Pick a procedure to see a typical price range for your pet's size and area — and what you'd pay with insurance.
Use this reference table to gut-check estimates. Ranges are national midpoints for a medium-size pet in an average-cost area; large dogs and big cities push toward the high end.
| Procedure / situation | Typical range |
|---|
For a new accident or illness, an 80% plan with a $250 deductible turns a $5,000 surgery into roughly $1,200 out of pocket. That's the whole point of insurance — it doesn't make care cheaper overall, it caps your exposure to the rare, large bill. See the reimbursement calculator for any bill, or check whether a policy makes sense with the worth-it calculator.
A routine wellness exam typically runs $50–$250, while an after-hours emergency visit often starts at $150 just to walk in and can reach $1,500+ before treatment. Costs rise with pet size and in higher-cost areas.
Surgeries need anesthesia, monitoring, imaging, hospitalization, and specialist time — the same inputs as human medicine, paid out of pocket. Orthopedic repairs like cruciate surgery commonly run $3,500–$5,000 per knee, and cancer care can exceed $10,000.
Accident-and-illness insurance typically covers diagnostics, surgery, hospitalization, and medication for new (non-pre-existing) conditions, reimbursing 70–90% after your deductible. Routine and preventive care is usually only covered with a wellness add-on.