I spent £24,000 on vets in two weeks making an attempt to avoid wasting my beloved canine Kia

Kia, a sweet-natured Siberian husky, immediately became part of the family when Dave Foster and his brothers welcomed her into their home in 2019.

Unwanted by her previous owners, this friendly, lovable dog brought support and joy during the pandemic.

But the tight-knit Foster clan are now in mourning. Kia passed away at the age of just eight on March 18.

‘On top of our grief at her death, we were then faced with vets’ bills of more than £24,000,’ Foster tells the Mail. 

The costs incurred in the run up to her death, in the wake of a relatively simple procedure, come as the authorities investigate the £5bn veterinary industry over its fees.

‘My parents, siblings and I all loved Kia so much – she was really part of our family,’ says Foster. ‘We were heartbroken when she fell seriously ill after a minor op to remove a grass seed from her paw went wrong.’ 

There is no suggestion the vets were to blame for her death or criticism of the care Kia received. But Foster was shocked by the charges.

‘We desperately hoped the professionals would save her life. Instead, we feel our love for Kia was exploited,’ he says.

‘Many pet owners are unaware of how costs can quickly spiral, particularly due to the pricing structure of vet practices that are owned by big corporations.’ Many pet owners have insurance. But this does not cover all costs. As a result, Foster wonders if pets may even be put down every year, due to financial constraints rather than clinical necessity.

Kia became unwell at the start of March following a minor procedure to remove a suspected grass seed from her paw. This caused an infection which led to her death.

Over the course of 17 days, during which they hoped to save her life, the Fosters were handed bills totalling £24,164 or about £1,400 a day.

A breakdown of the fees on invoices seen by the Mail show that the family was charged £69.57 by one of the three veterinary practices involved, for a heating blanket for Kia.

The same item, if bought directly from the retailer, would cost £19.99 – a markup of 248 per cent.

In their quest to save Kia, the family spent £21,273 at a specialist vet called Willows, which is owned by Linnaeus Group, a division of the US giant veterinary group Mars.

They also spent £2,548 at Medivet, which is backed by the Luxembourg-based private equity group CVC Capital.

In addition, Kia received treatment at another veterinary practice, which cost the family £343.

The three vet businesses declined to comment.

Foster received an insurance payment of £8,000 for Kia’s treatment, but the family was still forced to find £16,000 to settle the fees.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), the body that is investigating the veterinary industry, is concerned by allegations of rip-off charges.

More than half of UK practices are now owned by just six large corporations: CVS, Independent Vetcare, Linnaeus, Medivet, Pets at Home, and VetPartners.

Foster says: ‘Vet fees are unclear, complicated and contain heavily technical terminology. This information is difficult to understand for desperate pet owners.

‘With increasing consolidation in the sector, practices have sadly become financially driven, resulting in inflated prices and unethical margins.

‘We are a hard-working family and were very lucky to be able to give Kia what we thought at the time was the best possible chance of survival – thanks to pulling together.’ 

The RSPCA has previously warned that the rising cost of vet fees, insurance and other essentials, such as food, was prompting families to abandon their pets.

Cost is a major concern for the estimated 16million households across the UK that own a pet.

But as animal lovers struggle with mounting bills for their beloved pets, the owners and top executives of vet practices have raked in millions.

Medivet, which is backed by private equity titan CVC Capital, made revenues of £388.6m and profits of £72.9m last year. It has more than 500 branches across the UK.

The windfall comes as practices cash in on the surge in pet ownership during the pandemic.

In May, the CMA said that it received an ‘unprecedented’ number of responses from the public, with 56,000 owners and workers speaking out about the sector.

‘The message from our vets work so far has been loud and clear – many pet owners and professionals have concerns that need further investigation,’ said Sarah Cardell, chief executive of the CMA.

‘We’ve heard from people who are struggling to pay vet bills, potentially overpaying for medicines and don’t always know the best treatment options available to them.’ The probe will be conducted by independent investigators and concluded within 18 months.

And while it may be too late for Kia, Foster is adamant that change must come.

‘Sophisticated investors have carved up the market with limited oversight,’ he says. ‘Regulation is desperately needed’.

Dr Anna Judson, president of the British Veterinary Association (BVA), said: ‘Vets provide highly specialised, tailored medical care for the UK’s animals but with no NHS for pets and therefore no subsidies to offset the true cost, prices can seem costly in comparison. 

‘While fees reflect the investment needed to keep practices financially viable and open, we recognise that more can be done to improve client choice and vet teams are already taking action to address the Competition and Markets Authority’s specific concerns around transparency of fees and practice ownership. 

‘As the CMA undertakes its investigation, it’s important to remember that vets genuinely care and prioritise the health and welfare of animals – it’s often their motivation for entering what is a highly pressured profession.’

* Dave Foster is not his real name.