An annual exam for a cat comes in 3 tiers, and the exam itself is the smallest part of the difference. The physical, the history and the weight are identical in all 3. What changes is how much laboratory and imaging work sits behind a 15-minute consult: 3 line items at the basic end, 6 in the middle, 9 at the top. The totals are $195, $440 and $975 in the US, £155, £345 and £790 in the UK, and ¥330, ¥830 and ¥1,730 in China.
Each of those 9 numbers is an exact sum of the line items below, not a rounded bundle price. That is what makes them useful against a real estimate: a quote that lands more than 20% off the sum is pricing something that is not on the list, and the list is where the conversation starts.
Three tiers, defined by what is inside
Basic is 3 items: physical exam with history, complete blood count, and urinalysis from a cystocentesis sample. That is 20-25 minutes of vet time and results in 1-2 hours. Plus is 6 items: the same 3, plus a 12-17 analyte chemistry panel, Doppler blood pressure and a T4 thyroid test. Comprehensive is 9: those 6, plus an FeLV/FIV rapid test, an abdominal ultrasound and 2-view chest radiographs, for 60-90 minutes at the hospital and a signed report in 24-48 hours.
The tier tracks age and findings rather than preference. A cat under 8 with a clean history usually sits at basic or plus once a year. From 8 years, or with known kidney or thyroid disease, the same cat moves to plus or comprehensive and repeats every 6 months, which doubles the yearly figure to between $390 and $1,950 depending on tier and region.
Line-item prices in 3 regions
Nine line items, 3 currencies. Local prices are set by local lab costs, so the same panel is not the same fraction of a week's wage everywhere, and the gap between the cheapest and the dearest region on a single item runs 1.5-3x: the chemistry panel is $120, £95 and ¥260, while the ultrasound is $300, £250 and ¥480.
| Line item | US (USD) | UK (GBP) | China (CNY) | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physical exam with history | 60 | 45 | 120 | 1, 2, 3 |
| Complete blood count | 70 | 55 | 90 | 1, 2, 3 |
| Urinalysis, cystocentesis | 65 | 55 | 120 | 1, 2, 3 |
| Chemistry panel, 12-17 analytes | 120 | 95 | 260 | 2, 3 |
| Doppler blood pressure | 40 | 30 | 60 | 2, 3 |
| T4 thyroid test | 85 | 65 | 180 | 2, 3 |
| FeLV/FIV rapid test | 55 | 45 | 120 | 3 |
| Abdominal ultrasound | 300 | 250 | 480 | 3 |
| Chest radiographs, 2 views | 180 | 150 | 300 | 3 |
The ultrasound line is the one that moves most, because it is priced by who holds the probe rather than by machine time; the range by operator and setting is broken out in what an ultrasound exam costs. Any of the 9 numbers can be dropped into the cost calculator to rebuild a total for a different mix.
What the tiers add up to
Arithmetic first, because it is the part owners check against an invoice. US: 60 + 70 + 65 = 195, then 120 + 40 + 85 = 245 more for 440, then 55 + 300 + 180 = 535 more for 975. UK: 45 + 55 + 55 = 155, then 95 + 30 + 65 = 190 for 345, then 45 + 250 + 150 = 445 for 790. China: 120 + 90 + 120 = 330, then 260 + 60 + 180 = 500 for 830, then 120 + 480 + 300 = 900 for 1,700.
| Tier | Items | US total | UK total | China total | Multiple of basic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | 3 | $195 | £155 | ¥330 | 1.00x |
| Plus | 6 | $440 | £345 | ¥830 | 2.05-2.52x |
| Comprehensive | 9 | $975 | £790 | ¥1,730 | 5.00-5.24x |
Each step up is 2.05-2.52x the tier below: plus is 2.26x basic in the US, 2.23x in the UK and 2.52x in China, while comprehensive is 2.22x, 2.29x and 2.08x above plus. The full climb from 3 items to 9 is 5.00-5.24x, which is why the top tier reads as expensive: it is not 1 upgrade, it is 2 upgrades stacked.
Why the same tier quotes 1.5-3x apart
Four factors move a quote without touching the item list. Who reads the bloodwork: an in-house analyser versus an external lab adds $40-90 per panel and 1-2 days of waiting. Who holds the probe: a general practitioner at $250-350 against a board-certified radiologist at $450-700 for the same 25-40 minute scan. Time of day: an emergency hospital at 2 a.m. adds $100-200. And how the invoice is built: a clinic that takes 10-15% off for paying all 9 items together lands under the sum, while one that adds a $35-60 facility fee lands over it.
A basic tier at $130 in a suburban practice and $390 at a 24-hour hospital covers the same 3 tests, 3x apart, and neither number is an error. They are pricing different overheads, which is why the itemized sheet is more informative than the total.
What sits outside all 3 bundles
Four costs are commonly quoted separately, and leaving them out is the main reason a real bill exceeds the bundle. Dental scaling with no extractions runs $250-600, £180-450 or ¥600-1,500 depending on region, and it is never inside an exam tier. Core vaccines for an adult cat add $60-120, £45-90 or ¥150-300. A fecal flotation adds $35-75, £25-55 or ¥80-150. An SDMA add-on to the chemistry panel adds $30-60, £25-50 or ¥60-120.
A prescription diet is a separate annual line as well, and it behaves differently from a one-off test because it recurs every month; the yearly shape of that cost is set out in prescription diet annual cost.
Reading an estimate in 5 checks
Five questions turn a bundle price into a comparable number. Ask for the itemized version in writing, and check that the sum matches the total to within 5%. Ask who reads the bloodwork and the images, because that single answer explains $40-200 of the gap. Ask the repeat interval the clinic intends, since 6-monthly against yearly doubles the 12-month figure. Ask which findings trigger add-ons, and at what price: a $30-60 SDMA and a $50-120 cytology are the two most common. Ask whether the quote includes the written report, because a verbal summary at discharge is cheaper and much less useful 6 months later.
None of this decides which tier a cat needs; the age, the history and the physical findings do. It decides whether 2 quotes are actually for the same thing.
The number to write down
Keep 3 figures per year: the itemized total, the date, and the price of the 2 or 3 largest lines. Twelve months later the comparison takes 2 minutes instead of a phone call, and a line that moved 25% stands out against a total that moved 8%. For a cat on a 6-month schedule, keep both visits on the same sheet, since the second exam often drops the radiographs and repeats only the bloodwork.
That is the whole method: 9 line items, 3 tiers, 3 regions, and a sum you can check yourself.
Terms mentioned in this article
Frequently asked
Why does the comprehensive tier cost 4.7-5.2x the basic one?
Because it stacks 2 upgrades. Basic is 3 items at $195 in the US; plus adds a chemistry panel, blood pressure and T4 for $440; comprehensive adds FeLV/FIV, ultrasound and radiographs for $975. Each step is about 2.05-2.52x the one below, and 2.26 x 2.22 is about 5.
Are these prices per visit or per year?
Per exam. An adult cat under 8 is usually examined once a year, so the tier price is the annual figure. From 8 years, or with kidney or thyroid disease, the interval drops to 6 months, which doubles the yearly total to roughly $390-1,950 depending on tier and region.
What is left out of all three tiers?
Dental scaling without extractions, core vaccines, a fecal flotation and add-on tests such as SDMA. Dental work alone runs $250-600, £180-450 or ¥600-1,500. A prescription diet is a separate recurring line, and it is usually the largest non-exam cost in a senior cat's year.
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- Annual Insurance Claims: 3 Categories, Caps of 1,000-5,000