped veterinary treatment due to rising costs, according to new research from pet retailer Jollyes.

A survey of 2,000 dog and cat owners found that 25% of respondents have sacrificed personal necessities to cover veterinary bills. 

The data follows figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showing that the cost of veterinary services has increased by nearly 50% since 2020.

The report highlights a growing demand for price transparency, with 92% of pet owners calling for clinics to display nationalised, transparent pricing on websites and in-practice. 

Currently, 63% of owners support an end to “postcode pricing,” where fees for identical treatments vary based on location.

Additionally, the retailer stated that pet abandonment and neglect cases reached a five-year high in late 2025, a trend the RSPCA has linked directly to the economic pressure of animal healthcare.

The £6.3bn veterinary sector is currently dominated by six large corporate groups that control 60% of the market. However, the industry is bracing for new regulations expected within the next two months aimed at improving price transparency and competition.

In response to the market shift, Jollyes has increased its clinic capacity by 9.3% over the past year, offering 20,000 hours of appointment time across 73 nationwide clinics. 

The retailer has positioned itself as a “price leader for core services”, such as vaccinations and microchipping, claiming its rates are 40% lower than the market average.

Adam Dury, chief executive officer-designate, said: “It’s clear pet parents across the UK are really struggling to fund vet bills that have exploded over the past five years. Customers want price transparency and the same price from one end of the country to the other.

“While our vet clinics offer simple services such as vaccines and microchipping, those services cover nine in ten visits to a vet. We’re focused on opening more stores to provide communities access to lower vet clinic prices for the services they need.”