I have been reading some post on here that have incredibly low prices for different surgeries. Our vet wants to charge $400 for a spay. Is that average or outrageous?

Outrageous! If you want to drive 2 hours south, you can get it done at my vets for $145

Well, in Michigan, for Delilah's (she had EVERYTHING) it was about 360 I believe. That include pain meds, antibiotics, iv in for spay etc. It was worth it though. I won't go low cost clinic for Spay, it's too invasive.

Cally's came to $407 and that was with microchipping, her flea/heartworm prevention and eye cream included

Robinhuskylover2231 wrote:

Cally's came to $407 and that was with microchipping, her flea/heartworm prevention and eye cream included

Crap, thats 414 in the U.S.

lol guess Canada has its perks

$150 , I went to another vet. My vet when I was in california wanted $500!

Depending on the size of the dog, where I work we charge $135 (Chihuahua size)-$250(adult Mastiff size- non senior). That does NOT include an IV catheterization, bloodwork or microchipping.

Mine included all of the above Brooke - and honestly, I think it was worth it.

mheath0429 wrote:

Mine included all of the above Brooke - and honestly, I think it was worth it.

Completely agree with this! Believe it or not, this is a "cheap" vet

$145 was for everything and a nights stay at the vets. My vet prefers to have them monitored at the office the first night. This was my regular vet, not a low cost clinic.

26nikita wrote:

$145 was for everything and a nights stay at the vets. My vet prefers to have them monitored at the office the first night. This was my regular vet, not a low cost clinic.

Yep, mine was $150 or $160 for Mya. She didn't stay overnight though.

I don't hate on those who do have dogs that stay overnight, but I would never do it. I feel that its better for me to be with my dog because I can provide 24 hour supervised care. Now, if it were Brooke, that would be different!

mheath0429 wrote:

Mine included all of the above Brooke - and honestly, I think it was worth it.

Yea most clients do bloodwork (basic panel with CBC for extra $62) and Microchip $35 (puppy plan is discounted %10) and extra pain meds (either a shot after surgery $50, or TGH pills $35, or both lol). Most don't do IV catheter, although for senior spays it is mandatory. If a client refuses they have to go elsewhere lol We try to stay pretty competitive with the shelters since we do it more safely; they are fully monitored by a tech during the entire duration; also hooked up to an ECG, blood pressure, respiratory rate, expiratory CO2, and oxygen saturation of the tissues. Shelters and low cost clinics skimp and most don't have anyone monitoring them. I've volunteered in clinics before, they had patients recovering on the cold floors... most people don't know that... I was mortified. After I moniter patients under anesthsia, I ALWAYS stay with them until they are awake and sternal. Anything can go wrong in that time.

Oh yeah. I get nervous with low cost clinics. Cato was lucky, a local rescue sponsors a neuter coupon lol - so they will pay half the neuter for the first 100 or so. Cato was only 80 for me. Including the works.

mheath0429 wrote:

Oh yeah. I get nervous with low cost clinics. Cato was lucky, a local rescue sponsors a neuter coupon lol - so they will pay half the neuter for the first 100 or so. Cato was only 80 for me. Including the works.

That's so generous! we need more programs like that in force!

mheath0429 wrote:

I don't hate on those who do have dogs that stay overnight, but I would never do it. I feel that its better for me to be with my dog because I can provide 24 hour supervised care. Now, if it were Brooke, that would be different!

If I knew more about medical care then I would agree with you but for the average joe, like myself, I think it's great that the vet keeps them the first night to make sure there is no complications.

I would rather her stay the first night at the vets as well. This is my first dog and I wouldn't even really know what to look for. Vet said $400 included everything, iv, pain meds, etc but not an overnight stay.

Honestly, its past time for her to get spayed but I am sooo worried something might go wrong. My friends boxer pup died from complications with anesthesia during his neuter. Call me a wuss if you will but I am scared for her. I also wasn't anticipating 400 I was thinking more like 200, and thought my vet was kinda high.

Whatever you do, make them run the blood panel. If you don't, you are knowingly risking an issue with Anesthesia if you don't. A Blood panel will tell you if your dog us ready and capable to take on the surgery. I would also go with the Catheterization.

It's not about being a veterinary expert, I keep my dog here because I am with her. most vet clinics wont have someone there 24 hours - they will just check on them at night. It's safer for me to rush her to an E-Vet from complications than to hope that my dog only has a complication when the vet tech is there.

It helps that I have taken a veterinary assisting course, but I still wouldn't leave her anyway. That's just me.

Our vet does low cost spay and neuter, and seriously, my animals that have been altered there have recovered so much more quickly than those I had done elsewhere. We will be taking Storm here for her spay after she recovers from hip surgery. By that time, she should have some more weight on her and will be over 50 lbs, so her spay will cost $52, which includes a free rabies shot. Her pain shot will only cost $10 more. They didn't keep my cat overnight, so I don't think they'll keep her overnight either.

But its with your vet, I think that makes a difference.

mheath0429 wrote:

But its with your vet, I think that makes a difference.

Yeah, I feel much more comfortable having it done with a regular vet as opposed to a traveling low cost spay/neuter clinic. I'm just thankful that my vet is so reasonable.

.

I think my vet wanted $400-$500 I think and it was the same at another vet. I took Siku to a vet where a sibe lady I know works and they did it for $105 and she was just fine. I think at our local SPCA it's like $65 or something like that and my mom hasn't had any rescue dogs have any issues with their spay or neuters there.

Oh and I like when they can go home the same day, which Siku got to do.

I paid $500 for my lab to be spayed, including the iv, antibiotic during the surgery, pain med during and after and overnight stay. I thought it was very high! They charged me $380 for Balon's neuter, everything was the same as the lab except they did not keep him overnight.

I really thought my vets were high when it comes to spay/neuter until I called around just to see, and found out everyone near me was within $50 of what I paid.

But they both made it through surgery (the lab reacted a bit to a couple of her stitches) Balon had no complications.

Oh and I should have noted that the 500 for the lab included a microchip, (Balon was chipped by his breeder) and yes I did have them do blood panels on both.