HOW TO HIRE · PETS

How to hire a mobile vet in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

A mobile vet must be RCVS-registered. Here is how to check and what to ask about fees.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a mobile vet in five steps

  1. Check the RCVS registerThe vet's name on RCVS Find a Vet.
  2. Describe the problemSymptoms, history, medication.
  3. Agree the feeVisit fee plus an estimate for treatment.
  4. Ask about emergenciesOut-of-hours cover and where your pet would go for surgery.
  5. Get the recordsClinical notes and prescriptions.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

RCVS register

Section 19 of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 makes it an offence to practise veterinary surgery, or claim to, without being on one of the two RCVS veterinary registers, anywhere in the UK.

Search the vet or practice on RCVS Find a Vet. rcvs.org.uk →

Fees agreed before treatment

A home visit fee is only the start: medicines, tests and procedures are extra. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 requires the service to be provided with reasonable care and skill, and a written estimate keeps the bill in view.

Ask for the visit fee and an estimate for likely treatment in writing. legislation.gov.uk →

Concerns go to the RCVS

The RCVS keeps the register, regulates vets and veterinary nurses and considers concerns about them; it also wants to hear about anyone practising who is not qualified.

Keep notes and records if you need to raise a concern. rcvs.org.uk →

VAT

Veterinary care is standard-rated, so 20% VAT applies to the visit fee, the tests and the medicines. Once taxable turnover is above £90,000 a year, registration is compulsory, and the VAT must then appear as its own line on the bill.

Ask the practice for its VAT number, and for the estimate to show treatment, medicines and the 20% VAT separately. gov.uk →

“Are you on the RCVS register, and under which practice?”

A good answer: A name you can search.

“What is the mobile vet visit fee, and what is extra?”

A good answer: Medicines, tests and procedures listed.

“What can you do at home, and what needs a practice?”

A good answer: An honest answer; surgery and X-rays need a clinic.

“Who covers out-of-hours emergencies?”

A good answer: A named service.

“Will you send my pet's notes to my usual vet?”

A good answer: Yes, with your consent.

“How do you handle home euthanasia?”

A good answer: Calmly, with options explained.

“Can I get a written prescription?”

A good answer: Yes, if you ask.

Getting the quote right

  • Who actually attends your animal — the vet named, a locum, or a veterinary nurse, employed or subcontracted
  • Visit fee by time of day
  • Estimate for tests and medicines
  • Procedure costs
  • Out-of-hours charges
  • The VAT number, and VAT on the visit and the treatment as its own line

Walk away if

  • Not on the RCVS register
  • No estimate before treatment
  • No records given
  • Pressure to buy unneeded medicines
LOW
£60
TYPICAL
£90
HIGH
£200

What a mobile vet costs: £60–£200 per visit

A mobile vet charges per visit, by time of day and urgency, with medicines, tests and procedures priced on top. Mobile Vet price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Mobile vets near you, with the badges that matter shown

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Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. BookProblem described and fees explained.
  2. ExamineYour pet examined at home.
  3. DiscussFindings and options with costs.
  4. TreatAgreed treatment given or arranged.
  5. RecordsNotes and prescriptions shared.

RCVS
Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons — the regulator.
Estimate
An expected cost for treatment.
Clinical notes
The vet's record of the visit.
Prescription-only medicine
Medicine a vet must prescribe.
Out-of-hours
Emergency cover outside normal hours.
Veterinary nurse
A registered nurse working with the vet.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the clinical notesAnd any test results.
Follow the treatment planMedicines and rechecks.
Check the invoiceAgainst the estimate.
Close the loopReview once you have lived with the result for a few days; if it falls short, the make-it-right step lets the vet respond before it goes live.

STEP 1Tell the vet, in writingSet out what happened and what you want. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 requires the service to be provided with reasonable care and skill.
STEP 2The Locufy make-it-right stepBelow four stars, you decide whether the complaint about the mobile vet goes to the vet first. We follow it through, and then you review.
STEP 3The RCVSFor a concern about a vet's conduct or competence, the RCVS — the regulator for vets and veterinary nurses — reviews every concern raised. For a dispute over the mobile vet's bill, the consumer helpline can refer it to Trading Standards: Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133 in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060, and Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 in Northern Ireland.
STEP 4Small claimsIf the mobile vet still is not settled, the limits are £10,000 in England and Wales (small claims track), £5,000 in Scotland (simple procedure) and £5,000 in Northern Ireland (small claims court). Keep every message and invoice as evidence.

Hiring a mobile vet: questions people ask

Yes. Only someone on the RCVS register may practise veterinary surgery in the UK (Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966, section 19).

Search the name or practice on RCVS Find a Vet.

Some minor procedures, yes; surgery and imaging need a practice.

£60–£200 per visit, typically around £90. The mobile vet price guide explains what moves the figure; enter your postcode above for prices from mobile vets near you.

To the practice first; the RCVS considers concerns about vets and veterinary nurses.

Ask for an itemised invoice and raise it in writing; the Consumer Rights Act 2015 requires reasonable care and skill.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in pets

How to hire: Dog Behaviour ConsultantHow to hire: Pet TaxiHow to hire: Nail ClippingHow to hire: Cat BoardingHow to hire: Dog BoardingHow to hire: Pet SittingHow to hire: Equine ServicesHow to hire: House Sitting with PetsAll 701 hiring guides →

Mobile vets near you

Mobile vets in LondonMobile vets in ManchesterMobile vets in BirminghamMobile vets in GlasgowMobile vets in BelfastAll mobile vets on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966, section 19
  2. RCVS — Find a Vet
  3. RCVS — concerns about veterinary professionals
  4. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  5. gov.uk — make a court claim for money: court fees
  6. mygov.scot — make a court claim for money
  7. nidirect — small claims process
  8. VAT rates — VAT rates for goods and services: standard rate 20% on most goods and services
  9. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register