One blood test. Most visits have two or more, plus the exam fee.
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These prices come from bills that owners shared with us for this. We never publish names or addresses, we check each bill for duplicates and reading mistakes, and we compare the same charge with the same charge. “Most charges” means the middle half: a quarter were lower and a quarter were higher.
We publish what pet owners actually paid at the vet, from real bills they share with us. We are not a clinic and we don’t sell treatment; our job is to make vet prices clear before you get the bill. How we check the bills
Blood work is almost never the only charge. A blood count and a chemistry panel together come to $150–$400, and older cats usually get a thyroid test as well.
Have these prices with you when you call a vet or check the bill afterwards.
The whole visit, with this on the bill, usually came to $350 – $975.
A young cat’s basic panel and a senior cat’s full panel are priced very differently.
| State | Most charges | Bills |
|---|---|---|
| California | $110 – $275 | 19 |
| Colorado | $20 – $25 | 4 |
| Florida | $70 – $250 | 11 |
| Georgia | $130 – $150 | 7 |
| New Jersey | $110 – $180 | 3 |
| New York | $110 – $275 | 16 |
| Pennsylvania | $200 – $300 | 3 |
| Texas | $45 – $190 | 12 |
States with fewer than 5 bills are rough guides. Compare all states
The same charge, grouped by what the visit was for.
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Tell us what your cat needs. Nearby clinics reply with what they’d charge and when they can see you.
Free · your details stay private · no obligationDiagnostic blood work is covered by comprehensive pet insurance at 70–90% when ordered to diagnose or monitor illness. Routine wellness panels are not covered unless you carry a wellness add-on ($10–$25/month, reimburses $100–$200/year). Pre-surgical blood work is covered when the surgery itself is covered. Blood work monitoring a pre-existing condition (existing kidney disease, known thyroid issue) is typically excluded. Claims usually ask why the blood work was ordered, so keep the visit notes.
Based on 142 real vet line items, cat blood tests typically cost $60–$225 each. A CBC (Complete Blood Count) runs $80–$220. A chemistry panel runs $100–$200. Most vets order both together as a "full panel" for $150–$400 total. The feline-specific add-on — a T4 thyroid test ($40–$80) — is standard for cats over 7 and pushes the total to $200–$450.
Cats mask illness better than any other pet — a cat can lose 75% of kidney function before showing symptoms. Blood work catches kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, and diabetes early, when treatment is cheaper and more effective. That is why annual blood work is standard for senior cats (7+), and many vets recommend it starting at age 5. The $150–$350 annual panel routinely saves thousands in late-stage treatment costs.
The core duo: CBC ($80–$220) checks blood cells, infection markers, and anemia. Chemistry panel ($100–$200) checks organ function — kidneys, liver, glucose, electrolytes. For cats 7+, add: T4 thyroid ($40–$80) — hyperthyroidism is the #1 endocrine disease in older cats. SDMA ($30–$60) — catches kidney disease earlier than standard chemistry. Urinalysis ($30–$75) — paired with blood work gives a complete kidney picture. Pre-surgical panels are the same CBC + chemistry without the age-specific add-ons.
A senior wellness panel — CBC, full chemistry, T4 thyroid, and urinalysis — costs $200–$450 at a full-service vet. This is the recommended annual package for cats over 7. Low-cost clinics offer bundled senior panels for $120–$250. The senior panel costs 30–50% more than a basic panel because of the thyroid and kidney-specific tests, but catching hyperthyroidism or early kidney disease at this stage saves $1,000–$5,000+ in later treatment.
Yes — low-cost clinics and humane societies offer bundled panels for $75–$150, roughly half of full-service vet pricing. If blood work is routine (not urgent), ask your vet to send samples to a reference lab instead of running in-house — saves 10–30%. For monitoring a chronic condition (kidney, thyroid), ask for a targeted "recheck panel" that tests only the relevant values instead of repeating the full comprehensive panel.
Emergency blood work runs $200–$400+ per panel — 30–50% more than routine testing. The premium covers STAT processing (results in 15–30 minutes), after-hours lab staffing, and the urgency surcharge. In our data, blood work appears on nearly every cat emergency invoice because vomiting, lethargy, and other common ER presentations can signal kidney failure, diabetic crisis, or toxicity — all conditions where the blood work changes the entire treatment plan.
Diagnostic blood work — ordered to investigate illness — is covered at 70–90% after deductible. Routine wellness panels (annual checkups) are not covered unless you have a wellness add-on ($10–$25/month, reimburses $100–$200/year toward labs). The practical tip: if your vet orders blood work because your cat seems "off," that is diagnostic and therefore covered. Keep the visit notes. Monitoring a pre-existing condition may be excluded by some insurers.
This page was last changed on October 24, 2026. Prices update as owners share new bills. How we work this out