The prices of some common treatments at the vet have risen by an average of 40 percent in the last five years. This is apparent from one sample which has carried out the independent Pet Dierenverzekeringen.nl platform among 177 Dutch veterinarians. The results were published on Wednesday.
There has been much to do about the high bill that pet owners often have to pay at the vet for a long time. From research by, among others, NRC It turned out that the treatment rates have risen sharply, as a result of acquisitions of practices by commercial investors. The Ministry of Agriculture – which includes animal care – now has the price development investigated in the sector. Market supervisor ACM also recently announced research into the price increases.
The sample now carried out gives an indication of how much the costs for pet owners have increased in recent years. The Netherlands has approximately 2,400 veterinary practices.
The researchers asked the participating practices about the costs for three standard treatments: a general consultation, castration of a dog of 8 kilos and sterilization of a cat. The study participated in both independent practices and practices that belong to a chain and practices from local partnerships.
Not just chains more expensive
The costs for a consultation at the vet rose from an average of 36.70 euros in 2020 to more than 51 euros in 2025, according to the figures. That is an increase with almost 40 percent. With the two largest chains, Evidensia and Anicura, a consultation is slightly more expensive: both charge on average more than 57 euros.
The price for castration of a dog increased from an average of 168 euros in 2020 to more than 251 euros this year, an increase of almost 50 percent. Sterilization of a cat now costs an average of 185 euros, where it was 133 euros five years ago. According to two pets insurers consulted for more specialist interventions, the rates for more specialist procedures have risen even faster, up to 80 percent.
What is striking about the research results is that not only practices in the hands of commercial chains have become considerably more expensive. Even with practices that operate in a local partnership, the costs of the three treatments investigated increased by an average of 35 to 40 percent. The average veterinary account rose faster than inflation: according to the CBS it was more than 22 percent in the last five years.
The amount of the veterinary account can also vary considerably per region, according to the sample. In the Amsterdam region, pet owners have lost an average of 62.95 euros for a consultation, a quarter more than the national average. The prices in the Netherlands are also on average 20 percent higher than with veterinarians in Belgium, according to the researchers.