Typical US prices: a CBC averages $104 and a chemistry panel averages $164 in the 2025-2026 Synchrony cost study published by CareCredit, so the two together, the combination most vets mean by 'bloodwork', run about $268 at national averages. Single-purpose tests are cheaper: a thyroid test averages $125 and a blood glucose test $39.
Bloodwork is not one test. It is a menu, and the price depends entirely on which items your vet orders. The two workhorses are the CBC, which counts and describes the blood cells, and the chemistry panel, which measures how organs such as the liver and kidneys are doing, along with blood sugar and electrolytes. Ordered together they give the standard inside view of a dog's health, which is why they appear before surgeries, at senior checkups and at the start of almost every illness investigation.
Because the same blood draw feeds several tests, vets often talk about a 'panel' or a 'profile'. The sections below use the study's per-test averages, so you can rebuild any bundle a clinic quotes you and see roughly what it is made of.
It depends on the moment. Before anesthesia, pre-op bloodwork is close to non-negotiable at most practices because it can change the anesthetic plan or postpone surgery, and $104 to $268 is cheap insurance against anesthetizing a dog with failing kidneys. At a healthy young adult's annual visit, many vets are comfortable spacing panels out. For senior dogs, twice-yearly bloodwork is one of the few tests that reliably catches disease while it is still cheap to manage, so 'optional' there often means 'deferrable at a real cost later'.
At the study's national averages, a CBC at $104 plus a chemistry panel at $164 comes to about $268. Packaged wellness or senior panels often cost less than the parts bought separately; the study averages geriatric screening at $181.
The CBC examines the cells: red cells for anemia, white cells for infection and inflammation, platelets for clotting. The chemistry panel examines the fluids: organ values for kidneys and liver, blood sugar, proteins and electrolytes. Together they describe both the blood itself and the organs that maintain it.
Anesthesia is processed by the liver and kidneys, and bloodwork checks both, plus anemia and clotting ability, before the team commits to a plan. Abnormal results do not always cancel surgery, but they change drug choices, fluids and monitoring.
A baseline in young adulthood, then as your vet advises. Senior dogs are commonly tested once or twice a year, and dogs on long-term medication, such as arthritis or thyroid drugs, need regular panels to check both the disease and the drug's effect on organs.
For a stable dog, results from a reference lab can be cheaper and are fine. For a sick dog, the in-house result within the hour is often what the treatment decision is waiting on. Ask your vet which situation yours is.
Bloodwork used to diagnose a covered illness or injury is usually claimable under accident and illness policies. Routine screening panels are preventive care and need a wellness add-on to be covered.
The prices on this page are published US averages and ranges from the sources listed below. They are planning figures, not quotes, and your own clinic's written estimate is the number that counts for your dog. This page is general information, not veterinary advice, and it does not replace your own veterinarian, who knows your dog. In an emergency, contact your veterinarian, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center on (888) 426-4435, or the Pet Poison Helpline on (855) 764-7661 straight away. A consultation fee may apply on the helplines.
Last updated: November 2026. Every figure on this page was checked against the sources listed above. How we work: our methodology.
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