6 Ways to Find Help With a Pet’s Veterinary Bills

Routine healthcare for a pet can be expensive. Prices for care are much higher when your dog or cat gets very sick, possibly forcing you to make heartbreaking decisions.

Luckily, there are options to help you save money or fund your pet’s healthcare needs. Below, we break down six ways to get a handle on your vet bills.

What does the average vet visit cost?

For all the love they give, dogs and cats also need healthcare to keep them wagging and purring. Vaccinations, flea and tick control, and diarrhea are among the reasons you may seek veterinary care. A vet visit involving a physical exam or consultation typically costs around $50, depending where you live. That doesn’t count extras such as lab work or medication.

One of the most common procedures in a young pet’s life — spay or neuter surgery — typically costs $100 to $300 at a private vet. But you may be able to find free or low-cost services at a local SPCA or nonprofit foundation. PetSmart Charities offers a database of low-cost spay and neuter services. Find a location near you.

According to the ASPCA, the cost of routine vet visits varies, depending on factors such as:

• Where you live

• The service or treatment provided 

• Type of pet

• Where you get care

Visits for smaller animals generally cost less than for larger pets. 

Just like for humans, costs can add up for pets’ complex and chronic care. The chart below shows first-year average costs for common health conditions that can affect cats and dogs. 

Finally, if your pet gets very sick or has a condition that causes a lot of pain, you eventually may need to have your dog or cat put to sleep. The procedure can run $50 to $500. The cost depends on the animal’s weight and where you have the humane euthanasia done, among other considerations.

What happens if I can’t pay for my pet’s vet bill?

You may be able to pay your vet bills in installments. Speak with your vet to find out if you can negotiate a payment plan.

When your vet bill is overdue, it’s likely to go to a collection agency at some point. It may not go to collections immediately, but you might face some consequences for your unpaid bill. For example, it may hurt your credit score as you fall further behind in payments.

Below are six ways to get help with your pet’s expenses.

1. Visit a low-cost vet school clinic.

Veterinary school clinics may be good options for lower-priced care because vets supervise student-led procedures. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AMVA) has a directory throughout several countries. These programs are usually nonprofit and government-funded or supported through donations.

2. Consider buying pet health insurance.

Will pet insurance cover your vet bills?

Many pet insurance policies don't cover preventive care, like grooming, teeth cleaning, and even spay and neutering costs. Wellness and preventive care usually cost extra.

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But pet insurance might be cost-effective if your pet ends up needing an expensive operation. For example, if your puppy needs medical attention to remove an object he swallowed, it could cost you more than $3,000 on average, according to figures from CareCredit.com. Later in life, cancer treatment could cost $9,400 or more.

You might find a discount if you have multiple pets, or if you already have a home or auto policy with a company that also offers pet insurance, for example. But don’t forget to compare pet insurance options and ask yourself if you really need it in the first place.

Assess your pet’s health, and search for policies that cover its specific breed and conditions. Ask about exclusions before you sign a contract.

Is pet insurance worth the money?

About 7 in 10 U.S. households have a pet. About 3.5 million pets were insured in North America in 2020, according to the North American Pet Health Insurance Association (NAPHIA).

The average annual premiums for a policy that covers accidents and illness is about $600 for dogs and $340 for cats, the NAPHIA reports. That’s about $50 monthly for dogs and $29 for cats. For accident-only coverage, yearly average prices drop to $218 for dogs and $134 for cats.

Insurance could save you thousands of dollars if your pet later needs complex care or emergency procedures. Still, insurance might not be the best option for some pet owners.

Pros:

• Peace of mind

• Some policies cover alternative medicine, accidents, and hereditary, congenital, and chronic problems

• You could save money on emergency treatments

• Premiums may be as low as $30 a month for a young pet

Cons:

• Some policies don’t cover pre-existing conditions

• Insuring your pet for a lifetime may cost more than paying out of pocket

• You may still be responsible for deductibles and copays

• Premiums may rise as your pet ages

• Exclusions: Policies often don’t cover some treatments, preventive care, or grooming

Pet insurance may offer peace of mind, among other potential benefits. But if a few thousand dollars a year put away for potential health episodes won’t put a dent in your pocket, you may be fine without it. 

3. Apply for grants from organizations that help with vet bills. 

There are organizations and charities that can cover or reduce your veterinary expenses. First, check to see if your veterinarian works with such groups. Then prepare your documents.

To qualify for assistance, groups may ask you to submit:

• Proof of your financial need

• Your pet’s diagnosis

• A treatment plan or estimate of treatment costs

• Proof of your pet’s veterinary care history, including spay or neuter surgery

• Your pet’s expected condition after the prescribed treatment

Here are several organizations the Humane Society lists that may offer a financial lifeline if your pet falls ill:

• The Pet Fund is a nonprofit organization that offers financial help for pets in need of non-basic and non-urgent medical care. The Pet Fund receives thousands of requests for help, so there is a waitlist. Eligible pet owners can apply for a one-time grant.

• Red Rover Urgent Care is a grant program that helps pay bills for pets with life-threatening conditions. The average grant is $250.

• Bow Wow Buddies Foundation is a nonprofit that helps provide funding for sick and injured family dogs and homeless dogs. If your application is accepted, the foundation provides grants of up to $2,500 for necessary medical treatments for dogs across North America. Qualifying conditions include broken bones, emergencies, cancer, abdominal obstructions, and eye removal, among others.

You may want to apply to more than one organization. Others that also may help:

• The Brown Dog Foundation helps save family pets in need of medical care. With more than 4,000 requests per year, the group says priority goes to pets whose lives are in danger.

• Paws 4 A Cure, a volunteer-run, nonprofit organization, helps pay bills for dogs and cats that have illnesses and injuries. The maximum grant is $500.

4. Look for charities that help with emergency vet bills.

Some are national, and others are for state residents only.

• Frankie’s Friends is a national foundation that helps low-income families pay for emergency and life-threatening veterinary care up to $2,000. Families must cover part of the treatment costs, and Frankie’s Friends asks for a discounted rate from the vet.

• Harley’s Hope Foundation offers financial help for Colorado residents with pets who need major veterinary treatments. You must take your pets to routine visits, have an estimated treatment cost, a good survival prognosis, proof of financial need, and a written diagnosis to qualify for help.

5. Raise money on a crowdfunding site. 

If you have a flair for storytelling and are comfortable going public with your pet’s needs, there’s another option. Crowdfunding sites can help friends and strangers donate money to cover your vet bills. 

Here’s a look at what a few sites offer:

• GoFundMe offers crowdfunding for any situation. To get funding, create a campaign with your fundraiser goal, share your story, and upload photos or video. After GoFundMe approves your post, you’re free to share it with anyone. Bank transfers take 2 to 5 business days. Be aware that because you receive the money, funds count as income to you. That can affect your monthly eligibility for programs like Medicaid.

• Waggle is like GoFundMe, but it offers money for dogs and cats facing euthanasia. You set up a campaign with photos of your pet and get an invoice from your vet. Then, if Waggle approves your campaign, they post it to the Meet Pets in Crisis page. After your vet treats your pet, they send the invoice to Waggle, and Waggle pays the vet. Your campaign might get more attention if Waggle shares it with nonprofit organizations, celebrities, and social influencers.

• CoFund My Pet provides crowdfunding for all animals and works with your vet. It’s like GoFundMe and Waggle, as campaigns need a story, a fundraising goal, and a photo. Once you have raised at least $25, you can request a CoFund My Pet Veterinary Debit Card and continue to raise money. Your card usually arrives in 7 to 10 business days. Some vets will let you delay your payment until you receive your debit card, as long as you have proof that you’ve raised money on the site.

6. Take preventive action every day.

To maintain your pet’s health, it’s important to monitor their behavior and use preventive measures that may save your pet’s life or help you avoid expensive treatments in the future. 

• Avoid overfeeding and help them maintain a healthy weight. If you’re unsure what this is for your pet, ask a vet for advice.

• Get your pet vaccinated to protect your dog or cat from potential illnesses.

• Keep up with grooming and brushing your pet’s teeth.

• Watch for unusual behavior.

• Keep your pet active.

• Ask a veterinary healthcare provider how to protect your pet from fleas and parasites.

• Has your pet been spayed or neutered? For female pets especially, this may help prevent serious ailments like cancer.

• Take your pet for yearly wellness exams — even if they appear healthy. 

Why trust our experts?

Written by:

Courtney Jones

Courtney Jones has more than 10 years of experience writing for a variety of media brands, with particular expertise in consumer advice. She began her career as an editor for a small luxury lifestyle magazine in New Jersey and moved on to become an online editor at U.S. News & World Report, where she wrote about consumer car-buying advice.

Edited by:

Kristen Gerencher, MSOT

Kristen Gerencher is an award-winning writer who has reported on healthcare, medicine, and insurance for a variety of national publications. Before contributing to GoodRx, she was a healthcare and personal finance reporter for MarketWatch.

Reviewed by:

Ghanasyam Bey, DVM

Ghanasyam Bey, DVM, is from Cleveland, Ohio, and attended Princeton University for undergraduate studies. After a year of biology research at Duke University, he attended Ohio State College of Veterinary Medicine.

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Co-contributor: Caren Weiner Campbell