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Guide · updated

Dog and puppy vaccination cost in the UK: primary course, boosters and kennel cough

What a puppy course, an annual dog booster and a kennel cough vaccine price must include on the new CMA price lists, why the prices differ, and what to ask.

What practices that already publish charge

Fewer than 3 practices that publish these prices are on our list so far. Vet businesses with 15 or more practices or out-of-hours centres must publish them, if they offer them, on each practice's website from 23 December 2026, and smaller practices from 23 March 2027.

Dog vaccinations look like the simplest thing on a vet's price list. A needle, a certificate, done. In practice they are one of the harder prices to compare, because "a puppy's jabs" can mean one visit or three, and "the booster" is not the same set of vaccines every year.

The CMA's new price list rules fix the names, so every practice that offers them has to price the same three dog vaccination items in the same words. The large vet groups (15 or more practices) must publish from 23 December 2026, and smaller businesses from 23 March 2027 (Order, Art. 3 and 7). This guide explains what those three items include and where the real differences between practices sit.

Which vaccines your dog needs is a clinical decision for your vet. We explain the prices, not the medicine.

The three dog vaccination items

Schedule 1 of the Veterinary Services Market Investigation Order 2026 includes three vaccination items. Each name ends in "(including consultation)":

Price list item What it is for One visit or several?
Vaccinations primary course (including consultation) A puppy's first set of vaccines, or a dog whose cover has lapsed Several: the course is usually two injections, sometimes three
Vaccinations booster (including consultation) The regular top-up that keeps cover going One visit
Vaccination for kennel cough (including consultation) An optional vaccine for dogs that mix with many other dogs One visit

Practices must use these exact names and may not add free-text descriptions (Art. 7(2)(a)). If a practice offers different versions, say a course with and without a particular vaccine, each version appears as its own line with the standard one marked (Art. 7(2)(b)).

What the price must include

The CMA's indicative price list, which comes with the Order to help practices fill in their lists, defines all three items the same way. The price covers a consultation or clinical examination by a vet, the vaccine given by a vet or registered veterinary nurse, and completing the vaccination certificate. For the primary course and the booster, it adds: "Inclusive of all core vaccines", pointing to the British Small Animal Veterinary Association's guidance on which vaccines are core (Explanatory Note, Annex 1).

That definition is guidance rather than law. The legal hooks are in the Order: the listed price must be what owners are typically charged, including anything that is an essential part of the service (Art. 7(2)(d)), and it must include VAT (Art. 7(2)(f)).

Core vaccines, and the one that changes the booster

PDSA lists four core vaccines for all UK dogs: parvovirus, distemper, infectious hepatitis and leptospirosis. Kennel cough is optional, for dogs that mix with lots of other dogs or go to kennels or shows, and rabies is for dogs travelling in and out of the UK (PDSA, Dog vaccines, April 2022).

The detail that matters for price is how often each one is given. PDSA says leptospirosis is given every year, while distemper, parvovirus and hepatitis are given every three years. So a dog's yearly booster visit is a small booster in two years out of three, and a bigger one in the third.

That is why two owners at the same practice can pay different amounts for "the booster" in the same year, and why the same dog's booster can cost more one year than the last. The list price is the practice's typical case. Ask what it covers.

Vaccine PDSA: who needs it PDSA: how often On the price list as
Leptospirosis All UK dogs Every year Part of the booster (core)
Distemper, parvovirus, hepatitis All UK dogs Every three years Part of the booster (core)
Kennel cough Dogs that mix with many dogs, kennels, shows Yearly while at risk Its own item
Rabies Dogs travelling abroad Every one to three years, by vaccine Not one of the 36 items

The puppy course

PDSA describes the puppy primary course as starting at around six to eight weeks old, with two injections two to four weeks apart. Some puppies need a third. Puppies are fully protected two to four weeks after the final injection (PDSA, April 2022).

So the primary course price is really the price of two or three visits. It should be higher than one booster, and it is reasonable to check that the listed course price covers every injection in it. The item is called a course, so the course is what should be priced.

If your puppy came from a breeder who had already given the first injection, the practice may finish the course rather than start it. That is not the typical case, so ask for a quote.

Kennel cough: a separate price

Kennel cough has its own line, so do not expect it in the booster price. PDSA notes that, unlike the other vaccines, it is given as a squirt up the nose rather than an injection, and is repeated yearly while your dog is at risk.

Many boarding kennels ask for it. If you only need it once a year for a holiday, compare the kennel cough price on its own. If you give it every year anyway, compare the booster and kennel cough prices added together.

Why prices differ between practices

  • Which vaccines the standard price includes. If the practice offers more than one version of the booster, each must be its own line with the standard one marked (Art. 7(2)(b)), so check you are comparing standard against standard.
  • Who owns the practice. The CMA found that between January 2023 and July 2024, average prices at five of the six large vet groups were together 18.3% higher than at independent practices for consultations, treatments and medicines (Final report summary, paragraph 25).
  • Pet band. Where a price depends on species or weight, the list must use six fixed bands: cat and five dog sizes from under 10 kg to 60 kg and over (Art. 7(2)(c)). Many practices charge the same vaccination price for every dog, in which case they show one price.
  • Care plans. The large groups' standard plans always included an annual vaccination and, for dogs, kennel cough (Final report, Appendix G, paragraph 1.5). If you are on a plan, you may already have paid.

Missed boosters

PDSA says a dog that misses a booster may stay protected for "2-3 months after their booster was due" and then becomes at risk again. Ask your practice how late is too late before it would charge for a fresh primary course instead of a booster. The difference in price can be larger than the booster itself.

Questions to ask before you book

  • Does the primary course price cover all of the injections, including a third if one is needed?
  • Which core vaccines are in this year's booster for my dog, and does the price change in the three-yearly year?
  • Is kennel cough included, or is it the separate kennel cough price?
  • Is the price the same for every size of dog?
  • If I join your care plan, what would the booster and kennel cough cost me in practice?

Frequently asked questions

How much does a puppy's first course of vaccinations cost?

The box at the top of this page shows the range once three practices that publish list it, and the median once five do. It is a sample, not a UK average. From 23 December 2026, large vet groups must publish the "Vaccinations primary course (including consultation)" price on the website of each practice that offers it, and smaller practices from 23 March 2027. Prices vary by practice; see the map for published prices from 23 December 2026, and the primary course price page for the UK spread.

Is the kennel cough vaccine included in the annual booster?

Not on the standard price list. "Vaccination for kennel cough (including consultation)" is its own item, with its own price.

Why did my dog's booster cost more this year?

One likely reason is the vaccine mix. PDSA says leptospirosis is yearly but distemper, parvovirus and hepatitis are every three years, so some years' boosters contain more. Prices can also change; a practice must update its list before charging a higher price (Art. 7(5)).

Do I have to pay a separate consultation fee for a vaccination?

The item names say "including consultation", and the CMA's definition says the price covers a clinical examination by a vet. A separate consultation charge for the same visit would not match the name of the item.

Does the vaccination certificate cost extra?

The CMA's definition includes completing the vaccination certificate in the price. A pet travel document is a different thing: the "Animal health certificate" is its own item.

Related reading

Sources

Prices mentioned in this guide

Cat vaccination cost in the UK: kitten course, boosters and what the price includesWhat a cat or kitten vaccination price covers under the new CMA price lists, why a primary course costs more than a booster, and what to ask before you book.Pet care plans explained: what they cover, what they cost and how to compare themWhat a vet's monthly pet care plan includes, what the CMA found about whether plans save money, and the new rules on how practices must show plan contents and savings.What the CMA vet price rules mean for pet ownersFrom 23 December 2026 big vet groups must publish a standard price list. Here is what changes, when, and what you can do with it.How to compare vet prices in the UKA practical checklist for comparing vet price lists fairly, from consultation minutes and vaccine bundles to out-of-hours cover and cremation.Cat neutering cost in the UK: castration and spay prices comparedWhat UK practices that already publish charge to neuter a cat, what a castration or spay price must include under the CMA Order, and where to get help with the cost.Low-cost and charity vet care in the UK: who qualifies and where to find the cheapest vetWho qualifies for free or reduced-cost vet care from PDSA, Blue Cross, RSPCA branches, Cats Protection and Dogs Trust, and how to find the cheapest paid practice near you if you don't.