Laparoscopic vs traditional dog spay: what does keyhole cost?
A laparoscopic (keyhole) dog spay typically costs £780 at UK first-opinion practices that publish a price, against £438 for a traditional open spay. Keyhole costs about 78% more, and far fewer practices offer it.
As of June 2026, the median published laparoscopic dog spay is £780 across 500 practices, against £438 for a traditional spay across 1,850. The keyhole procedure costs about £342 more.
Rightvet benchmarks active RCVS-registered first-opinion practices. Figures are per-practice medians of fixed published prices, dog only.
Laparoscopic dog spay cost key findings
- 01
The median keyhole spay is £780, against £438 for a traditional spay: about £342 more, around 78%.
- 02
Far fewer practices publish a keyhole price: 500 against 1,850 for the traditional spay.
- 03
Both rise with the dog's weight. A traditional spay runs from £352 (under 10kg) to £500 (over 40kg); keyhole runs from £650 to £845.
- 04
For the keyhole procedure, practices that are part of a larger group publish a median of £785, against £675 at independents.
- 05
The published figure is the spay only. Pre-op blood tests, pain relief and a recovery collar may be charged on top.
Same goal, different surgical route, different price.
A keyhole spay does the same job through smaller incisions.
A traditional spay removes the ovaries, and often the uterus, through one incision in the abdomen. A laparoscopic spay does the same through two or three small keyhole incisions, using a camera and instruments. It needs specialist equipment and training, which is why fewer practices offer it and why it costs more.
Practices that offer keyhole spaying cite smaller wounds and a quicker return to normal activity. Rightvet reports the prices, not a clinical recommendation. Which approach suits your dog is a question for your vet, and depends on the dog's breed, size and health.
The headline difference, both medians side by side.
The keyhole premium, in published prices.
The median published laparoscopic spay is £780, about £342 more than a traditional spay at £438. That is around 78% more for the keyhole route.
Median published price across 1,850 practices.
Median published price across 500 practices.
Source: Rightvet pricing data, CMA services 21 and 22, fixed prices only.
Both procedures rise with the dog's weight band.
The keyhole premium holds across the weight bands.
A bigger dog costs more to spay either way. The table shows the median published price in each CMA weight band, and the keyhole premium at each.
| Weight band | Traditional | Laparoscopic | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10kg | £352 | £650 | £298 |
| 10 to 25kg | £400 | £750 | £350 |
| 25 to 40kg | £445 | £780 | £335 |
| Over 40kg | £500 | £845 | £345 |
Medians by CMA weight band. Bands with too few practices to report are shown as a dash.
How many practices publish each procedure.
Keyhole spaying is still the less common option.
500 first-opinion practices publish a laparoscopic spay price, against 1,850 for the traditional spay.
Count of first-opinion benchmark practices publishing a fixed price for each procedure, June 2026.
Sourced from each practice's own website. Nothing estimated.
How we calculate dog spay costs.
Rightvet maps RCVS-registered UK veterinary practices and records spay prices published on their own websites. No price on this page is estimated.
Traditional spay is CMA service 21, the open procedure. Laparoscopic spay is CMA service 22, the keyhole procedure. Both are dog, female. Each is a per-practice median of fixed published prices.
Rightvet benchmarks 4,331 first-opinion practices. 1,850 publish a traditional spay price and 500 publish a laparoscopic one. Weight-band figures use only practices that publish a matching price.
If a price is wrong for your practice, email hello@rightvet.uk and we will review it.
What other owners ask about keyhole spaying.
Questions about laparoscopic dog spay costs.
How much does a laparoscopic (keyhole) dog spay cost in the UK?
The median published price for a laparoscopic dog spay is £780 across 500 UK first-opinion practices that publish one, against £438 for a traditional open spay. Published keyhole prices range from £500 to £1,000.
Why does keyhole spaying cost more than a traditional spay?
A laparoscopic spay needs a camera, specialist instruments and additional training, so fewer practices offer it. Across published prices it costs about £342 more than a traditional spay, around 78%.
Is a laparoscopic spay better for my dog?
Practices that offer keyhole spaying cite smaller wounds and a quicker return to normal activity. Rightvet reports the prices, not a clinical recommendation. Ask your vet which approach suits your dog's breed, size and health.
Does the spay price include everything?
Usually the published figure is the procedure only. Pre-operative blood tests, take-home pain relief, a recovery collar and post-operative checks may be charged on top. Ask for an itemised quote so you can compare like with like.
Do many UK vets offer keyhole spaying?
No. 500 first-opinion practices publish a laparoscopic spay price, against 1,850 for the traditional spay. Keyhole spaying is still the less common option.