Photo illustration of a dog with love hearts.

Vet fees for dogs

Dogs can bring such joy into our lives as owners, but their vet treatments can be expensive. If the worst was to happen, do you know how much it could cost?

Average pet insurance claim

According to the Association of British Insurers the average pet insurance claim in 2021 was £848.

Vet fees are not standardised in the UK, and can vary from practise to practise with factors such as location, your pet’s age and the severity of the condition all having an influence on the cost.

Get a quote to find out what type of policy might be right for you.

How much do vet fees cost?

To give you an idea of what to expect here’s a list of Animal Friends’ average vet fees claims for some of the most common treatments for dogs.

These tables show the average cost of vet fees claims per condition submitted to Animal Friends in 2022. To make this information more specific to your dog we’ve grouped dogs into sizes, ranging from Miniature to Giant.

This is based on the top 10 breeds insured with us per size group, and the 15 most common conditions claimed for by our customers, for each size, in 2022.


Condition Average cost
Disc Extrusion £3,871.00
Cruciate ligament damage £1,788.00
Luxating Patella £1,785.00
Spinal Pain £1,255.00
Diabetes £1,094.00
Pancreatitis £1,045.00
Lameness £944.00
Tumour £882.00
Gastroenteritis £868.00
Cushings Disease £843.00
Eye Ulcer £783.00
Vomiting £780.00
Seizures £713.00
Heart Disease £657.00
Heart Murmur £599.00


Condition Average cost
Cruciate ligament damage £2,067.00
Pancreatitis £1,122.00
Diabetes £949.00
Tumour £865.00
Lameness £862.00
Foreign Body £857.00
Cushings Disease £840.00
Hepatitis £830.00
Gastroenteritis £829.00
Vomiting £816.00
Mitral Valve Disease £725.00
Eye Ulcer £703.00
Heart Murmur £648.00
Heart Disease £645.00
Skin Disease £486.00


Condition Average cost
Disc Extrusion £4,060.00
Fractured Leg £3,033.00
Cruciate ligament damage £2,230.00
Brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome £2,074.00
Spinal Pain £1,296.00
Lameness £958.00
Foreign Body £910.00
Tumour £904.00
Vomiting £849.00
Seizures £812.00
Wound £636.00
Allergies £584.00
Skin Disease £556.00
Otitis £540.00
Osteoarthritis £534.00


Condition Average cost
Cruciate ligament damage £2,478.00
Pyometra £1,675.00
Mast Cell Tumour £1,454.00
Foreign Body £1,339.00
Lameness £961.00
Tumour £957.00
Gastroenteritis £900.00
Vomiting £834.00
Seizures £810.00
Diarrhoea £671.00
Skin Disease £667.00
Allergies £646.00
Wound £628.00
Osteoarthritis £615.00
Otitis £517.00

Condition Average cost
Cruciate ligament damage £2,714.00
Gastric dilatation £2,625.00
Pyometra £1,601.00
Foreign Body £1,411.00
Entropion £1,202.00
Lameness £1,163.00
Gastroenteritis £1,063.00
Vomiting £1,034.00
Diarrhoea £1,007.00
Hip Dysplasia £988.00
Tumour £970.00
Allergies £753.00
Osteoarthritis £625.00
Skin Disease £591.00
Otitis £538.00

Should I get insurance?

Pet insurance can help protect your pet against unexpected vet fees, should they get ill or be injured. Though you may be unsure if you need pet insurance, it’s worth keeping in mind that vet fees can add up very quickly and your pet may need ongoing treatment and medication.

Get a quote

To help you decide, get a quote to find out what type of policy might be right for you and how much it would cost.