2 BILLS TRACKED
Foreign body surgery (swallowed object)
Dogs and cats swallow things they shouldn't, and getting it out is major surgery. A split-second mistake regularly runs to thousands.
Every price we track (hover a dot)
The gap: advertised vs actually paid (medians)
People reported paying 194% more than the advertised list price for foreign body surgery.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | UK unspecified | Corporate / chain | Enterotomy / enterectomy (intestinal foreign body surgery)Animal Trust CIC; gastrotomy also £1019; price includes surgery + up to 48h hospitalisation; list valid to Jul 2026 | £1,019 | — | source |
| 2022 | UK unspecified | Unknown | Surgery to remove swallowed squeakerforeign-body ingestion | — | £3,000 | source |
Common questions
How much does foreign body surgery cost in the UK?
Across 2 real UK prices, the median is £2,010, with bills running from £1,019 to £3,000. These are real prices people paid or that practices published, not estimates.
Why do foreign body surgery 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 foreign body surgery 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.
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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.