Vet cost statistics: how fast vet prices are rising, and what common procedures cost
Prices for veterinarian services in the United States rose 50.8% in the ten years to September 2026, compared with 39.6% for consumer prices overall and 15.0% for physicians' services. Source: BLS CPI: veterinarian services; BLS CPI: all items; BLS CPI: physicians' services, data as of September 2026.
Key statistics
- Vet prices rose 50.8% between September 2016 and September 2026; all consumer prices rose 39.6%, a gap of 11.2 percentage points. (BLS CPI: veterinarian services; BLS CPI: all items)
- Over twenty years, since September 2006, vet prices rose 104.5%, against 66.1% for all items. (BLS CPI: veterinarian services; BLS CPI: all items)
- In the twelve months to September 2026, vet prices rose 3.6%, against 3.7% for all items. (BLS CPI: veterinarian services; BLS CPI: all items)
- The sharpest twelve-month rise in vet prices of the last decade was 12.1%, in the year to November 2024. (BLS CPI: veterinarian services)
- Over the same ten years, vet prices rose 50.8% while prices for physicians' services, the human-medicine equivalent, rose 15.0%. (BLS CPI: veterinarian services; BLS CPI: physicians' services)
- A national price study commissioned by Synchrony, which issues the CareCredit pet-financing card, puts the average TPLO knee surgery for a dog at $3,525, with local prices from $2,793–$6,417. (CareCredit, CCL surgery)
- The same study puts the average dog MRI at $2,285 and the average surgery for an intestinal blockage in a dog at $4,383. (CareCredit, dog MRI; CareCredit, intestinal blockage)
- Two university teaching hospitals quote different prices for cataract surgery in one eye: $3,200–$4,300 at the University of Tennessee and $4,900–$5,500 at the University of Missouri. (Univ. of Tennessee VMC; Univ. of Missouri VHC, cataract)
- Cornell’s animal hospital puts radiation therapy at approximately $2,500–$7,000. (Cornell University Hospital for Animals)
Vet price inflation compared with overall inflation
The Bureau of Labor Statistics tracks what consumers pay for veterinarian services as part of the Consumer Price Index. Between September 2016 and September 2026 that index rose 50.8%, while the index for all items rose 39.6% and the index for physicians' services rose 15.0%. (BLS CPI: veterinarian services; BLS CPI: all items; BLS CPI: physicians' services)
The chart puts all three indexes on the same starting point, September 2006, so the lines show how far each has risen since then. The table gives each calendar year’s change, December to December. (BLS CPI: veterinarian services; BLS CPI: all items; BLS CPI: physicians' services)
| Year | Veterinarian services | All items | Physicians' services |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5.0% | 2.7% | 1.9% |
| 2024 | 11.5% | 2.9% | 2.6% |
| 2023 | 0.7% | 3.4% | -0.6% |
| 2022 | 7.5% | 6.5% | 1.7% |
| 2021 | 6.2% | 7.0% | 4.3% |
| 2020 | 1.7% | 1.4% | 1.7% |
| 2019 | 2.1% | 2.3% | 1.4% |
| 2018 | 3.3% | 1.9% | 0.6% |
| 2017 | 1.3% | 2.1% | -1.8% |
| 2016 | 1.3% | 2.1% | 3.8% |
| 2015 | 3.1% | 0.7% | 2.4% |
| 2014 | 1.8% | 0.8% | 1.5% |
| 2013 | 3.0% | 1.5% | 1.9% |
| 2012 | 2.2% | 1.7% | 2.0% |
| 2011 | 4.5% | 3.0% | 2.7% |
| 2010 | 2.0% | 1.5% | 3.4% |
| 2009 | 1.3% | 2.7% | 2.5% |
| 2008 | 6.7% | 0.1% | 2.9% |
| 2007 | 4.1% | 4.1% | 4.1% |
Download the data (CSV) (BLS CPI: veterinarian services; BLS CPI: all items; BLS CPI: physicians' services)
What common vet procedures cost: published prices
The table lists prices that teaching hospitals, specialty and general practices, pet insurers and a national price study have published for common procedures, each quoted as published and linked to its source. Several procedures have more than one row because the sources disagree: for cataract surgery in one eye, the University of Tennessee quotes $3,200–$4,300 and the University of Missouri $4,900–$5,500. (Univ. of Tennessee VMC; Univ. of Missouri VHC, cataract)
Read each figure with its basis. An all-inclusive hospital fee, a national average and an insurer’s average claim measure different things, and an insurer’s figure for a condition such as lymphoma covers all of its treatment, not one procedure. Some sources are several years old; the table dates each one.
None of these figures is a quote for a particular pet. For a range adjusted to your region and your pet’s case, use the cost estimator linked from each procedure’s page.
| Procedure | Species | Published price | What the figure is | Source | Source date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TPLO (cruciate ligament surgery) | Dog | $3,525 national average; $2,793–$6,417 by location | National average, 2025 national price study across all states, commissioned by Synchrony (CareCredit) | CareCredit, CCL surgery | 2026-04-24 |
| TPLO (cruciate ligament surgery) | Dog | $4,000–$4,500 (giant breeds $4,500–$5,000) | Teaching hospital’s complete charge for small to large dogs; 8-week recheck extra (2021 handout) | Univ. of Missouri VHC, TPLO | 2021-01 |
| TPLO (cruciate ligament surgery) | Not stated | $4,000–$4,600 | General practice’s published estimate; varies by weight | Access Veterinary Care | Not dated |
| TTA (cruciate ligament surgery) | Not stated | $3,400 | Surgical practice’s all-inclusive fee; 8-week X-rays extra | Veterinary Surgery Service, TTA | Not dated |
| Lateral suture (cruciate ligament repair) | Dog | $2,500 | Surgical practice’s all-inclusive fee | Veterinary Surgery Service, lateral suture | Not dated |
| Lymphoma treatment (any protocol) | Dog | $5,254 | National average cost of therapy for lymphoma, protocol not specified; 2025 national price study across all states, commissioned by Synchrony (CareCredit) | CareCredit, chemotherapy | 2025-11-21 |
| Lymphoma treatment (any protocol) | Not stated | $5,800 per year | Insurer claims data: yearly cost of lymphoma, all treatment (2019 release) | Trupanion, 2019 | 2019-01-21 |
| Lymphoma treatment (any protocol) | Not stated | $1,807 per pet | Insurer claims data: average claimed per pet for lymphoma in 2019 | Nationwide, 2020 | 2020-10-30 |
| Radiation therapy | Not stated | approximately $2,500–$7,000 | University hospital’s approximate range | Cornell University Hospital for Animals | Not dated |
| Radiation therapy | Not stated | $4,500–$6,000 curative; $1,000–$1,800 palliative | Insurer’s page citing the Veterinary Cancer Society (2023) | Pets Best | Not dated |
| Mast cell tumor | Dog | $1,001 average claim | Insurer claims data: average canine mast cell tumor claim, 2022; covers the condition, not only surgery | Pets Best | Not dated |
| Mast cell tumor removal | Dog | $500–$1,500 | Veterinarian-written estimate for surgical removal; diagnostics extra | PetMD | 2024-04-30 |
| MRI | Dog | $2,285 national average; $1,811–$4,140 by location | National average, 2025 national price study across all states, commissioned by Synchrony (CareCredit) | CareCredit, dog MRI | 2026-06-19 |
| MRI | Dog | around $5,000 all-in | Specialty neurology hospital’s average all-in cost at its own hospitals | Southeast Veterinary Neurology, MRI | Not dated |
| CT scan | Dog | $1,615 | National average, 2025–2026 national price study, commissioned by Synchrony (CareCredit) | CareCredit, procedure cost table | Not dated |
| CT scan | Cat | $1,144 | National average, 2025–2026 national price study, commissioned by Synchrony (CareCredit) | CareCredit, procedure cost table | Not dated |
| TECA (total ear canal ablation) | Not stated | $3,800 one ear; $5,500 both ears | Surgical practice’s all-inclusive fee; biopsy analysis may be extra | Veterinary Surgery Service, TECA | Not dated |
| TECA (total ear canal ablation) | Dog | $5,350 one ear; $8,950 both ears | Flat-fee package; excludes advanced imaging and complications | SurgiPet | 2026-09 |
| FHO (femoral head ostectomy) | Dog | $2,791 national average; $2,210–$5,078 by location | National average, 2025 national price study across all states, commissioned by Synchrony (CareCredit) | CareCredit, FHO | 2026-03-13 |
| Cataract surgery | Not stated | $3,200–$4,300 one eye; $3,700–$4,800 both eyes | University hospital estimate, updated June 2026; pre-surgery workup extra | Univ. of Tennessee VMC | 2026-06-05 |
| Cataract surgery | Not stated | $4,900–$5,500 one eye; $5,600–$6,700 both eyes | University hospital estimate, March 2025, including pre-surgery diagnostics | Univ. of Missouri VHC, cataract | 2025-04 |
| Cataract surgery | Dog | $3,782 per eye national average; $2,995–$6,845 by location | National average, 2025 national price study across all states, commissioned by Synchrony (CareCredit) | CareCredit, cataract surgery | 2026-02-13 |
| Pacemaker implantation | Dog | $3,500–$4,000 | University cardiologist’s typical total for the procedure (2017) | Univ. of Illinois CVM | 2017-07-18 |
| Splenectomy | Dog | $2,299–$2,849 | Nonprofit hospital’s published range; pre-anesthetic bloodwork may be extra | Anicira Veterinary Center | Not dated |
| Splenectomy | Dog | $2,300 | General practice’s published estimate | Access Veterinary Care | Not dated |
| Pyometra surgery | Dog | $1,218 | National average, 2025–2026 national price study, commissioned by Synchrony (CareCredit) | CareCredit, procedure cost table | Not dated |
| Pyometra surgery | Cat | $2,116 | National average, 2025–2026 national price study, commissioned by Synchrony (CareCredit) | CareCredit, procedure cost table | Not dated |
| Pyometra surgery | Dog | $690–$920 | Surgical practice’s price list; includes IV fluids and medication | Shore Pet Surgery | Not dated |
| Intestinal blockage (foreign body) surgery | Dog | $4,383 national average; $3,471–$7,976 by location | National average, 2025 national price study across all states, commissioned by Synchrony (CareCredit) | CareCredit, intestinal blockage | 2026-04-24 |
| Intestinal blockage (foreign body) surgery | Dog or cat | $1,700–$2,800 | General practice’s estimate; more if part of the intestine must be removed | Access Veterinary Care | Not dated |
| Hemilaminectomy (IVDD back surgery) | Not stated | $5,900 | Surgical practice’s all-inclusive fee, including rehabilitation | Veterinary Surgery Service, hemilaminectomy | Not dated |
| Hemilaminectomy (IVDD back surgery) | Dog | $10,000–$15,000 all-in | Specialty neurology hospital’s all-in cost: exam, bloodwork, X-rays, anesthesia, hospital stay, rehabilitation | Southeast Veterinary Neurology, IVDD | Not dated |
| Leg amputation | Dog | $1,900–$2,100 | General practice’s published estimate | Access Veterinary Care | Not dated |
| Dental cleaning | Dog | $388 national average; $307–$702 by location | National average, 2025 national price study across all states, commissioned by Synchrony (CareCredit) (cats: $375) | CareCredit, teeth cleaning | 2026-04-24 |
| Tooth extraction | Dog | $78 per tooth (simple); $62–$142 by location | National average, 2025 national price study across all states, commissioned by Synchrony (CareCredit); X-rays, cleaning and anesthesia extra | CareCredit, tooth extraction | 2026-02-13 |
| Blocked cat (urethral obstruction) | Cat | $3,400–$5,200 | Hospital’s price for the recommended first treatment: 2 to 4 days in hospital with diagnostics | GQ Vet Clinic | Not dated |
| Blocked cat (urethral obstruction) | Cat | $795 plus tax | Low-cost clinic’s flat price, including up to 5 days in hospital | Focus Veterinary Care | Not dated |
| Endoscopy | Not stated | $1,000 | Surgical practice’s all-inclusive fee; biopsy analysis may be extra | Veterinary Surgery Service, endoscopy | Not dated |
Download the data (CSV) (CareCredit, CCL surgery; Univ. of Missouri VHC, TPLO; Access Veterinary Care; Veterinary Surgery Service, TTA; Veterinary Surgery Service, lateral suture; CareCredit, chemotherapy; Trupanion, 2019; Nationwide, 2020; Cornell University Hospital for Animals; Pets Best; PetMD; CareCredit, dog MRI; Southeast Veterinary Neurology, MRI; CareCredit, procedure cost table; Veterinary Surgery Service, TECA; SurgiPet; CareCredit, FHO; Univ. of Tennessee VMC; Univ. of Missouri VHC, cataract; CareCredit, cataract surgery; Univ. of Illinois CVM; Anicira Veterinary Center; Shore Pet Surgery; CareCredit, intestinal blockage; Veterinary Surgery Service, hemilaminectomy; Southeast Veterinary Neurology, IVDD; CareCredit, teeth cleaning; CareCredit, tooth extraction; GQ Vet Clinic; Focus Veterinary Care; Veterinary Surgery Service, endoscopy)
Methodology
Price changes use the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), U.S. city average, not seasonally adjusted: the series for veterinarian services, for all items, and for physicians’ services. Changes compare the same calendar month, so seasonal patterns cancel out, and the yearly table compares each December with the December before.
BLS published no index for October 2025, during the 2025 lapse in federal appropriations, and none for veterinarian services in October 2019. Comparisons that would need those months are left out, and the monthly data file omits them.
The CPI measures the price of a fixed basket of services, not what a household spends: if pet owners buy more or costlier treatment, their bills rise faster than the index.
Procedure prices are figures published by the sources named in each row, quoted as published. They are not quotes for a particular pet: the final bill depends on size, region, complications and the hospital. They are not the ranges used by the vetclinic.info cost estimator, which are editorial estimates.
Nothing on this page comes from the vetclinic.info directory of practices.
Download the data
- Monthly CPI-U index levels: vet services, all items, physicians' services (CSV) — Monthly index levels, U.S. city average, not seasonally adjusted. Base periods as published by BLS: 1982–84 = 100 for all items and physicians' services; December 1997 = 100 for veterinarian services. Months BLS did not publish are omitted: October 2025 for all three series (the 2025 lapse in appropriations) and October 2019 for veterinarian services.
Frequently asked questions
How much have vet prices gone up?
By 50.8% in the ten years to September 2026, and by 3.6% in the last twelve months, according to the Consumer Price Index for veterinarian services. (BLS CPI: veterinarian services)
Are vet prices rising faster than inflation?
Over the ten years to September 2026, vet services rose 50.8% and all items 39.6%, a difference of 11.2 percentage points. In the latest twelve months the figures were 3.6% and 3.7%. (BLS CPI: veterinarian services; BLS CPI: all items)
How much does TPLO surgery cost for a dog?
A national price study commissioned by Synchrony puts the average at $3,525, with local prices from $2,793–$6,417. Hospitals publish fees on either side of that; the table lists each source. (CareCredit, CCL surgery)
How much does a dog MRI cost?
The same study puts the national average at $2,285. A specialty neurology hospital group in Florida and Virginia puts its own all-in average at about five thousand dollars. (CareCredit, dog MRI; Southeast Veterinary Neurology, MRI)
Can I reuse these statistics?
Yes. Our tables and charts are licensed CC BY 4.0, so you can quote, chart and republish them with a link to this page. The underlying CPI data is public domain.
How to cite or reuse these statistics
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<a href="https://vetclinic.info/statistics/vet-costs/">Vet Cost Statistics 2026: Vet Price Inflation and What Common Procedures Cost</a> (vetclinic.info)Licence: our compiled tables and charts are published under CC BY 4.0. Figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Census Bureau are public domain; figures from other publishers remain theirs, so cite them as listed under Sources.
Sources
- CPI-U, U.S. city average: Veterinarian services (CUUR0000SS62053), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved November 1, 2026.
- CPI-U, U.S. city average: All items (CUUR0000SA0), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved November 1, 2026.
- CPI-U, U.S. city average: Physicians' services (CUUR0000SEMC01), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved November 1, 2026.
- How Much Does CCL (ACL) Surgery for Dogs Cost?, CareCredit (Synchrony) (2026-04-24). Retrieved November 1, 2026.
- Cranial Cruciate Ligament Disease and the Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy (TPLO), client handout, University of Missouri Veterinary Health Center (2021-01). Retrieved November 1, 2026.
- Surgery Services & Pricing, Access Veterinary Care (Minneapolis, MN). Retrieved November 1, 2026.
- Tibial Tuberosity Advancement (TTA), Veterinary Surgery Service (Fort Walton Beach, FL). Retrieved November 1, 2026.
- ACL Extracapsular Lateral Suture Repair, Veterinary Surgery Service (Fort Walton Beach, FL). Retrieved November 1, 2026.
- How Much Does Chemotherapy Cost for Dogs and Cats?, CareCredit (Synchrony) (2025-11-21). Retrieved November 1, 2026.
- Trupanion Reveals Top Drivers of Veterinary Costs in Cats and Dogs, Trupanion (2019-01-21). Retrieved November 1, 2026.
- November is National Pet Cancer Awareness Month, Nationwide (2020-10-30). Retrieved November 1, 2026.
- Cancer Management Frequently Asked Questions, Cornell University Hospital for Animals. Retrieved November 1, 2026.
- Coverage for Dogs & Cats with Cancer, Pets Best. Retrieved November 1, 2026.
- Mast Cell Tumor (Mastocytoma) in Dogs, PetMD (2024-04-30). Retrieved November 1, 2026.
- How Much Does a Dog MRI Cost?, CareCredit (Synchrony) (2026-06-19). Retrieved November 1, 2026.
- How Much Does a Dog MRI Cost?, Southeast Veterinary Neurology. Retrieved November 1, 2026.
- Veterinary Exam and Procedure Costs, CareCredit (Synchrony). Retrieved November 1, 2026.
- Total Ear Canal Ablation and Bulla Osteotomy (TECA-BO), Veterinary Surgery Service (Fort Walton Beach, FL). Retrieved November 1, 2026.
- TECA Ear Surgery for Dogs and Cats, SurgiPet (Carlsbad, CA) (2026-09). Retrieved November 1, 2026.
- Dog Hip Dysplasia Surgery Cost and Procedure Guide, CareCredit (Synchrony) (2026-03-13). Retrieved November 1, 2026.
- Cataract Pre-Evaluation/Surgery Information and Estimate, University of Tennessee Veterinary Medical Center (2026-06-05). Retrieved November 1, 2026.
- Cataract Owner and RDVM Handout, University of Missouri Veterinary Health Center (2025-04). Retrieved November 1, 2026.
- Dog Cataract Surgery Cost and Procedure Guide, CareCredit (Synchrony) (2026-02-13). Retrieved November 1, 2026.
- Pacemakers Solve Canine Heart Problems, University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine (2017-07-18). Retrieved November 1, 2026.
- Affordable Splenectomy Surgery, Anicira Veterinary Center (Manassas, VA). Retrieved November 1, 2026.
- Pricing For Pet Surgical Services, Shore Pet Surgery (Grasonville, MD). Retrieved November 1, 2026.
- Intestinal Blockage Surgery Cost for Dogs and Cats, CareCredit (Synchrony) (2026-04-24). Retrieved November 1, 2026.
- Hemilaminectomy including Rehabilitation, Veterinary Surgery Service (Fort Walton Beach, FL). Retrieved November 1, 2026.
- How Much Does IVDD Surgery Cost for Dogs?, Southeast Veterinary Neurology. Retrieved November 1, 2026.
- How Much Does Cat or Dog Teeth Cleaning Cost?, CareCredit (Synchrony) (2026-04-24). Retrieved November 1, 2026.
- Dog Tooth Extraction Cost and Procedure Guide, CareCredit (Synchrony) (2026-02-13). Retrieved November 1, 2026.
- Blocked Cat, GQ Vet Clinic (Queen Creek, AZ). Retrieved November 1, 2026.
- Urethral Obstruction (Blocked Cat), Focus Veterinary Care (Nicholasville, KY). Retrieved November 1, 2026.
- Endoscopy, Veterinary Surgery Service (Fort Walton Beach, FL). Retrieved November 1, 2026.
How we compile these pages: editorial policy. Found an error? Write to [email protected] and we will correct it and note the change here.