If you haven’t heard about what’s happening across the pond, here’s the short version: the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority has wrapped up a multi-year investigation into veterinary pricing, and the result is a set of legally binding reforms taking effect this month.

UK veterinary practices now have to publish pricing for line items like consultations, common procedures, diagnostics, prescriptions and even cremation. They’re also required to provide clients with a written estimate before treatment expected to cost £500 or more, provide itemized invoices, cap certain prescription fees, and clearly disclose whether the practice is independently owned or part of a corporate group. And this information needs to be easy for clients to find, both online and in the practice.

The reason for the investigation probably won’t surprise anyone in veterinary medicine. Veterinary prices in the UK increased significantly between 2016 and 2023, corporate consolidation changed the ownership landscape, and pet owners increasingly reported feeling like they didn’t understand what they were paying for or why.

So, what does this mean for us here in the US?

There’s currently no federal mandate requiring veterinary practices to adopt these same standards, at least not right now. But I don’t think that means we should ignore what’s happening. In fact, I think there are some pretty important lessons here for veterinary practices of all sizes.

The regulatory conversation around pricing transparency is getting louder. The FTC has been paying increasing attention to things like hidden fees and “drip pricing,” and several states have already implemented all-in pricing requirements in other industries. Veterinary medicine may not be specifically targeted by those laws today, but that doesn’t mean we should assume we’ll always be outside of that conversation.

Research is also starting to highlight the transparency gap. A 2026 study found that most US veterinary practice websites still don’t publish pricing information. At the same time, corporate consolidation continues to change the veterinary landscape here in the US, just as it has in the UK.

So, yes, there are some interesting regulatory parallels. But honestly, I think the bigger conversation is about trust.

Because sticker shock usually isn’t just about the number.

It’s about how the client got there.

Think about it from the client’s perspective. If they walk into an exam expecting a routine visit and leave with a $2,000 medical treatment plan they weren’t prepared for, the problem may not necessarily be that the medicine is too expensive. The problem may be that they feel blindsided.

A written medical treatment plan before a significant procedure, a plain-language explanation of what’s included, an itemized invoice and a conversation about why something is being recommended aren’t just compliance exercises. They’re opportunities to build trust.

And I think that distinction matters.

Transparency doesn’t have to mean putting a price list on every service you provide. It also doesn’t mean apologizing for what veterinary medicine costs. It means helping clients understand what they’re paying for, what their options are and why you’re recommending a particular course of care.

There are some really simple things practices can do right now to move in that direction without waiting for a law to require it.

Consider publishing general price ranges for your most common services. You don’t have to put an exact price on every possible scenario. Even giving clients a reasonable range (will it cost them $100 or $1000?) can help set expectations before they walk through the door.

Standardize the medical treatment plan conversation. Before significant diagnostics or treatments, make sure your team is consistently talking through both the anticipated cost and the medical reasoning. Not just when a client asks, and not just when the plan gets particularly large.

Train your front desk and medical teams to talk about pricing comfortably and plainly. “We’ll know more after the bloodwork, but based on what we know right now, I’d expect this to be somewhere between X and Y” is a very different client experience than “The doctor will let you know.”

And take a good look at your invoices. If a client can’t understand what they were charged for without someone translating the bill for them, there’s an opportunity to improve.

None of this requires a new law.

It requires a mindset shift.

Transparency doesn’t have to be viewed as a liability or an invitation for clients to price-shop every service. Done well, it can actually be a competitive advantage. When clients understand what they’re paying for and feel like they were part of the conversation, they’re much more likely to see the value in the care you’re providing.

The UK may be approaching this from a regulatory standpoint, but I think there’s a lesson here for all of us in veterinary medicine. We don’t have to wait for someone to tell us we have to be more transparent. We can choose to do it because it’s good medicine, good business, and, most importantly, good client service.

Britain’s regulators may be forcing the conversation. We have an opportunity to get ahead of it and use transparency to build more trust between veterinary teams and the clients who depend on us.

Want to talk about what this might look like for your practice? Let’s start the conversation!

Written by Meghan Bingham, CVPM