Vet costs in 2026: what they run and what you can do
If you have a dog or a cat, you know a visit to the vet can really hit the wallet. Keuze.nl has put the 2026 figures together, and I want to share them here.
A regular consultation costs a dog roughly €33 to €86 and a cat €33 to €60. An evening or night emergency consultation runs from €105 to €560 for a dog and €100 to €220 for a cat. A simple operation costs a dog €500 to €1,500, and a sterilization €389 to €525. Cancer treatment quickly reaches €1,500 to €3,000. Prices vary a lot from practice to practice. Veterinary care also falls under the high 21 percent VAT rate, and fees have risen in recent years up to three times as fast as inflation.
The cabinet wants to tackle high costs. State Secretary Erkens wants rules to limit vets' profits, more transparency about fees, better emergency care, and a solution for staff shortages. Maximum fees are not coming for now, so owners will see little change in the short term.
What can you do yourself right now? The article names three things: check whether your vet belongs to a chain and ask for a price list, ask for a written cost estimate in advance, and consider pet insurance that can reimburse up to 90 percent of costs. According to the piece, basic insurance for a dog starts at around €15 a month, and for a cat at €9. Check whether hereditary or congenital conditions are covered, because not every insurer covers them. For breeds with known breathing problems, such as the French bulldog, insurance can pay for itself sooner. If you cannot afford treatment, Stichting Sterk voor Dieren sometimes offers financial help.
I find this a useful overview: it is better to build a buffer in advance than to do the sums in the middle of the night.
Source: Keuze.nl
A regular consultation costs a dog roughly €33 to €86 and a cat €33 to €60. An evening or night emergency consultation runs from €105 to €560 for a dog and €100 to €220 for a cat. A simple operation costs a dog €500 to €1,500, and a sterilization €389 to €525. Cancer treatment quickly reaches €1,500 to €3,000. Prices vary a lot from practice to practice. Veterinary care also falls under the high 21 percent VAT rate, and fees have risen in recent years up to three times as fast as inflation.
The cabinet wants to tackle high costs. State Secretary Erkens wants rules to limit vets' profits, more transparency about fees, better emergency care, and a solution for staff shortages. Maximum fees are not coming for now, so owners will see little change in the short term.
What can you do yourself right now? The article names three things: check whether your vet belongs to a chain and ask for a price list, ask for a written cost estimate in advance, and consider pet insurance that can reimburse up to 90 percent of costs. According to the piece, basic insurance for a dog starts at around €15 a month, and for a cat at €9. Check whether hereditary or congenital conditions are covered, because not every insurer covers them. For breeds with known breathing problems, such as the French bulldog, insurance can pay for itself sooner. If you cannot afford treatment, Stichting Sterk voor Dieren sometimes offers financial help.
I find this a useful overview: it is better to build a buffer in advance than to do the sums in the middle of the night.
Source: Keuze.nl
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