How we work

A price comparison is only useful if you can trust it. This page explains exactly where our information comes from and what we do with it. If anything here changes, we will update this page and the date above.

Where prices come from

• Only from the practice's own published price list. From 23 December 2026 (large groups) and 23 March 2027 (other practices), every practice must publish a standard price list on its website. We read those lists.
• Each price shows its source and date: a link to the page we read it from, and the date we checked it.
• We re-check regularly and keep the history, so you can see when a price changed.
• We never estimate a practice's price. If a practice hasn't published a price, we show that it is missing.
• We don't copy other comparison sites or the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons' Find a Vet register, whose terms don't allow it.

How we compare prices

Practices must use 36 standard item names set by the CMA, with prices for cats and five sizes of dog. We match prices on those names and sizes, so a castration for a medium dog is compared only with a castration for a medium dog. For operations we also show what each price includes, such as pain relief, because a lower price may include less.

We will not call any practice “the cheapest” without saying exactly what was compared. Any ranking will use a stated set of common items, include only practices that publish all of them, and say how many practices were left out.

Who owns each practice

We show whether a practice belongs to a group, with the source and the date we checked. We use the groups' own published practice lists, the practice's website and Companies House records. From 23 March 2027 practices must show their owner themselves, and we will check against that.

What we don't know

• Prices for practices that haven't published a list yet, or whose list we couldn't read.
• Whether a price has changed since the date we last checked it.
• What your pet's treatment will cost in the end. A price list shows a typical case; the vet will tell you if your pet needs more.
• The quality of care at a practice. We compare published prices, not how good a practice is.

Corrections

If something is wrong, tell us at hello@localvetprices.co.uk. Practices can point us to their price list or correct their details free of charge. We check every correction against the practice's own website, fix mistakes promptly and keep a record of what changed.

How we are funded

We take no money from vet practices or vet groups. No practice can pay to appear, to rank higher, to be featured or to be left out, and we will never sell a “verified” badge.

At the moment the site has no adverts and no affiliate links. In future we may earn from links to online pet pharmacies on the Veterinary Medicines Directorate's register, and from adverts. Any such link will be labelled, will never appear on a practice's price page, and will never affect the order in which practices are shown.

Official data

The CMA has asked the RCVS to share practice information, including prices, with approved websites through a data service, expected from late 2027. Approved sites must not let any business pay to change its ranking or prominence. We are built to meet that rule from day one and will apply when the RCVS opens applications.

Who runs this site

About us explains who we are and how to contact us.