With veterinary costs rising, Long Islanders weigh benefit of pet insurance

Robert Chiavoli realized his 8-year-old Scottie, Rudy, was at a crossroads.

As he saw Rudy’s neck and face swell within a matter of hours a few days before Thanksgiving, he had to face the difficult decision of whether to prolong his beloved companion’s life with costly veterinary treatments, or say goodbye.

Chiavoli, 69, of Mastic Beach, had been through this once with another Scottie. He knew — and he said his vet confirmed — Rudy had cancer.

"I told [the vet] there was no option," Chiavoli said regarding Rudy’s health. "They’re great, they’ll give you a chance to try all kinds of things. I said, ‘No, we’re not going to try anything; he’s dying.’"

He said his vet agreed it was time to euthanize Rudy rather than prolong any suffering with costly treatments or procedures. 

Many Long Islanders have noted the increase in vet bill costs, citing checkups and vaccines as just another part of owning and budgeting for pets. Advances in veterinary care have helped improve and extend the life of pets, but along with those advances have come soaring costs. Not including adoption expenses, the average pet owner spent more than $1,700 this year on their pets, up from about $1,500 in 2024, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. Those costs include $1,900 for dogs and $1,500 for cats.

One option to defray the costs for some pet owners is  a pet insurance plan. The average cost last year ranged from $110 to $750 a year for dogs and cats, according to the North American Pet Health Insurance Association.

Plans can include accident-only insurance, including for ingesting foreign objects and ligament tears, or accident and illness, which may cover cancer and digestive problems. Average costs for accident and illness run about $60 per month for dogs and about $30 monthly for cats, according to the insurance association.

"Veterinary medicine costs have gone up along with the cost for everything else," said Dr. Jerry Klein, chief veterinarian for the American Kennel Club. "It’s definitely a concern for the pet-owning public, especially since the pandemic and what we’re seeing in society."

Chiavoli still has Goose, a 5-year-old poodle, but he said he could not pay thousands for a procedure a vet might recommend to extend his dog’s life. Over the past 10 years, during which time he’s had several dogs, Chiavoli said routine vet visits have approximately doubled.

"It isn’t just recently ... it has been expensive for years now," Chiavoli said. "Ten years sounds like ‘well, that’s a long time,’ but with everything else going up, it does make a difference."

The overall average amount spent on pets by pet-owning households (excluding adoption or purchase costs) was $1,516 as reported in 2024 and $1,727 as reported in 2025.

Adopting a new puppy can range between $500 and $1,000, sometimes including initial vaccines and spaying or neutering. That lifelong commitment can rack up thousands of dollars in future vet bills to stay healthy or for emergency treatments.

Dog owners spend an average of about $328 for routine vet visits each year while cat owners spend an average of $230, according to the American Pet Products Association.

Emergency visits for cats and dogs can range from more than $300 to nearly $500, and surgeries can total several thousand dollars.

Dr. Michael Q. Bailey, president of the American Veterinary Medical Association, said the average cost for healthy annual visits are about $200. He said one of the keys to reducing medical costs, like with people, is to go in for preventive medicine and vaccines.

"Vet care in many regards mimics and reflects the cost of overall medical care, and the materials and training are just as expensive as in human medicine," Bailey said.

Bailey said only about 3% of pets are covered by pet insurance, as most owners decline coverage. He said pet insurance regular payments can reduce a large expense later and each plan is different. Many veterinarians may also have finance options or charitable grants that can save a pet’s life, he said.

Joe Cullen, 69, of Patchogue, whose previous three shepherds lived to around 15 years old, said dog owners should plan to spend $3,000 to $4,000 annually on their dogs when factoring in vet care, along with food, toys and the "destruction" they may cause during the puppy years. He said he did not have pet insurance, but may consider it in the future.

Aside from the $20 drop-in just to have his 2-year-old shepherd mix Jolene’s nails cut, Cullen said he spends $200 to $300 every three or four months on vaccinations, checkups and other essential visits.

"It can be a little expensive, but like anything else, it’s worth it," Cullen said of the routine visits. "It’s a good investment. Anything or anybody you love is going to cost money. ... You have to go to the doctors twice a year for people. With a dog you have to expect to go there three, four, five times a year."