Charity vet care
Each charity sets its own rules, usually based on the benefits you receive and where you live, and the rules change. Use each charity's own eligibility checker or contact it before you go.
- PDSA: free or reduced-cost treatment at its Pet Hospitals for people who live in their catchment areas and receive certain benefits. Its online eligibility checker tells you which service you can use.
- Blue Cross: care at its animal hospitals and clinics for people in their areas on certain benefits, and in some cases help towards treatment at a private vet, applied for by the vet.
- RSPCA: some RSPCA animal hospitals and local branches offer low-cost vet care or help with costs. What is available depends on where you live.
- Cats Protection: help with the cost of neutering a cat for people on certain means-tested benefits or a low household income, through local teams.
- Dogs Trust: free and subsidised vet care for dogs whose owners are homeless or in housing crisis.
Talk to your practice first
- Ask what the treatment will cost before it starts, and whether there are other options at different prices.
- Ask whether the practice lets you pay in instalments.
- For treatment likely to cost £500 or more, ask for a written estimate. Large groups must give one from 23 June 2027, and every other practice from 23 September 2027.
Cut the cost of medicines
You can ask for a written prescription and buy medicines from an online pharmacy, which the CMA found is often much cheaper. Check the pharmacy is on the Veterinary Medicines Directorate's register of online retailers.
Compare prices near you
Prices for the same treatment vary between practices. Use our directory to see the practices near you and whether their prices are online, and compare them as price lists are published from 23 December 2026.
Insurance
Pet insurance can help with the cost of illness or injury, but it is usually only worth taking out before your pet needs treatment, because policies generally don't cover conditions your pet already has. Read what a policy excludes before you buy.
Sources
- Eligibility for PDSA services, PDSA, checked 16 October 2026.
- Blue Cross, Blue Cross, checked 16 October 2026.
- Low cost vet care, RSPCA, checked 16 October 2026.
- Financial help with neutering, Cats Protection, checked 16 October 2026.
- Dogs Trust, Dogs Trust, checked 16 October 2026.
- Register of Online Retailers, Veterinary Medicines Directorate, checked 16 October 2026.
- Veterinary services for household pets: summary of final report, Competition and Markets Authority, 24 March 2026.
CMA documents are Crown copyright and used under the Open Government Licence v3.0.