This might sound silly...but please try to bear with me. Where I live most vets seem to charge right around $50 for an exam. Some are $47, some $55 but $50 would be a fair average.
Many vets seem to be $200 - $250 to neuter a cat. I know of a few that are more.
Then there are 2 well known vets that do a ton of low cost spays and neuters ($40 - $50 for male cats). Many rescue organizations use them but anyone can (even if you're loaded
)
How can the variance in price be SO drastic within the same local area? I can't quite make sense of it. I'll be taking care of Cooper's neuter in 3 weeks and debating whether the vets that charge $250 will provide better care than the $40 option.
His will likely be more either way since there's no hint of his testicles beginning to descend yet and he's 12 weeks old - but I still have the same general question on the low cost options...
If the surgery will be like a spay, I would definitely use a vet hospital.
Geez that's a big difference! I'd be wary of the cheaper option based on that alone. I'd also ask both vets questions regarding how they would go about finding his boy bits and what they would do if there were complications. Is it possible that the low cost vet is subsidised by the rescue organization?
Would it be okay to skip the pre-surgery blood work ($85). They advise it be done prior to giving anesthesia. Does the fact that he had anesthesia last week when the breeders vet mistakenly shaved his tummy and made the incision to spay him indicate it would be okay to forego the blood panel prior to his surgery in 3 weeks or is it vitally important each time?
I did learn the low cost option winds up being more if you want pain meds (yes!)
I feel more comfortable with the more expensive vet and her staff especially since it will likely be more involved than the "standard" neuter.
(08-11-2010 06:49 PM)halebop Wrote: [ -> ]Would it be okay to skip the pre-surgery blood work ($85). They advise it be done prior to giving anesthesia. Does the fact that he had anesthesia last week when the breeders vet mistakenly shaved his tummy and made the incision to spay him indicate it would be okay to forego the blood panel prior to his surgery in 3 weeks or is it vitally important each time?
I did learn the low cost option winds up being more if you want pain meds (yes!)
I feel more comfortable with the more expensive vet and her staff especially since it will likely be more involved than the "standard" neuter.
I just went through this on Monday! My feline vet charged alot more than the humane societies ect, but in the end i felt more comfortable shelling out the big price for spay & neuter with the pre bloodwork & micro chip. At this point in my life "peace of mind" is worth it all. Also they are both doing great! she called me when they woke up to tell me how it all went, they called the day after to check on them. A very long time ago i have used the cheaper method on pets , they were fine but didn't get the level of TLC.
Cooper and I both want the extra TLC
I'm so glad your babies are doing well!
Blood tests are a good idea, particularly for invasive surgeries. If they did blood tests last time, then there is probably not much need. Otherwise, the issues are about the same as other similar surgeries.
(08-11-2010 05:10 PM)halebop Wrote: [ -> ]This might sound silly...but please try to bear with me. Where I live most vets seem to charge right around $50 for an exam. Some are $47, some $55 but $50 would be a fair average.
Many vets seem to be $200 - $250 to neuter a cat. I know of a few that are more.
Then there are 2 well known vets that do a ton of low cost spays and neuters ($40 - $50 for male cats). Many rescue organizations use them but anyone can (even if you're loaded )
How can the variance in price be SO drastic within the same local area? I can't quite make sense of it. I'll be taking care of Cooper's neuter in 3 weeks and debating whether the vets that charge $250 will provide better care than the $40 option.
His will likely be more either way since there's no hint of his testicles beginning to descend yet and he's 12 weeks old - but I still have the same general question on the low cost options...
See if this helps. It helps thousands of people nation wide.
http://www.friendsofanimals.org/programs/spay-neuter/
This also is an interesting article:
http://www.usatoday.com/life/lifestyle/p...ws22_N.htm
We used a low cost service like this with excellent results! The vet called the night before, asked/answered questions and called us when they were done. We save a lot of money! Neuter & chip for $30. We already had all the immunizations done so they requested vet records to verify that. Every clinic is different of course so get recommendations first.
I would be very disinclined to use such a service for a spay. It is very unlikely they use the fluranes for anaesthesia, which are considered the safest for deep anaesthesia, but are expensive. I would also want to know about pre op blood tests and IV catheters, which should be in place in case of an emergency.