Pet food is a complex product: like baby formula, it provides the complete nutrition of an animal – it must contain the right combination of fat, protein, fiber and nutrients to meet the requirements set by the Food Standards Agency .
Manufacturers have to juggle multiple global supply chains and hundreds of ingredients. Meat in particular has risen in price since the pandemic. In the US, outbreaks of Covid have forced the closure of meatpacking plants, stifling demand and driving up prices.
A common misconception is that pet food often contains “by-product” meats like liver and pizzle. But the pet food industry has to compete with high demand for both products in Europe and China. There is also a lack of competition in the market which helps drive up prices.
Vet bills go up
The price of veterinarians has risen: figures from the Office for National Statistics indicate that the inflation rate for veterinary services reached a peak of 13.1 percent in May last year, compared to just 3.7 percent in May 2021 .
The costs have reached such levels that Britain’s competition watchdog has launched a review of the sector. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced in September that it will review care prices for small animals, such as dogs, cats and rabbits.
Part of the problem is due to staff shortages plaguing the sector, a result of Brexit, as well as historically low pay. According to the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, the number of qualified vets moving to Britain to work will fall by 68pc between 2019 and 2021.
It also depends on consolidation: the CMA says the number of independent veterinary practices has halved in a decade. Just six companies now own more than half of the UK’s clinics, three of which are owned by private equity.
Practices are left with no choice but to push those costs onto pet owners in the form of higher treatment costs. Even a simple annual check-up can set a bird owner back £150, says Dr Sara Ochoa, a professional vet.
Pet owners told The Telegraph of sky-high vet bills, often delivered in the heat of emergencies. “I woke up on Christmas morning 2022 to a flurry of missed calls from the cattery where Ripley was staying,” recalls Phoebe Todd, a PR executive. “They found her ice cold with no readable temperature or heart rate after the stroke.”
The cattery rushed Ripley to hospital, where vets told Todd over the phone that there was a high chance the cat would die, before demanding a £1,500 deposit, with an additional charge to be paid when Ripley was collected.
“I thought the deposit was in case I tried to get rid of the bills if he couldn’t make it – which I would never do – but I thought there might be people,” he said.
“I was in Scotland, 400 miles from home, so I flew out on Boxing Day to pick him up. Fortunately, thanks to the quick action of the cattery owner and prompt vet care, he made a full recovery.
The bill totaled £2,000 and Todd, who was earning just £26,000 a year at the time, had to raid his savings to cover it. “He is worth it, but it hurts,” he said.
“The total bill is more than my monthly take-home pay. But like I said, I pay double to make sure my animals are healthy and cared for.”
For others, the cost may be too great. Half of all vets say there has been an increase in clients reporting difficulty covering the cost of preventative veterinary care for their animal compared to 2021, according to a survey by the British Veterinary Association.
“A loyal client could no longer afford treatments for his elderly dog’s arthritis,” recalls Dr Alex Crow, a veterinary surgeon. After exhausting her limited funds on joint supplements and pain medication, she tearfully surrendered her loyal companion of 15 years to the rescue, unable to manage the costs of the recommended surgery.
Sue Davies, head of consumer protection policy at Which?, said pet owners are often left in the dark when it comes to shopping around for cheaper options, and some don’t know the cost of treatment “until after their appointment”. In December, Which? it is reported that some pet owners are being charged up to £40 for a two-minute phone call.
