What low-cost vet care actually costs in 2026

Key findings

• Only 32 of 44 clinics (73%) publish any fee on their website, and 31 publish an actual service price (one lists deposits only). The other 12 ask you to call.
• Cat spay/neuter: median $95, range $50–$165 (n=15).
• Dog spay/neuter: median $125, range $65–$305 (n=19).
• Rabies vaccine: median $17, range $14–$30 (n=11).
• Dog core vaccine (DHPP / DA2PP / DAP): median $20, range $15–$30 (n=10).
• Cat core vaccine (FVRCP): median $19, range $15–$20 (n=7).
• Microchip: median $25, range $10–$40 (n=9).
• Basic vet exam: median $57.50, range $45–$80 (n=6).
• At least 10 clinics offer income-based or assistance-based pricing, some as low as $10 for a cat spay.

Median price and range by service

Bar shows the range from the cheapest to the most expensive published price; the dot is the median. n = number of clinics publishing that price.

Cheapest published spay/neuter by state

The lowest standard cat and dog fee we found in each state, among clinics that publish one. Prices marked * are at clinics that limit service to qualifying (income or assistance-based) clients.

Income-based and assistance pricing

These clinics publish discounted prices or eligibility rules tied to income or public benefits like SNAP and Medicaid:

• Heaven Can Wait Spay & Neuter Clinic (Las Vegas, NV): SNAP or Medicaid recipients: $10 cat / $20 dog spay/neuter and vaccines.
• AMCMA St. Louis City (Operation SNIP) (St. Louis, MO): Operation SNIP: cats $49.95; dogs $59.95 (under 50 lbs), $79.95 (50+ lbs), $99.95 (100+ lbs). Standard spay/neuter $179.95–$225.95.
• AMCMA Maryland Heights (Operation SNIP) (Maryland Heights, MO): Operation SNIP: cats $49.95; dogs $59.95 (under 50 lbs), $79.95 (50+ lbs), $99.95 (100+ lbs).
• Lurie Spay/Neuter Clinic (Chicago, IL): Through December 2026: $25 dog spay/neuter for qualifying dogs in listed ZIP codes.
• HSNT Spay/Neuter & Vaccination Clinic (Fort Worth, TX): Free spay/neuter for qualifying low-income families (state grant).
• Oregon Humane Community Veterinary Hospital (Portland, OR): Spay & Save for qualifying clients: cat $135, dog $275. Reduced fees under published income limits (e.g. $43,100 for one person) or on government assistance.
• Humane Society of Memphis Low-Cost Vet Clinic (Memphis, TN): Low-cost prices are for Shelby County residents on government assistance (SNAP, SSI, Medicaid/TennCare, WIC, Section 8).
• MN SNAP Spay/Neuter Clinic (Minneapolis, MN): For owners on needs-based public assistance or under $45,180 (individual) / $93,600 (family) income.
• Schuler Family Medical Center Community Clinic (Bellevue, WA): Requires income below published limits (e.g. $81,700 for a 1-person household).
• AHS Golden Valley Pet Clinic (Golden Valley, MN): Open to everyone, with additional income-based discounts (fees not published).

Every price, by clinic

Cat spay/neuter (n=15)

Dog spay/neuter (n=19)

Rabies vaccine (n=11)

Dog core vaccine (DHPP / DA2PP / DAP) (n=10)

Cat core vaccine (FVRCP) (n=7)

Microchip (n=9)

Basic vet exam (n=6)

Methodology

• Source: the 44 nonprofit, humane-society and community clinics in the Cheap Vet Finder directory across 20 states. Every price was copied from the clinic's own website and is linked to that clinic's page here, which lists the source URLs.
• Check dates: clinic records were checked between 2026-10-22 and 2026-10-23.
• Which price we used: for each clinic, the lowest published standard price for that service. For spay/neuter that is usually the neuter fee and the smallest weight class. Deposits, office-visit fees, add-on-only and program-only prices (such as SNIP or Spay & Save) were excluded from the medians and listed separately above.
• Nothing estimated: clinics that don't publish a price are left out, not guessed. Any service with fewer than 3 published prices was dropped (Dental cleaning (only 1 clinic publishes a fee)).
• Limits: this is the clinics in our directory, not a random national sample. Several Emancipet locations share one price list and each counts as its own clinic. Prices change, so call to confirm.

Source: Cheap Vet Finder, "What low-cost vet care actually costs in 2026," https://cheapvetfinder.com/low-cost-vet-prices-2026/

<a href="https://cheapvetfinder.com/low-cost-vet-prices-2026/">2026 low-cost vet price data from Cheap Vet Finder</a>

Not veterinary advice. Prices are as published by each clinic on the check date and may change. Call the clinic to confirm before you go.