Nurture urges pet owners to check vet costs and emergency cover

By Laura Linham 15th Oct 2026

Local News by Laura Linham 27 minutes ago

Pet owners are being encouraged to find out who owns their veterinary practice and where they would need to travel for emergency treatment.

Nurture Vet Hospital, a sponsor of Wells Nub News, says asking about costs and overnight arrangements in advance can help families make informed choices about their pets' care.

The advice follows the Competition and Markets Authority's investigation into the UK veterinary market, which concluded in March. The watchdog found that pet owners often lacked clear information about prices and practice ownership.

Its analysis found that, between January 2023 and July 2024, average prices for consultations, treatments and medicines at practices owned by five large veterinary groups were collectively 18.3 per cent higher than at independent practices. The comparison covered Medivet, IVC, CVS, VetPartners and Linnaeus, with substantial variation between the groups.

Nurture says a familiar local practice name does not necessarily tell owners whether a business is independently owned or part of a larger group. It is encouraging people to ask directly, alongside checking routine charges and the cost of an emergency consultation.

Out-of-hours arrangements are another consideration. Some practices use a separate emergency provider, meaning owners may need to take their pet to a different hospital overnight or at weekends.

Nurture says it has met owners who only discovered how far they would need to travel when their animal required urgent treatment. It advises checking who provides emergency cover, where that service operates and what the consultation would cost.

The independently owned practice operates a 24-hour small animal hospital at The Old Engine Shed in Westfield Road, Wells. Its hospital provides overnight and emergency care.

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Nurture also points to continuity of care as a consideration, including access to an animal's medical history and treatment by familiar teams. It says there are excellent veterinary teams across different ownership models, with clear information helping owners choose a service that suits their family and pet.