Costliest Medical Conditions in Dogs

When dogs fall ill, it can be a traumatic – and costly – experience. Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI) ranked the most expensive illnesses based on claims it has received from hundreds of thousands of pet owners.

The costliest conditions typically involve diagnostic tests and emergency surgery, where average fees run from $500 to nearly $3,000, VPI reports. The most expensive conditions for dogs and their average treatment fees are:

1. Intervertebral Disc Disease – $2,844
2. Lung Cancer – $2,032
3. Gastric Torsion (Bloat): $1,955
4. Foreign Body Ingestion (Small Instestine) – $1,629
5. Cruciate Rupture – $1,517
6. Foreign Body Ingestion (Stomach) – $1,398
7. Cataract – $1,244
8. Bone Cancer – $1,059
9. Pin in Broken Limb – $1,000
10. Brain Cancer – $916

Although some conditions cost significantly more, these figures represent the most commonly claimed conditions based reports from VPI’s 460,000 insured pets and their owners. Illnesses or injuries that were not commonly reported were not included in the ranking.

Treatment costs vary case by case, and financial figures were compiled based on the average cost of initial claims. VPI states that the figures are not intended to suggest typical reimbursements, reflect a national average of veterinary fees, or account for ongoing fees associated with any of the conditions.