The cost of a vet visit ranges from about $50 to $250, according to several pet insurers, but the exact price depends on a variety of factors. Here’s what affects the price of vet visits, how much pet insurance may cover, and how to potentially lower your out-of-pocket costs.
Learn more: How does pet insurance work? A complete guide.
A vet visit refers to any physical exam performed by a licensed veterinarian or specialist. During a vet visit, your pet might receive additional services, like blood work or diagnostic testing. Vet visits can be categorized into three main buckets:
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Routine visits: All dogs and cats should have regular vet checkups for preventative and routine care. During routine visits, vets may provide fecal testing, heartworm testing, or vaccines/titers.
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Emergency visits: If your pet is sick or injured, they might need to see a vet to receive emergency care. For example, if your dog gets hit by a car, they’ll probably need an emergency vet visit to get X-rays or stitches.
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Specialist visits: Pets that get diagnosed with certain illnesses may need to see a specialist to get necessary treatment. Common examples of vet specialists are pet oncologists, allergists, behavioral therapists, and neurologists.
Learn more: Best pet insurance companies
The price of a vet visit can be anywhere from $50 to $250, according to ManyPets, Pumpkin, and Lemonade. But the actual cost depends on the reason for the visit and the vet that’s performing the exam. Here’s a breakdown of vet visit costs by type of visit.
Routine vet exam costs can range between $50 and $100, but that doesn’t include additional services that your pet might need. Most vets charge separately for preventative care, including:
An emergency vet visit can typically cost you between $75 and $200. In addition to the cost of the emergency exam, you might also have to pay for these costs:
If your pet needs to see a veterinary specialist, you can expect to pay somewhere between $150 and $250 for the visit. Depending on the specialist and procedure, you might also encounter these costs:
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Allergy testing: $195 to $350
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Cancer treatment: $3,000 to $10,000
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ACL surgery: $1,500 to $10,000
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Cataract surgery: $2,500 to $4,000 per eye
Vet visit fees can vary based on a number of variables. The biggest factors are:
If your pet needs a vet exam, it’s worth getting price estimates from different clinics, assuming it’s not an emergency. But keep in mind that the exam fee is only one cost. You might have to pay significantly more than the visit fee if your dog or cat needs additional services or treatment.
Learn more: How much does pet insurance cost?
Many comprehensive pet insurance policies cover vet visits for accidents and illnesses, but not all do. Some policies only cover vet visits if you add optional coverage for an extra fee. Pet insurance almost never covers vet visits for routine care, unless you buy a wellness plan.
In the table below, you can see which pet insurance companies cover vet visits for accidents and illnesses.
While many pet insurance plans will pay for the cost of vet visits, the amount that pet insurance covers depends on the reimbursement rate and deductible.
The reimbursement rate is the percentage of each service that your plan covers. The deductible is the fixed amount you pay out of pocket for your pet’s care before your plan starts paying.
Another thing to know is that most pet insurance plans have a waiting period before vet visits are covered. For accidents, waiting periods are often just a few days, but illnesses can have longer waiting periods of 14 days or longer. During the waiting period, vet visits aren’t covered.
Learn more: Pet insurance with no waiting period: How it works
The price of a vet visit with pet insurance depends on the cost of the exam and your plan’s coverage. Here are a few examples of how much a vet visit might cost without insurance and with pet insurance with 80% reimbursement after the deductible is met.
Even if you have pet insurance that covers vet visits, you’ll probably need to pay the exam fee upfront and file a claim to get reimbursed. This is usually the case with all covered vet services, unless your pet insurance company offers direct vet pay.
Learn more: Pet insurance that pays the vet directly: How does it work?
Vet visits can be relatively inexpensive or extremely costly, depending on the reason for the visit and the type of vet you’re seeing. Here are some ways to potentially reduce the cost:
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Compare vet quotes: Visit costs vary depending on the vet or clinic. If possible, obtain estimates from multiple veterinarians to identify the lowest visit fee.
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Ask about payment plans: Many vets offer payment plans, especially if you’re facing a very high bill. Using a payment plan allows you to pay off the cost over time, not upfront.
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Purchase a wellness plan: Pet insurance doesn’t usually cover wellness visits, but the cost might be covered if you purchase a separate preventative care plan.
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Visit a veterinary school: Some veterinary schools offer pet health care for a discounted rate. Vet exams performed by a vet student could be less expensive.
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Shop for insurance early: Pet insurance can help manage vet visit costs, but premiums usually go up as pets get older. To get the lowest pet insurance rate, it’s best to shop for insurance while your pet is young and healthy.
Learn more: Best pet insurance discounts
Pet insurance can help you pay for vet visits, but it’s important to consider how much you might spend on vet exams versus the cost of pet insurance. Whether pet insurance is worth it ultimately depends on your budget and how much you can afford to pay for your pet’s care out of pocket.
Here’s an example: Let’s say that your dog swallows a foreign object and needs to see an emergency vet. The cost of the vet visit is $200. With an 80% pet insurance plan, insurance would pay $160, and you would pay the remaining $40 once you’ve reached the deductible. That’s a significant savings.
More importantly, you should also consider that vet visits often cost much more than the exam fee alone when you factor in other services and treatment. Swallowing a foreign object often requires surgery, which can cost anywhere from $1,600 to $12,000, according to Figo and Embrace. But with pet insurance, you would only pay a fraction of the price out of pocket.
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The price of a vet visit can range from $50 and $250.
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The amount you’ll pay depends on your location, the reason for the visit, the type of vet, and your pet’s breed and age.
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While vet visits on their own aren’t always expensive, it’s important to consider other costs you might encounter with a vet visit, like diagnostic testing, vaccines, or even surgery. These expenses combined can add up to much higher out-of-pocket costs.
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To help pay for your pet’s veterinary care, pet insurance can be a good investment.
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Many pet insurance policies cover vet visits for accidents and illnesses, but it’s important to check what your specific plan includes.
Routine vet visits for cats without insurance can range from $25 to $200, according to MetLife and Lemonade. The cost might be higher for emergency or specialist visits.
For most pets, a routine vet exam is recommended at least once per year. But some pets can benefit from more frequent checkups. Talk to your vet about how often your dog or cat should receive care, depending on their age, breed, and medical history.
No, vet visits aren’t usually free. You can expect to pay anywhere from $50 to $250 if your pet needs to see a vet. Most accident and illness pet insurance policies can cover a large portion of the vet visit and prescribed treatment. But keep in mind that routine care visits aren’t usually covered unless you purchase a separate wellness plan.
Tim Manni edited this article.
