The cost for pet euthanasia is one of the most common questions pet owners ask. So how much is pet euthanasia? One of the main factors that determines the price to put down your pet is whether they are euthanized at a veterinary clinic or euthanized at home by a mobile vet.

The cost for pet euthanasia varies by where you are located (major cities vs small suburbs) and sometimes how much they weigh, but in general, costs start at around $50 at an animal hospital and start at about $300 when using a house call vet.

Why is the house call price so much more expensive? You are paying more for 2 reasons. First, an at home pet euthanasia service is much more peaceful. There are many benefits, but in short the process is also more intimate, personalized and private at your house compared to a clinical setting. Second, there is more preparation required and the overall time commitment is significantly greater.

At an animal hospital, a veterinarian is only required to administer the last injection. Since a veterinary technician is usually the one to get everything prepared before that point, the veterinarian can be in another room seeing other patients. When the technician has everything ready, all the veterinarian has to do is go into the room to administer the final solution. Their time commitment is usually less than 5 minutes.

For a house call pet euthanasia, a veterinarian has to prepare all of their medication and supplies, travel to the client’s house, remain in the appointment the entire time (appointments are typically 60 minutes from start to finish), drive to the pet crematorium to drop the dog or cat off for their cremation services, and then drive all the way back to their office. This time commitment is usually 3 hours or more. To put everything into context, the time commitment for a veterinarian is 60 times greater for a house call appointment than an appointment at an animal hospital.

Aftercare services such as transportation to the pet crematorium, communal/memorial cremation, or private cremation, are an additional fee. Cremation fees are also typically based on your pet’s weight.

Communal cremation (sometimes called memorial cremation), is a cheaper option than private cremation. Communal cremation does not cost as much, because your pet will be cremated with other pets together in the chamber and you do not receive their ashes back, since they are mixed with the ashes of other animals. Private cremation is more expensive, because your pet will be alone in the chamber without any other animals and you receive their ashes back.

The price for cremation services can vary greatly depending on the facility you choose and whether the price varies based on weight. Some veterinary practices charge a flat fee no matter the weight (unless the weight is over a certain amount where there is usually an added fee), while other vet clinics have a variable prices based on specific weight ranges.

Communal cremation costs usually range between $50 to $150. Private cremation costs usually range from $150-$350. There might also be an additional flat fee of around $50 for pets over 100lbs or a variable surcharge of about $1 per pound for pets over 100lbs.

If you are burying your pet at a pet cemetery, transportation fees to the crematory usually range from $75-$150. Additional costs to consider are memorial products such as clay paw prints, ink paw prints, pet hair keepsakes, collar frames, and urns. Some vet clinics include a free clay paw print or lock of hair, while others charge for any memorial items. Clay paw prints usually cost between $15 to $40. The cost for an urn varies greatly depending on the material used, but they typically start at around $40 and can go well above $100.

Learn more about if pet euthanasia is humane.

Go to the page about our house call pet euthanasia for dogs and cats.