1 May 2025 – London — The UK’s competition watchdog has today launched a consultation on a range of potential remedies to address concerns in the veterinary services market for household pets, as part of its ongoing investigation into whether pet owners are receiving fair value for money.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is inviting feedback from veterinary professionals, vet businesses, pet owners, and other stakeholders on proposals it is considering to improve competition in the sector. The remedies are outlined in a newly published working paper, which the CMA describes as part of its evidence-gathering process.
Earlier this year, the CMA raised several possible competition issues, including fears that prices for pet treatments may be higher than they should be due to a lack of effective competition, particularly where independent vet practices have been bought up by large corporate groups.
The CMA stresses that no final decisions have been made about whether remedies are needed, or what form they might take. However, the Remedies working paper sets out the regulator’s early thinking on potential interventions if it confirms that competition problems are harming consumers.
In its call for evidence, the CMA said it is particularly interested in feedback on how the proposed remedies might work in practice, potential costs and unintended consequences, and whether certain remedies should be trialled before being rolled out more widely. The watchdog also wants to understand the timeframes needed to implement any future changes.
“This consultation is a key step in helping us assess whether remedies are necessary and, if so, how they could best be designed and implemented to ensure better outcomes for pet owners,” said a CMA spokesperson.
The consultation is open until 5pm on 27 May 2025. Responses can be submitted via email to VetsMI@cma.gov.uk. The CMA plans to publish all non-confidential submissions in due course.
The investigation, which falls under section 5 of the Enterprise Act 2002, forms part of the CMA’s broader remit to promote competition and protect consumers across the UK economy.
Would you like me to summarize or explain the possible remedies mentioned in the working paper?
Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/vets-market-investigation-remedies-working-paper
