Clinics that cost less

More than half of US pet owners skipped or turned down care they were told their animal needed last year, and most of them said it was the money. Nearly three quarters were never offered a cheaper option. Here are 1277 clinics across 43 states that run on one.

California197Texas98Florida82Pennsylvania54New York54Illinois43North Carolina43Virginia42Washington41Ohio38Massachusetts37Maryland34Georgia34New Jersey32Michigan31Connecticut29Arizona27Oregon27Tennessee27South Carolina26Missouri25Wisconsin22Colorado21Utah21Indiana19Oklahoma17Minnesota17Louisiana15New Hampshire12Iowa12Idaho10Arkansas10Kentucky10Alabama9Kansas9Nevada8Delaware8Nebraska7Rhode Island7Maine6Mississippi6West Virginia5Vermont5

Low-cost clinic or full-service practice

The median price low-cost and nonprofit clinics publish, against the median at full-service practices, for the five services both publish. Updated October 28, 2026 from prices on the clinics’ and practices’ own websites. US vet prices has every service.

Low-cost clinic or full-service practice
  • Exam$45 vs $75
  • Rabies vaccine$20 vs $35
  • Microchip$25 vs $53
  • Cat spay$115 vs $335
  • Dog spay$212 vs $450
Low-cost clinic medianFull-service practice median

What helps, in order

  1. 1

    Call first

    Describe what you are seeing to a clinic or an emergency hospital. Most will tell you for free whether it needs seeing tonight.

  2. 2

    Ask to pay over time

    Ask the practice to split the bill before the appointment. If it can't, most accept at least one payment plan.

  3. 3

    Ask about charity help

    Some charities pay part of a bill, usually once a vet has given you a diagnosis and a written estimate.

  4. 4

    Try a low-cost clinic

    Humane society and nonprofit clinics charge a median of $45 for an exam, against $75.

Common questions

What is a low-cost vet clinic?

A clinic that runs on a cheaper model: a humane society, SPCA or nonprofit clinic, a clinic that does spay and neuter surgery or vaccines and little else, or a practice with low cost or affordable in its own name. Many are appointment-only, and several set prices by income.

How much cheaper is a low-cost clinic than a full-service practice?

On the prices clinics publish on their own websites, the low-cost median against the full-service practice median is $45 against $75 for an exam, $20 against $35 for a rabies vaccine, $25 against $53 for a microchip, $115 against $335 for a cat spay and $212 against $450 for a dog spay. Each clinic sets its own price, so call to confirm before you go.

Who can use a low-cost vet clinic?

Each clinic sets its own rules. Several set prices by income, so ring before you go and ask what they need from you to qualify.

Does a low-cost clinic see sick or injured pets?

Not always. Many do vaccines, microchips or spay and neuter surgery and little else, so ask when you call whether they see a sick animal. A full-service practice or an emergency hospital sees what they do not.

Where a clinic publishes its prices on its own website, its card on the state page shows them, and nothing here says one clinic is cheaper than another. What each clinic is called here is what it calls itself: a spay and neuter clinic, a vaccination clinic, a humane society, or a practice with low cost or affordable in its own name. Ring before you go, and ask what they need from you to qualify, because several set prices by income.