How Much Does Dog Blood Work Cost? (2024)

On average, routine blood work for your dog will cost between $100 and $200 per visit. Routine tests include a complete blood count (CBC) and blood chemistry analysis. An animal hospital in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, provided us a quote of $145 for basic testing.

When breaking down the costs of your dog’s blood work, consider the reason for the testing and the possibility of additional fees. For example, if blood work is required at your dog’s annual physical examination, you might pay $150 for blood work, $20 for parasite testing and another $50 for the examination fee. You’ll also need to account for the costs of routine vaccinations and preventative medications.

If your dog is exhibiting symptoms of illness, the vet might opt to run more blood tests. Additional tests like urinalysis, fecal exams and thyroid panels can each tack on $20 to $80 to your vet bill.

We recommend discussing what tests are being done and how much they’ll cost at the beginning of every appointment. That way, you’ll better understand how your dog is being tested and avoid any surprises once the bill comes.

Routine Dog Blood Test Costs

The minimum costs associated with dog blood testing will be those for routine tests. These tests are performed yearly and can be expected for any pet. Routine tests provide vets an overall picture of your dog’s health, as well as baseline data to refer back to if your animal gets sick.

Routine dog blood work, which typically includes a complete blood count test and blood chemistry analysis, costs $100 to $200 on average. We’ll explain CBC tests and blood chemistry analyses below to help you understand what your dog is being tested for.

Your pet will also require blood work if they are going in for surgery. Before sedating your pet, the vet needs an understanding of any health problems that could interfere with anesthesia. It is crucial that the vet knows of any blood clotting issues before operating on your dog.

Pre-op blood work costs may vary from routine blood work costs. Pre-op testing doesn’t necessarily cost more than routine testing, but it will vary by provider.

For example, Affordable Animal Hospital is a vet clinic in Los Angeles that charges a minimum of $85 for a basic CBC/blood chemistry panel and $190 for preoperative blood screening. Another clinic in Boise, Idaho, charges $110 for a basic panel and $104-$184 for pre-op tests. Your best bet to determine specific price differences is to ask your vet ahead of time.

The vet will most likely run blood work at your dog’s yearly wellness exam. To give you a better idea of how much you might actually pay in addition to routine blood testing, we’ve compiled some sample costs associated with canine wellness checkups from Affordable Animal Hospital in Los Angeles. Remember that pricing for specific services varies by location and provider, so your costs could be higher or lower.

Irregular Dog Blood Work Costs

Along with routine blood work or pre-op panels, the vet might run tests to analyze specific hormone levels, confirm heartworm status or diagnose an infection.

Affordable Animal Hospital offers blood testing options in addition to its $85 basic CBC/blood chemistry panel. Below are the prices of common additional tests:

Blood testing is also done when your pet has a specific health problem that needs to be diagnosed or monitored. Special testing is often more expensive because it involves more comprehensive metrics than your average blood panel.

For example, if your dog’s routine CBC comes back with high lymphocyte levels, the vet will need to run extensive testing for leukemia or lymphoma. The vet can also run a blood allergy test to look for antibodies against certain allergens. A comprehensive allergy blood panel can cost between $200 and $300, so check with your dog’s vet to see if this service is necessary.

If your dog has an ongoing health issue that needs monitoring, you’ll also have to pay for more frequent testing.

Let’s say, for example, your pup’s routine blood test costs $200 and comes back with abnormal hormone levels. The vet calls for a $200 thyroid blood panel to further investigate the issue, and the tests show your dog has hypothyroidism. The vet prescribes hormone replacement medication that will treat the condition, but monthly thyroid testing is needed for the first six months to ensure the medication is working and hormone levels are returning to normal.

In this scenario, you’d have paid around $1,400 in blood tests over the course of several months.

This example might seem extreme, but it helps illustrate how the cost of diagnostic testing and testing during treatment can add up quickly.

Typical factors that can affect the cost of dog blood testing include:

• Age: When you get a puppy, the vet will need to run initial blood tests to look for existing disorders. Procedures to spay or neuter your puppy will also require blood testing. On the other end of the age spectrum, older dogs may need routine blood work to uncover health problems that develop with age, such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease. Keep in mind that a geriatric screening may cost more than a normal exam.
• Breed: Some breeds are at higher risk of certain issues than others. For example, German shepherds and bull terriers are prone to kidney disease, which increases their chance of needing specialized blood testing.
• Health: Dogs with health issues will need blood testing to diagnose, treat and monitor different metrics. If your dog is a higher-risk patient, you can expect to spend more on frequent and specialized blood work.
• Preparation: To avoid the costs of retesting, make sure your dog follows blood work preparation guidelines before their appointment. Your dog should avoid eating for about six hours before routine blood work, as food in your dog’s system could alter test results. Make sure your dog is hydrated before and after blood work. Dehydration during a blood test could falsely indicate a health problem.
• Location: As with any veterinary service, dog blood test costs will vary based on your location. Check prices with your dog’s specific pet care provider. If you move often or are looking for consistent pricing, a veterinary care chain might be a good option.

Dog blood tests can cost a lot because they provide information about your pet’s overall health, from detecting minor issues like dehydration to critical issues like cancer. The minor imbalances uncovered in blood work can help point your dog’s vet to serious underlying issues that would have otherwise gone unnoticed.

Basic combination CBC/blood chemistry panels average between $100 and $200, but they provide your vet insight into your dog’s blood cell counts, hormone levels, organ functions and more. Information like enzyme levels, for example, can alert the vet that something is wrong with your pet, leading to a proper diagnosis. Blood work provides far more diagnostic information than a physical exam can.

As we discussed, a vet will sometimes need to run specialized blood tests on your pet to diagnose or monitor certain conditions. These tests, like thyroid and electrolyte panels, provide more comprehensive data and, therefore, cost more.

Pet insurance will cover blood work if it’s prescribed in response to an unexpected illness or injury. It’s generally safe to assume your pet insurance plan will cover diagnostic testing methods like blood work, X-rays, skin tests and ultrasounds that are associated with an accident or unexpected sickness.

On the other hand, preventative or routine blood work typically isn’t covered. Pet insurance provides reimbursement for unexpected veterinary costs, so yearly vet visits aren’t included. This also excludes services like dental cleanings, nail trimmings, vaccinations and wellness exams.

If blood work coverage is important to you, you can look for providers that offer wellness plan coverage. These plans typically allow coverage up to a certain dollar amount for different routine services. For example, an EssentialWellness plan with Pets Best costs $16 per month and provides up to $50 in reimbursements for routine blood work. Factor in reimbursements for other routine services, and the plan covers up to $305 in yearly preventative care costs.

Blood work provides vets with critical information about your dog’s health. Understanding what dog blood work costs and why it’s important is the first step in avoiding surprises when the bill comes. If the cost of canine blood work seems overwhelming, you can budget for routine vet visits ahead of time or purchase a pet insurance policy to cover unexpected costs.