Navigating Vet Costs: What to Expect and How to Prepare

Adopting a new pet is a heartwarming experience that often leads to extensive planning and preparation. However, for many new pet owners, the excitement may overshadow the more mundane but essential tasks, such as scheduling vet visits—both traditional and holistic. 

This comprehensive guide will cover both traditional and holistic veterinary care, detailing average costs in your area and pet health insurance options to help you prepare financially.

Overview of Veterinary Costs

The cost of annual check-ups—whether they're traditional exams or holistic consultations—and additional medical fees are crucial to factor into your budget when adopting a new pet. Several factors will determine your average vet bill, so preparing a rough estimate for each procedure in advance can help you avoid unexpected costs.

Routine Check-Ups vs. Emergency Care

The average cost for a routine vet visit in the U.S. is about $60. This doesn’t include any additional costs for treatment services your pet may require, vaccines, medication, or flea and tick/heartworm preventatives. If you have multiple pets and book their check-ups at the same time, you’ll need to pay separately for each, though some vets offer multiple pet discounts. 

This routine visit cost encompasses all of the services typically included in your pet’s annual physical exam. This might include:

• Weighing your pet
• Checking the eyes (for redness), nose (for discharge), teeth, and ears
• Checking the lymph nodes in the throat
• Taking your pet’s temperature and pulse
• Assessing the body’s overall condition (i.e., muscle tone, any injuries)
• Palpating the abdomen to check the kidneys and liver, feel for abdominal masses, and check for pain
• Listening to your pet’s heartbeat with a stethoscope

A typical vet visit will also likely involve a conversation between you and your vet. You’ll likely also discuss your pet’s medical history (upon your first visit and updates thereafter) as well as any questions or concerns that may have popped up. 

Your vet might also counsel you on flea, tick, and heartworm treatments, diet, spaying or neutering plans, and any other ongoing treatments. It's also a good time to ask questions about your pet’s behavior, like why your dogs sleep so much to ensure you're providing the best care.

At your annual visit, your pet might be due for “core vaccinations” (for dogs, this includes canine hepatitis, canine parvovirus, distemper, and rabies) or additional “non-core vaccinations” depending on their risk exposure (for dogs, most are for bacterial infections like bordetella bronchiseptica, leptospirosis, or borrelia burgdorferi). These will typically be an added charge on your bill, about $20 to $30 per vaccine.

Cost of Specialist Traditional Vet Visits

Just like you might need to see a specialist for a specific health issue (or simply to check up on a particular body part), veterinary specialists exist for pets, too. Veterinary specialties include surgery, cardiology, dermatology, dentistry, neurology, and oncology, as well as exotic pet medicine.

Special procedures like surgery often come with a hefty bill. For instance, ACL surgery for dogs typically costs between $1,500 and $4,000, while TPLO surgery (a common orthopedic procedure for dogs) can cost upwards of $6,000.

Routine visits to specialists are also more expensive than your pet’s annual check-up—for example, cardiologist visits could cost around $450 to $550, while a consultation with a veterinary herbalist or a homeopathic specialist might have a different pricing structure.

Certain procedures will also cost more if you choose to have them performed by a specialist. For instance, teeth cleanings will cost about $170 to $350 when performed by your pup’s general practitioner but can cost up to $4,000 when performed by a board-certified veterinary dentist.

Holistic Treatments

Transitioning from traditional vet services, holistic treatments offer alternative methods for maintaining your pet’s health. These services, such as acupuncture or chiropractic adjustments, might vary in cost depending on the complexity and duration of the treatments.

Routine holistic visits might include:

• Energy balancing
• Herbal therapy consultations
• Nutritional advice tailored to support the animal’s overall well-being

These holistic services are designed to prevent health issues and maintain a balance within your pet’s system, potentially reducing the frequency and cost of traditional medical treatments.

What Influences the Cost of Vet Visits?

The vet cost for visits is certainly not one-size-fits-all. Two factors with the most impact on your bill include your geographical area and the type of veterinary clinic you visit —be it a traditional clinic, an emergency care facility, or a holistic practice.

Geographic Variations

The cost of living in your area will certainly impact your vet bill, and the average cost per visit varies by state. For instance, the average vet visit for a single pet in North Carolina costs $56.55, while the average vet visit for a single pet in California costs $71.95.

The areas of the U.S. with the highest average price for veterinary care are California, Hawaii, and Washington, D.C., with an average cost of over $1,400 annually. Meanwhile, North Dakota and Arkansas are tied for the least expensive, with an average annual cost of $769.

The cost of individual treatments and add-ons like vaccines also varies by geographical area, albeit on a smaller scale. For instance, the Bordetella vaccine for dogs costs an average of $33.38 in California but $29.61 in North Carolina.

Type of Veterinary Clinic

The type of veterinary clinic you’re visiting will also influence the cost of your bill. As we mentioned, a visit to a specialist will typically cost significantly more than a visit to your pet’s general practitioner. An example of this is a vet clinic that specializes in cat pregnancy.

Emergency veterinary care is also available, and the cost of a visit to the pet E.R. or animal urgent care also varies widely. A physical exam at an emergency vet clinic typically costs about $100 to $150, and basic blood work typically costs between $80 and $200. This is almost triple the average vet cost of a check-up with your pet’s GP, but it may be worth it in an emergency.

Pet hospitalization and emergency surgery can also be quite costly. A 3- to 5-day hospital stay will set you back $2,000 to $3,500, while an emergency surgical procedure can cost up to $5,000. It can be difficult to decide when to bring your pet to the emergency clinic, but if symptoms are severe (i.e. a broken bone or loss of consciousness), it’s better to be safe than sorry. If time allows, it’s always worth a call to consult your vet.

In addition to the immediate and urgent care provided by these clinics, understanding the broader spectrum of veterinary services is crucial. Each type of clinic, from general practices to specialized and emergency centers, offers unique benefits tailored to different situations. For instance, holistic clinics may provide complementary therapies such as acupuncture or herbal treatments, which can be effective for long-term health maintenance and prevention of chronic conditions. By choosing the appropriate clinic based on your pet's immediate and ongoing health needs, you ensure optimal care, potentially minimizing future extensive treatments and associated costs. 

Managing and Planning for Veterinary Expenses

Pets can be a major expense, and the bulk of that expense comes from veterinary bills. Particularly, unexpected bills for emergency procedures and treatments can take a serious toll. That’s why it’s crucial to develop a financial plan to cover your pet’s vet bills before you adopt.

If you suspect that your dog is suffering from Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM), you can check out our blog about everything you need to know about DCM in dogs. 

Benefits of Pet Insurance

Just like health insurance can be a critical part of making healthcare affordable for us humans, choosing a pet insurance plan is an investment in reducing the cost of each emergency vet visit. Common options that a pet insurance company typically offers include:

• Comprehensive coverage – These pet life insurance plans include coverage for accidents, injuries, and routine wellness visits, often including vaccinations, surgeries, diagnostic tests, chronic illness treatments, and hereditary illness treatments.
• Accident and illness coverage – These plans cover treatment for illnesses and injuries only. However, you can often choose a “wellness plan” add-on to cover routine vet visits, vaccinations, and flea and heartworm preventive care.
• Accident-only coverage – These plans only cover vet bills when your pet is injured in an accident.
• Pet wellness coverage – These plans only cover routine care, including annual vet check-ups, vaccinations, and flea and heartworm prevention. They’re often offered as an add-on to an accident-and-illness plan.

Most plans are customizable, meaning you’ll choose an annual maximum level of coverage (typically ranging from $5,000 to unlimited), a deductible (typically ranging from $100 to $500), and a reimbursement level (typically 70% to 90%). The more coverage you opt for, the higher premiums you’ll pay monthly or annually.

However, a variety of discounts are available for pet insurance, including:

• Multipet discount
• Spayed/neutered discount
• Annual pay discount
• Military discount
• Group discount from work

By insuring your pet, you’re ensuring that if an accident or diagnosis occurs, you’ll be in a financial position to help. Only around one percent of pet owners invest in pet insurance, and yet a pet owner is billed over $3,000 every six seconds in the U.S.

To ensure comprehensive care, support your pet’s immune system with tips from our blog.

Setting Up a Pet Health Savings Account

A common alternative to pet insurance is setting up a pet health savings account. This simply means opening a separate savings account upon your pet’s adoption and depositing a certain amount each month. Many pet owners find that this is ultimately less expensive and more flexible than a pet insurance plan while accomplishing a similar goal. This can be a flexible alternative to pet insurance, allowing you to save for both traditional and holistic veterinary expenses as needed.

Darwin’s Natural Pet Products: Supporting Your Pets

Vet bills can add up, but as a pet parent, keeping up with your pet’s wellness and preventative care is an essential part of keeping them healthy and happy. One way to reduce your pet’s risk of illness and cut down on those unexpected bills is by taking certain aspects of preventative care into your own hands. It all starts with building a healthy daily routine for your pet, such as feeding them raw cat food or raw dog food to maintain their well-being.

Our recipes are crafted with your pet’s ancestral diet in mind, and our in-house pet nutrition consultants are here to help you tailor a meal plan for your individual furry friend. We offer raw dog food as well as raw cat food made with human-quality ingredients and without fillers or preservatives, shop Darwin’s to fuel your pet to ace their next vet care visit.

Sources: 

Forbes. How Much Does a Vet Visit Cost? https://www.forbes.com/advisor/pet-insurance/pet-care/how-much-does-vet-visit-cost/

Forbes. How Much Do Dog Vaccinations Cost? https://www.forbes.com/advisor/pet-insurance/pet-care/how-much-do-dog-vaccinations-cost/

Schwarzman Animal Medical Center. Specialties & Services. https://www.amcny.org/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwupGyBhBBEiwA0UcqaGL2Y8K92tZ5mgWillLJdTcGV-RqpgmfS_1xnc4T_eUumIcTj5FOexoCMbIQAvD_BwE

Forbes. How Much Does ACL Surgery For Dogs Cost? (2024 Guide). https://www.forbes.com/advisor/pet-insurance/pet-care/acl-surgery-cost-dogs/

Cardiac Evaluations, Inc. Fees. https://petcardiologist.com/fees/

Forbes. How Much Does Teeth Cleaning for Dogs Cost? (2024 Guide). https://www.forbes.com/advisor/pet-insurance/pet-care/dog-teeth-cleaning-costs/

CBS News. Sick pet? Here’s the average cost of treating cats and dogs, by state. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sick-pet-highest-and-lowest-veterinary-costs-cats-dogs-by-state/

Web MD. What to Know About Costs of Emergency Veterinary Care. https://www.webmd.com/pets/what-to-know-costs-emergency-veterinary-care

Forbes. Best Pet Insurance of 2024. https://www.forbes.com/advisor/l/best-pet-insurance/

Forbes. What Are The Long-Term Financial Commitments Of Pet Ownership? https://www.forbes.com/sites/truetamplin/2024/03/10/what-are-the-long-term-financial-commitments-of-pet-ownership/?sh=2463905025cb