Pet vs human healthcare costs are similar

We set out to investigate common surgeries performed in both humans and animals – exploring the similarities and differences of these procedures in addition to treatment costs to illustrate how closely aligned human and pet healthcare procedures are. 

There’s a common misconception that veterinary costs exceed that of human medical expenses. Below we explore the costs of the procedures for humans and pets and their similarities. Remember, while humans have Medicare, which covers 70% of medical costs, pet parents are responsible for 100% of their pets’ medical expenses.  It’s important for pet parents to have appropriate expectations of the potential costs.  

Pets also age 5.6 times faster than humans, meaning that they experience a lifetime of health concerns from pediatric to geriatric in a condensed timeframe. Pets also cannot tell us what is wrong when they are unwell, which means that veterinarians may have to do significant investigative tests to diagnose the problem. 

Treatment	Human typical specialist fees	Medicare rebate for human surgeries	Patients out of pocket	Average cost (pets)
Hip replacement	$5,000	$1,900	$3,100	$5,000-$6,000
Cruciate ligament repair	$3,800	$1,500	$2,300	$3,000-$4,000
Entropion (eye surgery)	$1,500	$550	$950	$1,236
Cataract surgery	$2,000	$770	$1,230	$1,805

Human costs in these examples do not include hospital fees. 

The costs provided in these case studies are examples only and may be higher or lower depending on individual circumstances. 

The above human health cost examples are based on Medical Costs Finder | Australian Government Department of Health as of April 2023. The pet health costs are based on PetSure claims data January – December 2023. Note that the human health costs have accounted for Medicare rebates. 

Hip replacement 

In the hip replacement scenario, it is for unilateral hip replacement not bilateral. Hip replacement surgery involves replacing a diseased or damaged hip joint with an artificial joint implant. Dogs under two years of age are more likely to require hip replacements. 

Cruciate ligament repair 

Cruciate ligament disease is common in dogs and is most likely to occur in pets under seven years old. This surgery helps to stabilise the knee joint after a cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) rupture or tear. It is known as anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in humans. When the CCL is torn or damaged it can cause instability and pain, leading to limping, lameness and arthritis over time. 

Entropion (eyelid surgery) 

Entropion is a condition where the eyelid rolls in and causes subsequent irritation to the eyeball. 
This condition can affect any breed of dog but breeds with lots of facial rolls can be particularly at 
risk. Entropion surgery is more common on pets less than one year old. 

Managing cataract condition 

Managing a cataract condition can range from basic medical treatment to surgery. According to PetSure Claims data 2023, the average claimed cost of cataract management was $1,805 while the average claimed amount for cases that required surgery was $7,079. 

Cataract surgery in pets needs to be performed under a general aesthetic, whereas in humans the procedure is typically performed under sedation with local anaesthetic. Pets that require cataract surgery are more likely to be over the age of 8 years old. 

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Sources

PetSure and GapOnly® would like to Acknowledge the assistance of Andrew Cottrill Chief Medical Officer of HCF Health insurance or his assistance in understanding the human health aspects of this article. 

PetSure Pet Health Monitor 2024

https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/treatment/total-hip-replacement