Treatment in our Pet Hospitals
We have 48 Pet Hospitals across the UK, where our wonderful vet teams treat pets and save lives every day. We provide treatment to pets whose owners otherwise wouldn't be able to afford it.
We believe that everyone, no matter what their circumstances, has the right to experience the unique bond – the love and companionship – that comes from owning a pet. That's why PDSA was founded and it's the reason we've been helping the pets of people in need for over 105 years.
About our service
We offer free and low-cost veterinary care to pets and owners in need across the UK.
PDSA vets care for household pets like cats, dogs and rabbits. They can treat your pet, help prevent disease and illness, and give you advice on the best way to look after your pet.
Along with our team of vets and vet nurses treating sick and injured pets, we also offer a range of preventive care and a prescription service to help with ongoing conditions.
In 2022, we saw more than 4,600 pets every day at our Pet Hospitals. As we receive no government funding, we rely on the support of pet owners using our services and the generosity of our amazing supporters.
If you live in the catchment area of a PDSA Pet Hospital and receive certain benefits, you may qualify for free or low-cost PDSA vet treatment.
Low-cost treatment
Our low-cost services offer vet care at an affordable rate for eligible owners. You could receive low-cost vet treatment at your local PDSA if you:
- are in receipt of certain benefits such as Child Tax, Working Tax Credit and Universal Credit (without housing element)
- are a pensioner living in a home in Council Tax Bands A-D.
Free treatment
You could receive free treatment for one pet at your local PDSA if you receive at last one of the following:
- Housing Benefit
- Council Tax Support
- Universal Credit with a Housing Element.
If you are eligible for free treatment and have more than one pet, your other pets can receive our low-cost treatment.
What we can and can't treat
We offer treatment for a variety of small pets. However, as a charity our funds are limited, so there are some limits to our services. Unfortunately, due to veterinary staff shortages, some of our Pet Hospitals are currently prioritising life-saving emergency care over other essential and preventative care. We hope to fully reintroduce preventative care to all of our Pet Hospitals in the future.
We currently offer:
- Emergency treatment to pets in need
- Repeat prescription service
- Vaccinations and boosters
- Neutering
- Treatments to stop fleas, worms and other pests
- Microchipping
- Special diets for medical conditions
- A range of diagnostic tests
- Low cost health care packages for your pet.
Unfortunately, we can’t treat:
- Pets whose owners do not meet our eligibility criteria, although we will always treat any pet in an emergency situation.
- Pregnant pets. We do not encourage owners who use our services to breed their pets. However, we will perform emergency caesareans if the pet’s life is in danger.
- Pets in need of prosthetics. Mostly our pets survive perfectly well on three legs, but unfortunately we cannot afford to provide prosthetic limbs for pets.
Check with your local Pet Hospital for further information on the services we can and can’t offer.
What to do if you're not eligible for PDSA vet care
We’d love to be able to care for every pet who comes our way but, sadly, demand for our services far exceeds our income. Our eligibility rules are in place to ensure our limited funding reaches the most vulnerable pets.
If a pet’s life is in danger we always provide stabilising care and pain relief, regardless of eligibility.
If you are not eligible for our services, there are some other charities that may be able to help you with the cost of veterinary treatment. You can contact the RSPCA or Blue Cross to see if they can offer help, or your local vet may be able to offer you an affordable payment plan.
We would recommend getting insurance, as this can be a big help with unexpected veterinary bills. We offer a range of cost-effective packages to insure your pet through our PDSA Pet Insurance.