Be prepared, not overwhelmed at your next vet visit by referencing this veterinary price list. Veterinary care is an essential part of making sure your pet is healthy, and there's no reason you can't keep to your budget at the vet.
In this post we'll break down what to expect for a routine, sick and emergency visit and how to decide what's necessary for your pet. Plus, we'll share 10 tips to help you save money during your pet's health care visit.
The most important thing to know when you go sign an estimate at a veterinary clinic is to understand why you're paying what you're paying, so we'll make sure you have all the information to practice informed consent at the vet!
Veterinary Price List
Here is a list of things you could expect to be offered at a routine, annual veterinary appointment. *Price varies from clinic to clinic. Call your veterinary clinic for prices ahead of time for the most accurate estimate or ask for quote before approving any services*.
Related: New Puppy Vet Visit | 13 Must-Ask Questions for your Vet
Veterinary Service Price List
- Exam $40-$70
- Vaccines $10-$50/each (usually 2-3 vaccines administered at a time)
- Heartworm Test $20-$50
- General Bloodwork $70-$250
- Heartworm Preventative $15- $250 (depends on quantity)
- Flea and Tick Preventative $15-$200 (depends on quantity)
- Nail Trim $15-$40
- Anal Gland Expression $25-$50
How much is emergency vet visit?
An emergency visit constitutes a same day visit due to the urgency of the problem. This can range from injury, vomiting, eye issues, ear infections, limping, lethargy and inappetence.
The cost of your visit will depend a lot on where you're going and what's going on with your pet.
If you have established care at a routine veterinary clinic, they may be able to see you for emergency care depending on how booked they are.
An emergency vet visit for a dog usually starts between $70-$150 for the initial exam. This does not include any diagnostics, like X-rays or bloodwork, or any treatment prescribed.
Here's a list of common invoice items seen at emergency clinics and urgent or emergency appointments.
Keep in mind prices could be higher or lower depending on where the clinic factors in the emergency fees. You can always call ahead of time to confirm pricing with the clinic you're going to.
- Exam $60-$150
- Radiographs $100-$350+
- Bloodwork $50-$400+
- Urinalysis $40-$70
- Fecal Test $25-$50
- Eye Pressure $25-$75
- Tear Test $15-$50
- Clip and Clean $15-$150
- Skin Scrape $20-$40
- Ear or skin cytology $20-$75
- Recheck Appointments $25-$70
Emergency fees are higher because they have staff working all the time. This means the doctors, vet techs, vet assistants and receptionists are all being paid whether people are coming through the doors or not.
Veterinary Price List Near Me
Veterinary clinic prices will definitely vary depending on the location, the time of day, and the type of appointment you are seeking (routine, sick or emergency).
You're likely to find a range of prices in more urban areas where there are more options for veterinary care. especially when there's likely options for low cost vaccine clinics.
If you are seeking emergency care after hours anywhere, prices will be higher.
Lost Cost Veterinary Clinics Near Me
To help save money, you can consider getting vaccines done at a local low cost vaccine clinic.
These are common at Tractor Supply as well as pet stores like PetSmart, Vetco. Veterinary clinics rarely offer low cost vaccine clinics, but some shelters do. Check with your local humane society, shelter or pet store for options.
How much is a vet visit at PetSmart?
Petsmart often partners with Banfield in order to bring veterinary care to the community. Most Banfields at PetSmart offer routine care as well as sick, emergency and surgical care.
Prices vary depending on what medical attention your pet will need at the clinic, but you can expect to spend anywhere from $50-$250 on a routine vet visit.
Cost of Veterinary Care
Wondering why your vet bill is so expensive? Here's why:
Related: Veterinary Assistant Requirements | What You Need to be Know Before Working at a Vet Clinic
How to save money on vet bills
1. Utilize rebates and buy in bulk
Many preventatives like heartgard and bravecto offer rebates if you buy 6 months or 12 months at a time. Ask the clinic about any rebates available.
2. Take diagnostics one step at a time
If your pet is in the clinic due to an illness it's likely the vet will order a bunch of diagnostics to understand what is going on.
Ask your vet to prioritize the diagnostics, starting with the most important. If the answer is found on the first test, it could eliminate running a different test.
3. Ask Questions
Ask questions to make sure your pet is getting the best care for their lifestyle. If your pet doesn't spend time around other dogs, you probably don't need to get the Bordetella or canine influenza vaccine for your dog.
So, find out what's necessary by asking "what are the benefits of this treatment or procedure? What are the risks? and what happens if we do nothing?" This will help you and your vet zero in on what is truly important for your dog.
Related: 8 Must-Have Dog First Aid Kit Essentials (Plus Extras!)
4. Enroll in rewards program
Some clinics offer rewards, just like any other retail store. Apps like Petdesk allow you to redeem points earned on purchases at your vet clinic if your clinic is enrolled in their loyalty.
Plus, PetDesk allows you to keep up to date records, exam notes, prescriptions and text with your veterinary clinic.
5. Prevention is the best (and cheapest) medicine
Sure, you can save $25 by skipping the heartworm preventative this month, but can you afford the $1000+ it costs to treat heartworm should your dog come up positive?
Consider the cost of the prevention vs the cost to treat your animal. The distemper vaccine costs between $10 and $40, but treatment can also total into the thousands, and the mental cost of putting you and your dog through treatment is something to consider as well.
6. Feed your dog a good diet
Plus, they're allowed to omit two dogs from the study without giving any report on what the outcome of those dogs were.
Needless to say, kibble and highly processed diets are not a way to help your dog thrive as their healthiest self.
Feeding your dog a healthy, well rounded diet is one of the best ways to prevent illness and disease. It may feel like a heavy investment upfront as far as purchasing high quality food.
Not to mention the investment of time and energy to learn how to prep your dog's food and the education required to feed your dog a healthy diet properly.
Of course, there are so many convenience options for a healthy diet. I personally use Darwin's to help boost my dog's diet. My dog's get between 1/2-2 packets a day depending on my budget for the month.
Save money at home
7. Trim your dogs nails at home, or at the groomers
Unless a clinic is offering a free nail trim, it might be best for your wallet to look into learning how to trim nails yourself or ask the groomer. It could take some practice at home, and maybe some anti-anxiety meds (for you and the dog!) but it will save a ton of time and money. Make sure you invest in some kwik-stop, too incase you cut the nail too short!
8. Get vaccines done at a low cost vaccine clinic
Low cost vaccine clinics offer significant discounts on vaccines. Just be prepared to wait as these kinds of clinics often don't accept appointments and it's on a first come first serve basis. However, they don't allow any medical questions to be answered.
9. Refer Friends and Family
Do you love your vet? The greatest compliment is sharing their care with someone else! Check to see if your clinic offers referral rewards for referring family and friends. Rewards can range from free nail trims to money credited in your account!
10. Invest in Pet Insurance
Pet insurance is a great idea for owner's who want to avoid an unexpected bill from the vet. Similarly, some breeds are predisposed to certain issues like tumors, hip issues and eye problems.
Pet insurance might not pay for itself in the younger years, but could end up saving you a ton of money in the long run!
There's a ton of factors, too much to cover in a short paragraph about how to chose pet insurance. Check out this article from BeChewy about choosing the right pet insurance.
While Pet insurance doesn't cover every single event, it certainly can save you money! Figo is one of the most popular pet insurance agencies, and is a good place to start comparing quotes.
