What is the price of taking a dog to the veterinarian?
It is difficult to form an opinion on what it would cost to take your dog to the veterinarian. Maybe you have been looking for the answer online but haven't found it. That can be frustrating, but there are explanations:
Prices vary between clinics.
The clinics' price lists are updated from time to time.
Treatment during emergencies or on-call time is more expensive.
A certain diagnosis can be more or less serious and require more or less care.
Because the conditions can vary so much, there is a risk that general price information for individual injuries or illnesses becomes misleading and creates expectations or concerns that turn out to be incorrect on the day you are faced with an actual veterinary bill.
An idea about the cost of a veterinary visit
When you consider buying a dog or when you determine the amount of insurance coverage you want, veterinary costs are likely something you want to take into consideration. Of course, this requires that there is a certain transparency regarding pricing. We can contribute with our expertise and knowledge to assist you.
How we obtained information about veterinarian prices
We have price information from numerous veterinary visits because we process thousands of reimbursement applications every year. We have compiled a summary based on the applications we received in Sweden during 2023.
We provide prices for selected diagnoses. However, there are cases that could fall under multiple different diagnoses. The criteria we used when creating the categories are 1.) that any sub-diagnoses that have been combined should be sufficiently similar, and 2.) that the number of cases in the category should be large enough (over 30 cases).
We list the lowest prices, the highest prices, and the average price for each diagnosis. Please note that what applies to our customers may not necessarily be representative for everyone!
List of veterinary prices for common injuries and illnesses
When all diagnoses are added up, the average price for a veterinary visit with a dog is 11,434 kronor. The most expensive case we handled last year was a traffic accident, which cost over 160,000 kronor. Three out of the five most expensive bills (over 100,000 kronor) for dogs were for treatments after accidents. In addition, fractures, injured discs, and swallowed objects are behind many of the highest costs.
Vomiting and diarrhea are common symptoms
For dogs, ten percent of the veterinary visits reported to us were caused by either vomiting or diarrhea. Both vomiting and diarrhea can sometimes be completely harmless and sometimes a sign that something is seriously wrong, so the price range for treatment is wide.
Price of a veterinary visit for vomiting: 1,576-81,500 kr, average 15,000 kr.
Price of a veterinary visit for diarrhea: 500-74,088 kr, average 12,139 kr.
Read more about vomiting and diarrhea in dogs.
It’s expensive when a dog swallows the wrong thing
How expensive it becomes when your dog swallows a foreign object largely depends on what has been swallowed, how far it has progressed, and if any additional complications arise. If you seek help quickly, it may be enough to help the dog vomit the object. Sometimes the object needs to be surgically removed, and sometimes the assessment is made that it is safe to let it pass naturally. Among our insured dogs, swallowed objects account for three percent of veterinary visits.
Price of a veterinary visit for a swallowed object: 1,810-96,500 kr, average 15,493 kr.
Learn which objects are often swallowed by dogs and what to do if it happens.Poisonings and toxic bites
The list of substances that are toxic to your dog is long and worth knowing. Among the most common causes of poisonings among the dogs we insure are theobromine (chocolate), medications, and snake bites. In the category of poisonings, we find four percent of the veterinary visits for the dogs we insure.
Price of a veterinary visit caused by poisoning: 1,620-62,061 kr, average 10,375 kr.
Browse through our articles about dog health to find information about several common types of poisonings.
Dogs with broken bones
It is not uncommon for dogs to obtain fractures from accidents. Broken bones usually result in pain and swelling, but how difficult it is to detect a bone fracture depends on where it is located in the body. Many fractures require surgical stabilisation, and this can be more expensive.
Price of a veterinary visit for a fracture: 4,346-78,476 kr, average 38,846 kr.
Learn how to interpret lameness in your dog.Tumours in the dog's skin
Different forms of skin problems are very common in dogs (15 percent of veterinary visits) and can range from itching and minor sores to skin cancer. Neoplasms (tumours) in the skin account for a large proportion of veterinary visits related to the dog's skin. This group includes both benign and malignant tumors. Keep an eye out for changes in your dog's skin to notice this in time.
Price of a veterinary visit related to a skin tumour: 700-64,078 kr, average 11,835 kr.
Read more about finding lumps in your dog's skin.Uterine infection
Uterine infection (pyometra) can be a serious condition, partly because it often leads to blood poisoning (sepsis). The risk of uterine infection varies among dog breeds. Spaying your female dog gives her good protection.
Cost of veterinary visit for uterine infection: 5,820-73,376 kr, average 35,926 kr.
Learn to recognise the signs of uterine infection.Injuries to the dog's claws
Lameness or bleeding from a paw can be a sign of a claw injury or a claw fracture. Some claw injuries can be treated at home, but sometimes remnants of the nail needs to be removed by a veterinarian. Well-trimmed toe-nails reduce the risk of such injuries as longer nails are more prone to getting stuck and then damaged.
Price of a veterinary visit for an injured claw: 950-44,700 kr, average 7,158 kr.
Read how to take care of a claw injury.
Ear inflammations and infections
The most common is an inflammation in the ear canal, but it can also be present in or spread to the middle or inner ear. The shape of the ear and how often it becomes moist affect the risk of getting an infection. However, the direct cause is usually skin irritation from eczema, often caused by food allergies. In the case of recurring inflammations, cleaning the dog's ears can have a preventive effect, but otherwise it can actually increase the risk of being affected.
Price of a veterinary visit for otitis: 1,035-25,893 kr, average 5,008 kr.
Read more about ear problems in dogs.Ask your veterinarian for the price!
To get reliable information about the cost of a specific treatment for your dog or cat, you need to ask your veterinarian. It's a good idea to request an estimate before the treatment to avoid expensive surprises. If possible, it might be worth asking for prices at multiple veterinary clinics!
