How much does dog ACL surgery cost?
Most owners pay between $3,500 and $7,000 per knee for a TPLO, and it can reach $9,800 at a specialty hospital. Below is where that number comes from, what changes it, and what an insured owner ends up paying.
is what a typical owner pays for a TPLO on a 60 lb dog at a general practice. The full spread runs from about $1,200 for a lateral suture on a small dog to $9,800 with a board-certified surgeon in a major city.
Cost by procedure type
| Procedure | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| TPLO · dogs over 40 lb | $3,500 | $5,200 | $9,800 |
| TTA · medium to large dogs | $3,000 | $4,600 | $7,500 |
| Lateral suture · under 30 lb, older dogs | $1,200 | $2,400 | $4,000 |
Includes bloodwork, X-rays, anesthesia, the procedure and one follow-up. Physical therapy is extra.
What moves the price
Three things explain almost all of the spread. The surgeon’s credentials come first: a board-certified veterinary surgeon at a specialty hospital charges 40 to 60 percent more than a general practitioner who performs TPLO regularly. Your dog’s weight comes second, because implants, anesthesia time and drug doses all scale with it. Location comes third, and it tends to matter more than people expect.
What moves it less than owners expect: the breed, and the dog’s age below about ten. The quotes we collected barely changed on either.
What the quote should include
A complete estimate covers the pre-operative exam and bloodwork, the X-rays used to plan the cut, anesthesia and monitoring, the implant, the procedure, pain medication for the first two weeks, and at least one recheck with follow-up X-rays. If a quote looks unusually low, ask which of those it leaves out.
Would insurance have covered this?
Usually, as long as the policy was in place well before the tear. Many insurers apply a separate waiting period for knee ligaments, often six months, and some won't cover the second knee once the first has torn. The orthopedic clause is the part worth reading before you enroll.
Questions owners ask
Can my dog recover without surgery?
Small dogs under about 30 lb sometimes do, with strict rest and weight management, and some owners choose a custom brace. For medium and large dogs, most surgeons consider surgery the reliable option because the knee stays unstable and arthritis develops faster without it.
Why does the second knee usually go too?
The cranial cruciate ligament in dogs tends to degenerate rather than snap from a single injury, and the same process is usually under way in the other knee. The American College of Veterinary Surgeons estimates that 40 to 60 percent of dogs will tear the second ligament.
Is CareCredit a good way to pay for this?
It can be, if you can pay the balance inside the promotional window. Outside that window the interest rate is high. Ask the clinic whether they offer a payment plan first, and compare with a personal loan if you need more than a few months.
Sources
American College of Veterinary Surgeons, cranial cruciate ligament disease · Clinic price quotes collected August 2026, 14 practices in 9 states · Embrace Pet Insurance policy documents, orthopedic waiting period