The Veterinary Services Department (DVS) is proposing higher charges for laboratory tests at every veterinary lab under the department, covering pets, birds, sporting animals, and livestock.

The department said the current rules are outdated and no longer suitable. They also do not cover the many new laboratory tests that vet labs have had to develop almost every year to meet national needs, as animal diseases appear and reappear, particularly ones that affect import and export activities.

The Old Rates And The Proposed New Ones

The proposed 2025 prices are far higher than the 1983 ones, because the old prices were set more than four decades ago and never revised. A cancer screening test, for example, costs RM5 today under the 1983 rate. The proposed rate is RM100.

These are the rates listed in the consultation document.

Test Or Service	1983 Rate	Proposed 2025 Rate
Cancer screening (histopathological test)	RM5	RM100
Blood examination for protozoan parasites (blood smear, buffy coat)	RM2.50	RM5
Organ examination for pets	RM5	RM10
Post-mortem for cats and dogs	RM15	RM170
Post-mortem for horses and exotic animals	RM100	RM200

Post-mortems for cats and dogs carry the largest increase in ringgit terms, rising by RM155. The blood examination for protozoan parasites rose the least, from RM2.50 to RM5.

Why The Department Says The Fees Need Reviewing

DVS said raising the fees would bring them in line with what it called reasonable market rates. Between 2018 and 2024, total fee collection by DVS came to RM133,411.71 across all seven years. The department estimated that if the fee schedule had been updated, it could have collected RM1.13 million in 2023 alone.

DVS said the extra revenue would help cover the running costs of veterinary laboratories, so that lab services can continue without interruption for the country’s veterinary and food security needs.

DVS is separately discussing a guideline that would act as a reference price for veterinary treatment, and a vet fee benchmark could change what you pay for pet care at your own clinic. The registration fees paid by vets themselves, unchanged since 1975, are under review too.

Who Would Be Charged

The proposed amendment would allow charges to be imposed on private individuals as well as commercial clients, including importers and exporters, who use laboratory testing services at veterinary labs. The animals covered range from pets and birds to sporting animals and livestock.

For most pet owners, this means you would only be affected if your vet sends samples to a government veterinary laboratory, or if you deal directly with one. Breeders, kennels, and anyone importing or exporting animals are far more likely to be regular customers of these labs.

What Higher Lab Fees Could Mean For Your Pet Bills

This only affects you if your clinic sends samples to a government lab. Plenty of clinics use private ones instead, so ask your clinic which they use. If your vet does use a government lab, their costs go up. A post-mortem for a cat or dog, for example, would cost the clinic RM170 instead of RM15. Your clinic can either charge you more or cover the difference itself.

Pet insurance plans such as Etiqa’s PAWer Insurance or Oyen can cover part of the cost if your pet falls ill or gets injured, though pre-existing conditions are usually excluded, so buy early rather than after a diagnosis.

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