What must be on a vet price list?
A plain-English summary of the price list rule in the CMA鈥檚 Veterinary Services Market Investigation Order 2026, based on the official GOV.UK guidance.
The new CMA price list rule, in brief
- The Competition and Markets Authority鈥檚 Veterinary Services Market Investigation Order 2026 requires veterinary businesses caring for household pets to publish a price list on their website, and make it available at each premises.
- The list covers the 36 standard items in Schedule 1 of the Order, except services the practice doesn鈥檛 offer, using the exact item names from the Schedule.
- Prices must be the typical price for a standard case. Where prices vary by species or weight, they must use the Order鈥檚 6 categories (cat; small, medium, large, extra-large and giant dog).
- The list must say that prices may be higher for complex cases, and it must be updated before a new price is charged.
- Booking confirmations sent by email, text or other digital message must state the consultation price and link to the price list.
Deadlines
| Business size (as defined in the Order) | Price list rule applies from |
|---|---|
| Large: 15 or more first-opinion practices and/or out-of-hours centres | Next working day after 22 December 2026 |
| Small: fewer than 15 | Next working day after 22 March 2027 |
The 36 items, by category
Consultation and preventative care (12)
- First consultation
- Repeat consultation
- Out-of-hours consultation
- Nurse consultation
- Nail clipping
- Anal gland expression
- Microchipping
- Animal health certificate
- Vaccinations primary course (including consultation)
- Vaccinations booster (including consultation)
- Vaccination for kennel cough (including consultation)
- Pet care plan(s) (monthly cost)
Prescription, dispensing and administration (6)
- Prescription fee
- Prescription fee for additional items prescribed at the same time as another medication
- Prescription fee (repeat)
- Dispensing fee
- Medicine administration fee - injections under the skin or into the muscle
- Insurance administration fees
Surgeries and treatments (6)
- Dental assessment (initial examination of mouth, scale and polish)
- Castration
- Spay (traditional/open)
- Spay (laparoscopic/keyhole)
- Physiotherapy session
- Laser therapy session
Diagnostics and laboratory tests (9)
- X-ray (including sedation/general anaesthesia and three images)
- Ultrasound (abdominal, single organ)
- Ultrasound (echocardiogram)
- Cytology test (ear swab)
- Cytology (fine needle aspiration)
- Basic urine screen (including urine dipstick and measurement of specific gravity)
- CT scan per body part (including general anaesthetic and images)
- MRI scan per body part (including general anaesthetic and images)
- Pre-surgical/pre-anaesthetic blood test
End-of-life care (3)
- Euthanasia
- Cremation: communal
- Cremation: individual
Extra information some items need
Some items need more than a price. Consultations, nurse consultations, physiotherapy and laser therapy need a standard appointment length in minutes. The animal health certificate needs any charges for extra animals, and pet care plans need a link to what the plan includes. For dental assessment, castration and both spays, the Order sets out which components (such as anaesthesia and pain relief) must be included or listed as charged separately. Out-of-hours and cremation items have extra requirements where a third party provides them. Check the Schedule and Article 7 of the Order for the exact wording.
See how your list reads to a machine
Our free check reads your public price list and shows which items we could find.
Sources (checked 25 October 2026): GOV.UK: small veterinary businesses complying with the CMA鈥檚 Order 路 GOV.UK: large veterinary businesses 路 Schedule 1: Price List Schedule (PDF) 路 The Order (PDF). This is a summary, not legal advice. The GOV.UK guidance itself says to read the full Order.