Dog neutering cost in the UK: castration and spay prices by weight band

A dog's neutering price depends on three things you can see on a price list: whether the dog is male or female, which of five weight bands it falls in, and, for a female, whether the practice does an open or a keyhole spay. A fourth thing, what the price includes, is now on the list too, as seven tick boxes.

The box above shows what practices that already publish their prices charge, band by band, from their own price lists. It is a sample of the practices that publish, not a UK average. From 23 December 2026 every vet business with 15 or more practices or out-of-hours centres has to publish these prices for the items it offers, and every other practice follows from 23 March 2027 (CMA Order, Art. 3 and 7).

The three neutering items

The CMA's standard price list uses the official names in Schedule 1 of the Veterinary Services Market Investigation Order 2026, with no free-text description (Art. 7(2)(a)). For neutering there are three lines:

• Castration: neutering a male dog.
• Spay (traditional/open): neutering a bitch through an open incision.
• Spay (laparoscopic/keyhole): neutering a bitch by keyhole surgery.

The CMA's guidance for practices defines them as "scrotal testicles castration", "midline ovariohysterectomy" and "laparoscopic ovariectomy" (Explanatory Note, Annex 1). An ovariohysterectomy removes the ovaries and the womb; an ovariectomy removes the ovaries.

The five dog weight bands

Where a price depends on the animal, the list has to use six fixed bands: one for cats and five for dogs (Art. 7(2)(c)). A practice that charges the same for every dog can show one price instead.

So one practice can publish up to 15 dog neutering prices: five bands for castration and five for each kind of spay. When you compare, compare the same band. A medium-dog spay at one practice against a small-dog spay at another tells you nothing.

If your dog is close to the edge of a band, ask which band the practice will use. A 24 kg dog that weighs 25 kg on the day moves up a band.

Open or keyhole spay

The two spays are separate items with separate prices, so a practice that offers both lists both.

The CMA's own example list says "items without a price are not offered by this practice" (Annex 1), which is how you tell. The Order says nothing about which method is better or cheaper, and neither do we. Which suits your dog is a question for your vet. What we can say is: compare a keyhole price only with other keyhole prices.

What the price must include

For castration and both spays, the price must include each of seven components that the practice considers typically necessary, and the price line must carry a tick box for each one (Art. 7(2)(e)): general anaesthesia, local anaesthesia, sedation, post-operative pain relief, hospitalisation and monitoring, pre-operative blood tests and post-operative check-ups.

Ticked means it is in the price. Unticked means it is not. The "Pre-surgical/pre-anaesthetic blood test" is also an item on its own, so if a spay price leaves blood tests unticked, add the blood test price to compare it fairly with a practice that includes it. Our guide to what's included in a neuter or spay price explains each box.

Prices include VAT (Art. 7(2)(f)), and fees for any work done by someone else, such as an outside laboratory, must be in the listed price (Art. 7(2)(k)).

When the bill can be higher than the list

Every list has to say that its prices are for the typical case and may go up in more complex or complicated cases (Art. 7(2)(l)). The CMA's definition of castration is "scrotal testicles castration", so a dog with a retained testicle is not the case the price describes. A bitch that is pregnant is not the typical case either. Ask how the practice prices these before you book, and leave the clinical questions, such as timing, to your vet.

For bigger treatment plans the Order adds a safeguard later. From 23 June 2027 at large vet groups (23 September 2027 at smaller ones), a practice must give a written estimate where a course of treatment is likely to cost £500 or more including VAT (the initial threshold, which can rise in £50 steps each April from 2028), and more than £100 of it (a fifth of the £500 threshold) is for costs still to come (Art. 3 and 11). You can tell the practice you don't want one (Art. 11(3)).

Care plans and neutering

The CMA found that the large groups' standard plans included neutering (Final report, Appendix G, paragraph 1.5). If your dog is on a plan, check whether neutering is included or discounted before you compare list prices. Neutering is a one-off, so a plan joined mainly for it needs to earn its keep in other years too: our pet care plans guide shows how to check.

If the cost is the problem

The CMA's final report summary cites the PDSA PAW Report 2024: for 10% of dogs that were not neutered, the reason given was that it was too expensive (summary, paragraph 66(b)). Help exists, but it depends on where you live and what benefits you receive.

• PDSA treats pets free or at reduced cost for owners on certain benefits who live in the catchment area of one of its Pet Hospitals. You check by postcode on its website.
• Local RSPCA branches are separate charities and set their own schemes. Some offer neutering vouchers for dogs, some only for particular breeds, some none at all. The Wirral and Chester branch, for example, says it may be able to help with neutering exempted XL Bully dogs for people on benefits, but not with other dog neutering (accessed 5 November 2026).
• Dogs Trust runs an emergency fund for owners on a means-tested benefit, on a low income or in financial difficulty, for urgent treatment of an illness, accident or injury. Only the vet practice can apply, and the contribution is up to 25% of the outstanding bill or £350, whichever is less (Dogs Trust, accessed 5 November 2026). It is for emergencies, so it is not a route to a routine neuter.

Our guide to low-cost and charity vet care covers who qualifies for each, and how to find the cheapest paid option on the map if you don't.

How to compare dog neutering prices

1. Weigh your dog, or use the weight on its last vet record, and note the band.
2. Search your postcode on the map with castration or spay selected, and pick the band in the pet menu.
3. Open each practice page to see the seven ticks next to the price, the date we checked it and the link to the practice's own list.
4. Add the blood test price where it is unticked, then ring the cheapest two or three with the questions below.

Questions to ask before you book

• Which weight band will my dog be in, and on what weight?
• Which of the seven boxes are ticked, and what would the unticked ones cost?
• Do you offer a keyhole spay, and what does it cost in my dog's band?
• How many post-operative check-ups are included?
• If my dog needs to stay overnight, is that covered by "hospitalisation and monitoring"?

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to neuter a dog in the UK?

It depends on the band, the sex and the method. The box at the top of this page shows each band's range once three practices that publish list it, and the median once five do. It is a sample, not a UK average; compare the practices near you on the map.

Why do big dogs cost more to neuter?

The Order lets a practice price by weight, in five fixed dog bands (Art. 7(2)(c)). The Order does not say why a practice charges more for a bigger dog; ask the practice what changes between bands.

Is keyhole spay more expensive than an open spay?

The Order does not say. They are separate items with separate prices, so compare the two lines for your dog's band at the same practice, and keyhole prices only with other keyhole prices.

Does the price include the anaesthetic and pain relief?

Check the ticks. From 23 December 2026 at large groups and 23 March 2027 at smaller practices, the castration and spay lines must show a tick box for general anaesthesia, post-operative pain relief and five other components (Art. 3 and 7(2)(e)).

Is there help with dog neutering costs?

Sometimes. PDSA and some RSPCA branches help owners on benefits in their areas. See the section above and our low-cost vet care guide.

Sources

• Competition and Markets Authority, The Veterinary Services Market Investigation Order 2026, published 22 September 2026: Articles 3, 7(2)(a), (c), (e), (f), (k) and (l), and 11, and Schedule 1: price list schedule.
• CMA, Annex 1 to the Explanatory Note: indicative price lists, 22 September 2026 (definitions of castration and both spays).
• CMA, Summary of the final report, 24 March 2026, paragraph 66(b).
• CMA, Final report Appendix G: whether LVG pet care plans provide value for money, 24 March 2026, paragraph 1.5.
• PDSA, Find out more about PDSA's services, accessed 5 November 2026.
• RSPCA Wirral and Chester Branch, About us, accessed 5 November 2026.
• Dogs Trust, Emergency veterinary financial support, accessed 5 November 2026.