How much does a dog heart scan cost in the UK?
Prices vary more than most owners expect, and what is included varies just as much. Here is what the different tests actually cost in the UK, and which one you are likely to be quoted for.
Medically reviewed by
Dr Laurent Locquet, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ECVIM-CA (Cardiology)
Veterinary cardiologist, Sonus Health Last reviewed September 03, 2026
The short answer
For most owners the answer is a consultation of roughly £40 to £70 where a vet listens to the heart, and, if a scan is advised, £300 to £600 for an echocardiogram with a specialist cardiologist. A scan performed by your own practice usually costs less.
| What you are paying for | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Consultation with auscultation | £40 to £70 |
| Ultrasound at your own practice | £150 to £300 |
| Specialist echocardiogram | £300 to £600 |
| Recheck echocardiogram | £200 to £400 |
Indicative ranges, not quotes. Prices vary by region, practice and what is bundled into the visit, and London and the south east sit at the top of every range. Always ask your practice what a quote includes.
What moves the price
The biggest factor is who performs the scan. A general practice vet with an ultrasound machine costs less than a referral to a specialist cardiologist, and a specialist scan usually includes a fuller interpretation and a written report. Location matters too, with London and the south east typically at the upper end of every range.
Whether your dog needs sedation, whether the scan is a first look or a recheck, and whether bloods or blood pressure are done at the same visit all move the total. Ask what the quoted price includes before you book, because practices bundle differently.
Where an at-home check fits
An at-home screen answers a different question from a scan. A scan asks what the heart looks like today; a screen at home asks whether anything has changed since last time. It can indicate that heart sounds may need attention, and it tracks heart rate and heart rate variability between appointments.
That is useful in two situations. Before a scan, it can help you decide whether the trip is worth booking now. After one, when your vet has said to keep an eye and come back in six months, it gives you something to actually watch rather than six months of wondering.
When a scan is the right money to spend
When a murmur is new, when it has got louder, or when your dog has developed any of the signs of a heart working harder, a scan is what turns guesswork into a plan. It can also be genuinely reassuring, and knowing a heart is structurally normal is worth paying for once rather than wondering about for years.
An echocardiogram is the diagnostic test. Nothing you can do at home replaces it, and this page is not suggesting otherwise.
Listening between appointments
Hear what changes, between visits
Sonus Health turns your phone into a heart check you can do at home, as often as you like. You get heart rate, heart rate variability and a murmur screen in about a minute.
$2.99 for your first month, then $39.99 a year. Cancel anytime.
Common questions
Most UK owners pay somewhere between about £300 and £600 for an echocardiogram performed by a specialist cardiologist, and less when a general practice vet performs it themselves. Ranges vary widely by region and by what the price includes.
Often yes, if the heart condition is not pre-existing and your policy covers investigations. Insurers usually treat a murmur noted before the policy started as pre-existing, which is why a murmur found at a puppy appointment can matter later. Check with your insurer before booking rather than after.
No, and it is worth being blunt about that. An at-home phone screen can indicate that heart sounds may need attention and track heart rate and heart rate variability over time. It cannot see the heart, so it cannot measure a valve, a chamber or pumping function. It is a way of noticing change between appointments, not a substitute for a scan.
A veterinary cardiologist listens to the recording you take at home, along with a short breathing video, and writes back in plain English with what they hear and what they would do next. It is a written opinion on a recording, not a scan, and it does not replace an echocardiogram.
Heart Journal is $2.99 for your first month, then $39.99 a year, and lets you record at home as often as you want. A cardiologist listen is a separate one-off purchase when you want a specialist's written opinion on a recording.