What to expect, what it costs, and where to find a specialist

Hip dysplasia surgery ranges $1,500-$11,000 depending on which of four surgical paths fits your dog's age and severity. How each works and who it's for.

Spinal tumor removal surgery costs $4,500-$9,500 for dogs and cats. How it differs from a slipped disc (IVDD), diagnosis, treatment options, and outlook.

Anal atresia (atresia ani) reconstruction is a newborn emergency surgery costing $1,200-$3,500. Signs to watch for, what causes it, and outlook.

Anal sac tumor (adenocarcinoma) removal costs $1,500-$4,500 for dogs. Symptoms, hypercalcemia, lymph node involvement, and survival outlook explained.

Extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) costs $150-$400 per session for dogs and treats osteoarthritis and tendon injuries. How it works, sessions needed, and the evidence.

Ectropion surgery costs $800-$2,500 and corrects an outward-rolling eyelid. How it differs from entropion, which breeds are prone to it, and recovery.

Parathyroidectomy costs $2,000-$4,500 and treats primary hyperparathyroidism (high blood calcium). What the surgery involves, why calcium drops afterward, and recovery.

Cryptorchid neutering costs about $500-$1,800. It isn't a neuter with an extra step — it's abdominal surgery, and that's the whole explanation for the price.

TEER costs about $12,000-$25,000. A catheter-based clip that reduces a leaking mitral valve without opening the chest — palliative, not curative.

Vulvoplasty costs about $1,000-$2,500. If your dog has had four courses of antibiotics in a year, the anatomy — not the bacteria — may be the problem.

Foxtail removal costs about $250-$1,500. A grass awn only travels one direction — inward. Going in early is the cheap option as well as the safe one.

Reconstructive skin surgery costs about $2,000-$6,000. Why weeks of bandage changes before the graft aren't a delay — they're what makes it work.

Spinal fracture repair costs about $4,000-$9,000. How you transport an animal with a suspected broken back can decide whether they walk again.

Atlantoaxial stabilization costs about $4,000-$8,000. In a toy-breed dog with neck pain, how you lift them in the next ten minutes genuinely matters.

Lens luxation surgery costs about $2,500-$5,000. An anterior luxation causes glaucoma within hours — and it is almost always going to happen in both eyes.

Corneal ulcer surgery costs about $800-$3,500. Most ulcers heal on drops — but one that is worsening on treatment can perforate within hours.

Thyroidectomy costs about $1,500-$5,000. A benign adenoma in a hyperthyroid cat and a malignant carcinoma in a dog need very different conversations.

Pericardiectomy costs about $4,000-$8,500. For idiopathic pericardial effusion it is close to curative — but the same surgery carries three very different outlooks.

Pericardiocentesis costs about $800-$2,500. It relieves the crisis within minutes — but the scan done while the fluid is still there decides everything.

Subtotal colectomy costs about $3,000-$6,500. It ends the obstipation cycle permanently — and the diarrhea most owners fear usually settles within months.

A SUB device costs about $4,000-$9,000. For a cat with a blocked ureter it is often life-saving — and kidney numbers that look terminal frequently recover.

Liver shunt surgery costs about $3,500-$8,000. One of the few operations that turns a chronically ill dog into a normal one — with real risks worth understanding.

Draining an abscess costs about $200-$900. Why the cat-fight abscess appears days after the fight, and why home lancing goes wrong more often than it works.

Laryngeal paralysis surgery costs about $3,000-$6,500. It fixes the breathing and permanently raises the risk of aspiration pneumonia. Here's the honest trade.

Unblocking a cat costs about $1,200-$3,500. A male cat that cannot pass urine will die within a day or two. How to tell it apart from constipation.

Neutering costs about $150-$800. An honest answer on behaviour — what testosterone actually drives, what it doesn't — plus timing and recovery.

Spaying costs about $250-$1,200. What actually explains the price spread, why the "six months" rule no longer fits large breeds, and the questions to ask.

Adrenalectomy costs about $4,000-$9,000. Why phenoxybenzamine before surgery matters so much for pheochromocytoma, and when adrenal Cushing's can be cured outright.

Cholecystectomy costs about $3,000-$7,000. The hardest question in this surgery is timing — elective removal carries far lower mortality than emergency surgery after rupture.

Hemodialysis costs about $3,000-$12,000. It is transformative for acute kidney injury from toxins — and a bridge that leads nowhere in end-stage chronic disease.

Triple pelvic osteotomy costs about $3,500-$7,000. The 5-10 month age window that closes permanently, why arthritis rules it out, and how it compares to THR and FHO.

Lung lobectomy costs about $4,000-$9,000. Dogs live well with a lobe removed — and the lymph node finding on CT matters more than the size of the mass.

Mastectomy costs about $1,000-$4,500. Half of canine mammary tumors are benign — but in cats most are malignant. The species difference that changes everything.

Achilles tendon repair costs about $3,000-$6,500. Why a dog walks flat on its back foot, why a small cut at the hock is an emergency, and what decides the outcome.

Declawing costs about $250-$900 where it is still offered. What the surgery actually removes, where it is banned, the long-term risks, and the alternatives worth trying first.

A tracheal stent costs about $3,500-$7,000. Why it is a last-resort rescue, what it fixes and what it does not, and the harness advice that keeps most dogs off this page.

I-131 treatment costs about $1,200-$2,500 and cures around 95% of hyperthyroid cats with one injection. The isolation period, the kidney caveat, and how it compares to methimazole.

PRP injections cost about $500-$1,800. What the evidence actually shows for canine arthritis, how it differs from stem cell therapy, and when it is the wrong treatment.

Ear hematoma repair costs about $400-$1,800. Whether to treat it, why the ear infection underneath is the real problem, and what happens if you leave it.

Balloon valvuloplasty costs about $3,500-$7,000. What a severe gradient means, why it is a catheter procedure not open-heart surgery, and the Bulldog risk to screen for.

Anal sacculectomy costs about $900-$2,800. The incontinence risk owners are not always warned about, when surgery is justified, and the question to ask your surgeon.

Liver lobectomy costs about $3,000-$7,500. Why a large solitary liver mass in a dog is often better news than it sounds, and what decides whether surgery is possible.

A pet CT scan costs about $900-$2,500. What it shows, how it differs from an MRI, why anesthesia is usually required, and when to ask for one instead.

Nephrectomy costs about $2,500-$6,000. Whether a pet can live on one kidney, the test that decides it, and why cats are often better served by saving the kidney.

A deep ear flush under video otoscopy costs about $300-$1,200. Why anesthesia is needed, what the eardrum check changes, and the real reason ear infections recur.

Periodontal gum surgery costs about $800-$3,000. When gum disease needs more than a cleaning, whether saving the tooth is worth it, and why extraction is often the kinder answer.

Electrochemotherapy costs about $800-$3,000 per session. What it is, which tumors respond, and why it is offered when surgery would take too much tissue.

PU surgery for a blocked cat costs about $1,500-$4,000. Why straining in the litter tray is an emergency, what the surgery changes, and the aftercare that decides the outcome.

Exploratory surgery costs about $1,500-$5,000. Why the estimate is a range, what a negative exploratory actually achieves, and why waiting until morning is the risk.

Electromyography for pets costs about $600-$2,000. Why an MRI can be clean while the nerves are failing, what EMG diagnoses, and what the full workup involves.

Cataract surgery for a dog costs about $2,700-$6,000 for both eyes. Success rates, why the pre-op eye test matters, and the truth about cataract-dissolving drops.

Brain surgery for a dog costs about $6,000-$15,000. Which tumors can be removed, why MRI comes first, and how radiation compares as an alternative.

A pet root canal costs about $1,500-$4,000. Why a broken tooth hurts even though your dog still eats, and how to choose between saving the tooth and removing it.

HBOT for dogs and cats costs about $150-$400 a session. The physiology is sound, the veterinary evidence is thin — here is how to tell which case is which.

Canine hydrotherapy costs about $40-$100 a session. Why an underwater treadmill is not a swimming pool, when to start after surgery, and how many sessions are typical.

Pet hernia repair costs $400-$3,500 depending on type. Which hernias can wait, which are emergencies, and the warning signs that change the answer within hours.

Thoracoscopy costs about $2,500-$7,000. Why keyhole chest surgery matters more than keyhole abdominal surgery, and what a pericardial window does for a dog.

Pet radiation therapy costs about $3,000-$12,000. The anesthesia count nobody mentions, palliative versus curative intent, and how side effects really compare.

A pet ECG costs about $75-$500. What an ECG shows that an echocardiogram does not, when a Holter monitor is needed, and why a normal trace is not always reassuring.

Cystoscopy for pets costs about $800-$2,500. How bladder stones can be removed without cutting, why male dogs usually cannot have it, and when it beats imaging.

A pet blood pressure check costs about $40-$150. Why hypertension blinds cats, what causes it, and why one high reading is not a diagnosis.

Stem cell therapy for pets costs about $1,500-$3,500. What the evidence actually shows for canine arthritis, how it differs from PRP, and what to ask before paying.

Enucleation costs about $800-$3,000. Why removing a blind painful eye is a relief rather than a loss, what your pet looks like afterwards, and the alternatives.

Pet dental X-rays cost about $100-$400. Why most of a tooth is invisible without them, what vets find in mouths that looked normal, and why anesthesia is required.

Limb amputation for a dog or cat costs about $1,500-$5,000. How well pets actually cope, why front legs are harder than back, and how to decide honestly.

Laparoscopy for pets costs about $800-$3,500. What keyhole surgery genuinely does better, what is marketing, and why converting to open surgery is a good sign.

Emergency surgery costs about $1,500-$8,000. Which signs mean go now, why the estimate is a range, how deposits work, and what to say if you cannot afford it.

Pet cremation costs about $100-$600. What private and communal actually mean, why the words are used inconsistently, and what to arrange before it is too late.

Allergy immunotherapy for pets costs about $800-$2,500 in year one. The only treatment that changes the allergy itself rather than suppressing the itch — and why it takes a year.

Arthroscopy in dogs costs about $2,000-$4,500. Why a camera inside the joint finds what CT and MRI miss, what it can fix, and what it honestly cannot.

Pet chemotherapy costs about $2,000-$10,000. Why animals tolerate it far better than people do, the one true emergency to watch for, and how to decide.

Oxygen therapy for pets costs about $200-$1,200 per day. How to recognise respiratory distress, how to count breathing rate at home, and why home oxygen is a bad idea.

A pet biopsy costs about $300-$1,500. The real difference between a needle aspirate and a biopsy, whether biopsy can spread cancer, and when it is worth doing.

A veterinary echocardiogram costs about $400-$900. Why a murmur is not a diagnosis, how an echo differs from an ECG, and why timing medication depends on it.

A pet ultrasound costs about $300-$900. Why it is not a duplicate of an x-ray, why your pet gets shaved, and why who performs the scan matters more than the machine.

Pet x-rays cost about $150-$600. Why your vet needs more than one view, when sedation is necessary, and the conditions a normal x-ray cannot rule out.

Wound repair in pets costs about $300-$2,500. When a wound needs stitches tonight, why vets deliberately leave some wounds open, and safe at-home care.

A dog c-section costs about $1,500-$5,000. The labour timings that mean it is an emergency, why some breeds need one planned, and what recovery looks like.

A pet blood transfusion costs about $400-$1,500. Why blood typing matters more in cats, where veterinary blood comes from, and what a transfusion can and cannot do.

Veterinary endoscopy costs about $800-$2,500. When a swallowed object can be retrieved without surgery, and why a normal scope sometimes still ends in surgical biopsy.

Mass removal in pets typically costs $500-$3,500. Why a needle aspirate before surgery often decides whether the tumour is cured or comes back.

Veterinary oral surgery ranges from about $800 for a flap procedure to $4,000+ for jaw or tumour surgery. What each type involves and when a board-certified dentist is warranted.

Veterinary acupuncture runs about $60-$150 per session. What it is used for, who is qualified to perform it, and an honest account of what the evidence does and does not show.

In-clinic euthanasia typically costs $100-$400 and at-home visits $300-$700. A plain account of what the appointment involves, whether it hurts, and how quality of life is assessed.

Therapeutic laser sessions cost about $25-$100 each and are widely offered for pain and healing. The veterinary evidence is real but mixed - here is what it does and does not support.

A single tooth extraction runs about $150-$400 and a full-mouth case can reach $1,500. Most pets eat better and act more comfortable once diseased teeth are removed.

A professional dental cleaning for a dog or cat typically runs $400-$1,300, requires general anaesthesia, and often reveals extractions the original quote did not include.

Total ear canal ablation (TECA) costs $3,000–$6,000 for dogs & cats, typically healed in 3–4 weeks. What the surgery involves and how to find a specialist.

Understand what a pet MRI involves, when it's recommended, typical costs ($2000-$3500), and recovery for your dog or cat. Learn how to find a specialist.

Understand MMVD in dogs, from diagnosis to treatment. Learn about costs, risks, recovery, and finding a board-certified cardiologist for your dog's heart health.

Learn about pacemaker implantation for dogs and cats: what it is, when it's recommended, costs, recovery, and how to find a board-certified veterinary cardiologist.

Learn about PDA closure surgery for dogs and cats, a common procedure for a congenital heart defect. Understand costs, recovery, and finding a specialist.

Understand Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome (BOAS) surgery for your pet. Learn about costs, recovery, risks, and finding a board-certified specialist.

Learn about entropion surgery for pets. This guide covers what to expect, costs, recovery, and how a board-certified vet ophthalmologist can correct inward-rolling eyelids.

Understanding osteosarcoma treatment (amputation + chemotherapy) for dogs and cats. Learn about the procedure, costs, recovery, and what to expect for your pet.

Learn about ventral slot surgery for cervical IVDD (neck disc disease) in dogs and cats. Understand what it involves, costs, recovery, and how to find a specialist.

Learn about elbow arthroscopy for dogs with elbow dysplasia. Understand the procedure, costs, recovery, and how to find a board-certified veterinary surgeon.

Learn about Lateral Suture CCL Repair for dogs, a common surgery for torn knee ligaments. Understand the procedure, recovery, costs, and finding a board-certified specialist.

Learn about Open Reduction Internal Fixation (ORIF) surgery for pet fractures, including costs, recovery, risks, and how to find a board-certified veterinary orthopedic surgeon.

Learn about splenectomy for pets: what spleen removal involves, when it's recommended, typical costs in the US, potential risks, and what to expect during recovery.

Learn about emergency spay (ovariohysterectomy) for pyometra in dogs and cats, including costs, recovery, risks, and how to find a specialist.

Understand bladder stone surgery (cystotomy) for pets. Learn about costs, recovery, risks, and when this urgent procedure is recommended for dogs and cats.

Learn about GI foreign body surgery (enterotomy/gastrotomy) for dogs and cats. Understand costs, recovery, and when to seek emergency veterinary care.

Learn about Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus (GDV) surgery, or bloat surgery, for dogs. Understand the emergency procedure, costs, recovery, and prevention.

Learn about cherry eye surgery (gland repositioning) for pets. Understand the procedure, costs, recovery, and why board-certified specialists recommend it to preserve tear function.

Learn about Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy (TPLO) surgery for dogs, including what it involves, typical costs (USD 3500-7000), recovery timeline, risks, and how to find a board-certified specialist.

Understand Wobbler Syndrome surgery (cervical spondylomyelopathy) for dogs. Learn about procedure, costs, recovery, and how to find a board-certified veterinary neurologist.

TTA surgery for dogs costs $3,500–$6,500 with 8–12 weeks recovery. What tibial tuberosity advancement involves, risks, and how to find a board-certified surgeon.

Considering a Total Hip Replacement (THR) for your dog or cat? Learn about the procedure, costs, recovery, and how to find a board-certified specialist.

Learn about splenic hemangiosarcoma (HSA) in dogs, including splenectomy and chemotherapy. Understand costs, risks, recovery, and how to find a specialist.

Learn about patellar luxation surgery (kneecap surgery) for dogs and cats. Understand what the procedure involves, costs, recovery, and how to find a board-certified specialist.

Mast cell tumor removal for dogs & cats costs $1,500–$6,500, with recovery in 4–8 weeks. What the surgery involves, margins, and how to find a specialist.

Canine lymphoma CHOP chemotherapy costs $5,000–$9,500 over a 16–25 week protocol. What it involves, what to expect, and how to find a veterinary oncologist.

Hemilaminectomy for IVDD costs $4,500–$9,500, with 4–6 weeks of strict confinement during recovery. What the spinal surgery involves and how to find a specialist.

Learn about Femoral Head Ostectomy (FHO) surgery for pets, including what it involves, typical costs ($1500-$4500), recovery, and how to find a board-certified specialist.