'I had to pay £14k after my cat was run over'

When a vet knocked on Piers Walker's door to say her cat had been hit by a car, she did not expect the ordeal to end with bills worth £14,000.

Without pet insurance, she had to pay £5,000 upfront for emergency treatment and has since paid about £500 a month to clear the cost.

Her experience comes after veterinary care costs in the UK increased by 63% between 2016 and 2023, driven by higher overheads, advances in care and growing corporate ownership of practices.

The British Veterinary Union said these increases were largely beyond the control of local practices - and are unlikely to fall any time soon.

More than half of all UK households are thought to own a pet. However, according Tesco Insurance 40% of dog and cat owners do not have pet insurance,leaving them at risk of large bills when animals are injured or unwell.

Walker, from Bishopston in Bristol, said her Siamese Oriental cat Maneesha escaped through a hole in the fence before being injured.

After days of searching, she said she had a "dreaded knock on the door".

"My first response was, is he alive?" she said.

Maneesha had been found "freezing cold" and "dying of hypothermia" by a dog walker and was taken to an emergency clinic.

"He was in a dreadful state," Walker said. "His jaw was broken in two places and his skull was crushed."

Initial treatment, including pain relief and scans, cost £1,500.

Walker, who owns eight cats, many inherited after her sister died in 2019, said she chose not to insure them because of the cost.

"I had cat fencing up in the garden," she said. "I didn't think anything like this would happen."

Maneesha was referred to a specialist practice in Wiltshire, where costs grew.

"I had to find £5,000 before they would do any work," she said.

"It just kept creeping up. The total bill was about £14,000."

Maneesha survived but lost one eye. Walker said hefty bills have made pet ownership increasingly difficult.

"I think they are putting prices up wherever they can," she said.

About 60% of UK veterinary practices are owned by six corporate groups - up from 10% a decade ago, according to the Competition and Markets Authority.

The regulator found vet prices have risen at nearly twice the rate of inflation and it has called for reforms to improve transparency and address what it described as an "unfit" regulatory framework.

However, president of the British Veterinary Association Dr Rob Williams said rising costs reflect advances in care as well as higher operating expenses.

"Quite simply, vets can do so much more today to help animals than even a decade ago," he said.

"Increasingly, pet owners expect human-quality healthcare for their pets - and that does come at a cost."

Although Sophie Butler from Brislington has pet insurance, she has spent thousands of pounds treating her dog with follicular lymphoma, and her 13-year-old rescue cat with chronic kidney disease.

She said her insurance policy is capped at £7,000, meaning has to pay the remaining balance for treatments. Her monthly premiums, excess and medications come to about £300 a month.

Despite the "enormous" financial toll, she said it had been worthwhile.

"I knew that pets cost money, but no-one can quite anticipate what might happen."

Shelley Perkins, from Henleaze, Bristol, has spent more than £20,000 on cancer treatment for her five-year-old cocker spaniel Roxy in two years.

She said while insurance covers most of her care, she pays about 25% of the bill and her insurance premium has increased to £100 a month.

Perkins said she had been taken aback by how expensive treatment can be and said she sympathised with those without insurance.

"For someone who isn't insured, it can be quite terrifying," she said.

Although Roxy is now in remission, Perkins said she remained worried about future costs.

"I think they've got us all over a barrel," she said. "You love your pet, so you're going to pay."

Suzana Hudson-Cooke, chair of the British Veterinary Union (BVU), said most pricing decisions are made at corporate level.

"We understand why pet owners are feeling the pinch," she said. "But most of us are employees - we don't control pricing structures and we're not paid on commission."

She said there had been anecdotal reports of increasing abuse towards veterinary teams.

"When there's no-one else to direct that frustration at, it can end up being taken out on frontline staff," she said.

"When someone brings in an unwell pet and wants treatment but can't afford it, that has a real emotional impact on our members.

"They find it draining, because they feel like the bad guy."

Rosie Matthews, from Chew Valley in Somerset, said she was relieved to have taken out higher-level insurance just weeks before her cat, Scratch, was hit by a car.

The policy covered an £8,000 hip replacement.

"I'm a carer, my partner is an electrician. We're not hugely rich, so thank God I had that policy," she said.

She said she felt fortunate to have a trustworthy vet.

"I've heard horror stories of people being charged thousands just for scans," she said.

"I think we've found a good one and we'll stick with them."

Matthews believes insurance is essential, but there should also be limits on pricing.

"These animals are like family," she said. "People shouldn't have to worry or have to shop around."

The BVU advises pet owners to research treatment costs, consider insurance and keep an emergency fund.

It said vets are required to outline all treatment options, which can sometimes give the impression more expensive procedures are being pushed.

Further reforms expected later this year are likely to improve transparency, but are not expected to bring prices down.

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