RESEARCH

How much do dog and cat vaccinations cost in the UK?

Q: Are Pets at Home vaccinations cheaper?

Pets at Home offers competitive puppy vaccination courses at £95. However, their annual booster typically costs £66 (-11.2% vs the £74.35 national median). The initial price does not reflect the ongoing cost.

Rightvet compared published vaccination and booster prices at thousands of UK veterinary practices. The primary course gets your pet started. The annual booster is the cost you’ll pay every year after. Some practices price the first visit cheap and the ongoing care expensive.

Published 1 March 2026 · 5 min read · Source: Rightvet analysis of published vaccination pricing across UK first-opinion practices

Key findings

A puppy primary vaccination course typically costs £102, based on published prices from 2,935 practices. Kitten primary courses cost £105. Annual boosters are the recurring cost most owners forget to budget for: the national median is £74.35 for dogs and £75.34 for cats. Pets at Home charge 11% less than the national median for dog boosters (£66 vs £74.35). Group practices charge 25% more than independents for annual boosters.

Vaccination is the first vet bill most pet owners face, and boosters are the bill that never stops. A puppy or kitten needs a primary vaccination course in their first few months, then annual boosters for the rest of their life.

Rightvet collected published vaccination and booster prices from 2,602 UK practices and compared them by species, ownership type, chain, and region.

Primary vaccination courses

A primary course typically involves two injections given 2 to 4 weeks apart. Your vet will advise on the specific vaccines your pet needs.

Puppy primary course

£102

median · 2,935 practices

Kitten primary course

£105

median · 2,782 practices

ServiceService	MedianMedian	Low endLow end	High endHigh end	PracticesPractices
Puppy primary course	£102	£65	£145	2,935
Kitten primary course	£105	£70	£146.85	2,782
Dog annual booster	£74.35	£52	£95	1,979
Cat annual booster	£75.34	£55	£95	1,857

Rightvet database, March 2026. Prices from UK practices publishing vaccination pricing. Range shows 5th to 95th percentile to exclude subsidised and outlier prices.

Annual boosters: the recurring cost

The primary course is a one-off. Boosters are the cost you pay every year for the rest of your pet’s life. Over a dog’s average lifespan, boosters alone add up to a large sum.

Dog annual booster

£74.35

median · 1,979 practices

Cat annual booster

£75.34

median · 1,857 practices

£817.85

the estimated lifetime booster cost for a dog (11 years of annual boosters at the national median)

Based on median dog booster price of £74.35 and an average lifespan of 12 years (primary course in year one, boosters in years 2 to 12).

The bait-and-switch: cheap puppy jabs, expensive boosters

Some practices use discounted puppy vaccination courses to attract new clients, then charge above-median prices for annual boosters. The first visit feels cheap. The ongoing relationship is not.

Rightvet identified practices where the puppy vaccination course is priced below the national median but the annual booster is above it.

15%

of practices that publish both prices offer below-median puppy courses but charge above-median annual boosters (314 of 2097 practices)

Rightvet database. Practices publishing both puppy vaccination course and dog booster prices. Median thresholds: £102 (puppy course), £74.35 (booster).

Pets at Home is the clearest example. Their puppy vaccination course is priced at £95, which is competitive. But their annual booster costs £66 (-11.2% vs the national median of £74.35).

£66

Pets at Home’s dog booster price, -11.2% vs the £74.35 national median

Rightvet database, March 2026. Based on published booster prices at 659 Pets at Home practices.

A pet owner choosing a practice because the puppy course is cheap may pay more over the pet’s lifetime than if they had chosen a practice with a higher upfront cost but lower annual boosters. Rightvet first identified this pattern in our vet pricing analysis, where the same dynamic appears with consultations and overall annual costs.

Group vs independent

The ownership gap on vaccinations follows the same pattern as neutering and consultations: group practices charge more, and the gap is wider on boosters than on primary courses.

ServiceService	Group medianGroup	Independent medianIndependent	GapGap
Puppy primary course	£103	£85	+21.2%
Kitten primary course	£105.71	£85	+24.4%
Dog annual booster	£74.89	£60	+24.8%
Cat annual booster	£75.42	£60.18	+25.3%

Rightvet database. Group = practices in a major group. Independent = all others.

The booster gap matters most because it compounds every year. A +24.8% difference on a single booster becomes a substantial difference over a pet’s lifetime.

By chain

ChainChain	Puppy coursePuppy	Dog boosterBooster
Independent	£85	£60
VetPartners	£95	£66
Pets at Home	£95	£66
Medivet	£124	£70
IVC Evidensia	£115	£81
CVS Group	£115	£81
Linnaeus	£90	£90

Rightvet database. Chains with 5+ practices publishing both puppy course and booster pricing. Sorted by booster price.

Regional variation

Dog booster prices vary by region. Where you live can matter as much as which practice you choose.

RegionRegion	Median dog boosterMedian	PracticesPractices
Northern Ireland	£59	46
North East	£67	95
East Midlands	£67.06	201
Wales	£68.64	98
North West	£69.96	242
West Midlands	£72	153
South West	£73.80	237
Yorkshire	£76.25	160
East of England	£79.70	165
London	£80	108
South East	£80	447
Scotland	£80	185

Rightvet database. Regions with 10+ practices publishing dog booster prices.

£21

the gap in median dog booster price between Northern Ireland (£59) and Scotland (£80)

See what your local vet charges for vaccinations and boosters.

Free and low-cost vaccinations

If cost is a barrier, several UK charities offer free or subsidised vaccinations for pet owners on low incomes or receiving certain benefits:

PDSA - free vaccinations for eligible owners at PDSA Pet Hospitals and participating practices. Eligibility is based on receiving certain means-tested benefits and living in the catchment area of a PDSA hospital.
Blue Cross - offers subsidised vaccination clinics for pet owners on low incomes.
Dogs Trust - may offer free vaccinations in certain areas, particularly through local outreach programmes.
Local councils - some local authorities run subsidised vaccination schemes, often in partnership with local charities. Check with your council.

Eligibility criteria vary. Most schemes require proof of benefits or low income. Even if you don’t qualify for free vaccinations, it’s worth comparing prices between practices. The difference between the cheapest and most expensive booster in the same area can be £30 or more.

ACTIONS

What to check before your pet’s vaccination

A few minutes of price comparison can save you money, especially on boosters you'll pay every year:

1Compare booster prices near you before your pet’s annual appointment. The booster is the cost that compounds over your pet’s lifetime.
2Don’t assume a cheap puppy course means cheap ongoing care. Check what the same practice charges for annual boosters and consultations.
3Check if you qualify for charity-funded vaccinations through PDSA, Blue Cross, or Dogs Trust.

Common questions about vaccination costs

A puppy primary vaccination course typically costs £102, based on prices from 2,935 UK practices. This typically covers two injections given 2 to 4 weeks apart. Most owners pay between £65 and £145.

The national median is £74.35. Most owners pay between £52 and £95. Group practices charge on average 25% more than independent practices.

Pets at Home’s puppy vaccination course is priced at £95, which is competitive. However, their annual booster typically costs £66 (-11.2% vs the £74.35 national median). The initial price doesn’t reflect the ongoing cost.

A kitten primary course typically costs £105. Annual cat boosters typically cost £75.34. Cat vaccinations are generally cheaper than dog vaccinations.

Most vets recommend annual boosters, though some vaccinations are given every three years. Your vet will advise on the schedule. This article covers costs. Speak to your vet about clinical necessity.

The PDSA, Blue Cross, and Dogs Trust offer free or subsidised vaccinations for eligible owners. Eligibility is usually means-tested and depends on the charity and your location.

Related research

The cheapest consultation isn’t the cheapest vet Your puppy’s first year at the vet How much does neutering cost?Check what your local vet charges

The CMA’s provisional decision estimated that pet owners have been overcharged by “at minimum around £1 billion over five years.” Vaccinations are among the services where the proposed remedies would require mandatory price publication. Under the proposed rules, every practice would be required to publish prices for 48 defined services, including primary vaccination courses and annual boosters. The CMA’s final decision is expected between February and May 2026.

Compare vaccination prices near you

Rightvet compares published vaccination and booster prices at every UK practice. Enter your postcode to see what local vets charge.

Check vaccination prices →

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