Are Vet Visits Tax Deductible?

The IRS treats a family pet as a personal expense, in the same category as a hobby or household goods. So the short answer for most owners is no: you cannot deduct vet bills, vaccines, food or grooming for a pet that is simply part of the family. There are a few narrow situations where pet-related costs can reduce your taxes.

When pet costs can be deductible

This table is general information; tax rules depend on your facts, so confirm with a tax professional.

Service animals: the medical expense rule

The IRS says you can include in medical expenses "the costs of buying, training, and maintaining a guide dog or other service animal" used by a person who is visually impaired, hearing impaired or has other physical disabilities (IRS Publication 502). Maintenance costs such as food, grooming and veterinary care count when they keep the animal healthy enough to do its job.

Two limits apply:

1. You must itemize. Medical expenses are claimed on Schedule A. If you take the standard deduction, which most households do, you get no benefit.
2. Only the amount above 7.5% of AGI counts. If your adjusted gross income is $70,000, the first $5,250 of total medical expenses is not deductible. With $7,000 of qualifying medical costs, you could deduct $1,750.

Emotional support animals and therapy animals are not service animals under the ADA definition, and pet costs for them are generally not deductible as medical expenses. See can you get a service dog for anxiety for the difference.

Business animals

If an animal genuinely works in your business, such as a guard dog for a commercial property or a herding dog on a working farm, its costs may be deductible as business expenses. A pet that sometimes keeps you company at your home office does not qualify.

Fostering for a rescue

In Van Dusen v. Commissioner (136 T.C. No. 25, 2011), the US Tax Court allowed a volunteer who fostered cats for a qualified charity to deduct unreimbursed vet bills and supplies as charitable contributions, because the costs were incurred in providing services to the charity. The court allowed 90% of her vet and supply costs (the rest were for her own cats) and part of her cleaning and utility costs, but it disallowed amounts of $250 or more that lacked the charity's written acknowledgment. If you foster for a qualified rescue and itemize, keep receipts and get a written acknowledgment from the organization.

What about pet insurance, boarding or adoption fees?

For a family pet, pet insurance premiums, boarding, daycare and adoption fees are personal expenses and are not deductible. Read more in can you deduct dog boarding or daycare on your taxes.

Ways to save on vet bills instead

Since most vet costs can't be written off, the realistic savings come from prevention, comparing clinic prices for routine care, using low-cost nonprofit clinics, and planning for emergencies with savings or insurance. See how much a vet visit costs and browse veterinarians near you.

Sources

1. IRS Interactive Tax Assistant: guide dog or other service animal (medical expenses)
2. GoodRx: Are Vet Bills and Other Pet Expenses Tax-Deductible? (2025)
3. Journal of Accountancy: Cat foster expenses deductible (Van Dusen v. Commissioner, 136 T.C. No. 25)