10 BILLS TRACKED
Blocked bladder (urethral obstruction)
A genuine emergency for male cats, with a brutal price spread: £500 to £2,256 in the real bills we track.
Every price we track (hover a dot)
The gap: advertised vs actually paid (medians)
People reported paying 10% more than the advertised list price for blocked bladder.
List prices are advertised prices; paid figures are what people reported, often for different cases and from a small sample so far. Treat the gap as a signal, not a quote.
| Year | Region | Practice | What it was | List | Paid | Src |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | UK unspecified | Unknown | Blocked bladder treatmentApproximate | — | £500 | source |
| 2022 | UK unspecified | Unknown | Cat blocked bladder - treatmentUninsured; ~2 years before Jan 2024 thread | — | £500 | source |
| 2022 | UK unspecified | Unknown | Cat urinary/bladder issue - drugs, x-rays, CT scan, sedationUrinary/bladder problem (may not be a full obstruction); insurance covered majority | — | £700 | source |
| 2026 | UK unspecified | Corporate / chain | Blocked cat treatment packAnimal Trust CIC; urethral obstruction treatment pack; list valid to Jul 2026 | £719 | — | source |
| 2024 | UK unspecified | Unknown | Blocked bladder: initial unblocking | — | £790 | source |
| 2024 | UK unspecified | Unknown | Cat blocked bladder - emergency visit (recurrence)Recurrence; not covered - pre-existing condition | — | £790 | source |
| 2024 | UK unspecified | Unknown | Blocked bladder: re-obstruction days laterSame cat, days after £790 bill; monitoring quoted £160/day, charged £320/day | — | £895 | source |
| 2024 | UK unspecified | Unknown | Cat blocked bladder (full episode total)Running total across unblocking, catheter placement and the first day of monitoring. | — | £2,000 | source |
| 2025 | UK unspecified | Unknown | Emergency blocked bladder surgery + 3 days aftercareMiddle-of-night emergency | — | £2,256 | source |
| 2025 | UK unspecified | Corporate / chain | Cat blocked bladder - emergency surgery plus 3 days aftercareOut-of-hours emergency; uninsured; overnight portion ~£1,800 of the bill; owner borrowed money | — | £2,256 | source |
Common questions
How much does blocked bladder cost in the UK?
Across 10 real UK prices, the median is £790, with bills running from £500 to £2,256. These are real prices people paid or that practices published, not estimates.
Why do blocked bladder prices vary so much?
It depends on where you are, who owns the practice, and exactly what is included. The Competition and Markets Authority found corporate-owned practices charged 18.3% more on average than independents, and vet prices rose 63% between 2016 and 2023.
Is blocked bladder cheaper at an independent vet?
Often, yes. The CMA's 2026 review found independent practices averaged 18.3% less than the six large corporate groups for comparable work. From September 2026 every practice must publish a price list, so comparing a few nearby is worth it.
Related free guides
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Methodology: prices here are published list prices, bills people reported in public posts or submitted directly, and survey averages. Each row says which it is, with a link to the source where one exists. We never estimate and no sponsor can touch a number. Spot an error? Tell us and we'll fix or remove it fast.