Canada has 8.1 million cats and 7.7 million pet dogs. To say we are a nation that loves animals is an understatement.

If you love pets, you probably already know that a pet is almost like a child. They require time and attention, food, toys, blankets, and, yes, healthcare.

How much do vet visits actually cost? Each visit will be charged depending on the services offered. Here is a snapshot of what you would be looking at

First Vet Visit

It’s advised to take your new pet for their first vet visit soon after bringing it home.

Pet owners find it useful to be able to ask for an instant loan without documents to sort this out.

This should cost you in the area of $400. During this visit, expect the vet to do a full exam on the pet and administer the required vaccines.

Vitamins

A vet will have your pet on vitamins depending on the type of pet and which supplementation they think it needs.

This should cost $100 a year.

Preventive medication

Different pets are exposed to different dangers in their environment, and some are more susceptible to certain health problems than others.

As such, a vet can advise that you place your pet on specific preventative medication. These can be flea medication, heartworms, and so on.

You would need to get these at $20 every month.

Dental Care

If you dread those dental visits because of the dents they have in your pocket, your pet’s dental care will have a similar effect.

The dental care should cost between $50 and $500.This is dependent on whether it’s a routine check, treatment, or dental procedure.

For a cat, anesthetic, cleaning, and polishing averages about $400. Some vets will start with a pre-anesthetic test at $150. The same goes for a dog of 20lbs.

Extractions go for $75, dental x-rays at $40, antibiotics, and pain meds at $90.

Tests

Diagnostic tests are often required when treating pets because they are unable to describe and explain symptoms.

A pre-anesthetic blood profile costs $150, urinalysis at $80, fecal sample to check for parasites and ova $70, heartworm test $50.

An x-ray by a certified specialist will cost $120.

You will also need to have your pet going for routine tests. A wellness blood profile cost around $210.

Common Surgeries

For cat neutering or cat spray, you will part with $200 and $ 475, respectively. For dogs, the costs are $480 and $550, respectively.

These costs are for dogs less than a year old.

Final Word

Keep in mind that these amounts are only ballpark figures to help you make close estimations of the costs. The figures will differ from city to city and from one practitioner to the next.