How we price

Every cost guide on this site shows three numbers: a low, a typical and a high. This page explains where they come from so you can judge how much weight to give them.

Where the numbers come from

For each procedure we contact veterinary practices directly and ask for an estimate for a defined case: a specific procedure, a dog of a stated weight, and no complications. We record the quote, the type of practice (general practice, emergency hospital, specialty referral center), the state, and the date. We aim for at least a dozen estimates per procedure across several states before publishing, and we say on each page exactly how many we have.

We complement those quotes with published price lists from clinics and nonprofit organizations, and with the cost ranges that veterinary schools and professional bodies publish. Insurer blogs are not a source for prices, because they have an incentive to overstate them.

What low, typical and high mean

The typical figure is the median of the quotes we collected for the defined case. It is the number we put first, because it is the one most owners will actually be quoted.

The low figure is a realistic floor: a smaller dog at a general practice in a lower-cost region. The high figure is the top of the market we observed: a board-certified specialist at a referral hospital in a major metro. Both are real quotes, not extrapolations.

What is included in a price

Unless a page says otherwise, a surgical price includes the pre-operative bloodwork, imaging, anesthesia, the procedure itself, and one follow-up visit. It excludes physical therapy, medication beyond the first course, and treatment of complications. We list the exclusions under each table.

How often numbers are updated

Each guide shows the month it was last updated. We re-survey procedures on a rolling basis and whenever a reader sends us a quote that falls outside our range.

Insurance figures

When we show what an insured owner would pay, we use a stated plan: the reimbursement percentage and deductible are printed next to the number. Coverage rules, waiting periods and exclusions come from the insurers' published policy documents, and we link to them in the sources.

Corrections

If you were quoted something meaningfully different from what we publish, we want to know. Send the estimate, the state and the type of practice to franco@petmywallet.com.