Neutering Costs

[jillamp]

hello,
I have a 6 mo. old Frenchie named Gibby.
I need to get him neutered as per the breeder's contract & I would do it anyway.
My vet gave me an estimate of $288. That seems a little high, I know he requires
special anesthesia or different amounts because they are muscular, but that seems
way out there, being I see clinics will do it for $30. Anyone have any advise?

[citygirl]

In my opinion, that's a very reasonable amount to pay for neutering. I would go the extra mile and have the pre-surgical blood testing done, even though I'm sure that will be an additional cost. That's how I found out one of my Frenchies has a problem with her liver. We would've never known that the problem existed until her liver was so bad that we wouldn't have been able to do anything about it. Most vets insist on the pre-surgical screening before placing any animal under anesthia.

I don't know of anywhere (at least here in the northeast) that will neuter a dog for $30. There are low cost spay/neuter clinics run by animal welfare organizations that utilize the time of volunteer veterinarians, but those spots on the schedule are intended for people who absolutely cannot afford to pay to have their dog/cat neutered in a regular setting.

[marycas]

Id be a good consumer and do 2 things

1-call this vet and get a clear picture of what is included-be sure to ask about blood work. Ask if anything can be done to reduce the cost

2-call other vets in your area. Surely someone will give an estimate based on his weight. If you get a lesser amount, you would have to check anesthesia protocol, etc but its the best way to know(Im in the Midwest too)

My vet was having me leave my Westie to draw blood. This was for HIS convenience, mind you. His staff could deal with clients that were there and do the draw during a lull. Yet I was hit with a boarding fee!!

I now make it clear the draw needs to happen at the appt so I can take him straight home. Im not reducing his quality of care but I am reducing my expense

Ask for details

[franp]

Neutering your dog is probably/hopefully the most serious procedure that will be done for most of its life..And in the case of our breed, because of the dangers of anesthetic, one that MUST be done by a Vet experienced with our breed..Not a bargain Vet..

Because our dogs are so sensitive to the less expensive drugs, the cost of the anesthetic is a factor..Our dogs must be intubated for a longer time and watched more closely; all things that a clinic does not do..

You have started a relationship with the Dr..if you amortize the cost of the surgery over the life of your dog, it really is not that much more..And as for asking the Dr what can he do to lower the cost?? would you have the Dr not give your dog pain killer? or take away the warming pad after surgery? maybe not have someone look in on him as often?

The price you have been quoted really sounds quite reasonable especially for what is being done IMO.

[gravy]

I totally agree. the vet I go to is an hour away
from my house with lots of vets closer and maybe cheaper
but for anything that requires him going under, he is the only
one I'll use. I might go closer for something less involved,
but the risk is too great IMO for something to go wrong.
He is known as "the" frenchie vet in this area. I think I paid
around $350, but its a small price for peace of mind. Also
my dog had one undescended testical so it might have
been more for that. Don't go cheap on this, but also make
sure they know what they are doing for the breed.

[bulldoggin30]

My vet is wonderful and charged me 40.00 for the procedure. She is in the Chillicothe area but I will admit that is cheap. Most vets in the area charge around 100.00. Where is West Chester?

[DebbieP]

I too paid around $100 for my dog's neutering. I expressed my concerns about the breathing issues and breed up front to the vet and was reassured that they were familiar with anesthesia for dog breeds with this type of nose. My boy came home acting like nothing had happened.

[J20]

hello,
I have a 6 mo. old Frenchie named Gibby.
I need to get him neutered as per the breeder's contract & I would do it anyway.
My vet gave me an estimate of $288. That seems a little high, I know he requires
special anesthesia or different amounts because they are muscular, but that seems
way out there, being I see clinics will do it for $30. Anyone have any advise?

Male or females are £210 UK pounds

[Pioneer62]

Ladies & Gents,

I need some help. Anybody out there from the Northern Virginia area. My vet just me gave a 488 dollar estimate for a nuetering. breakdown as follows of

299 for boarding/IV drugs
72 Bloodwork
37 Pain Med
67 Vet fees

I'm pretty sure I've had minor surgeries that have cost less. Anyway the annoying part is other vets in the area won't give out estimates on how much the procedure will cost unless you schedule an appt which comes with a 50 dollar fee usually. So basically I have no way of finding out if I'm getting taken to the cleaners here which in my mind is what is happening. My vet comes highly recommended and so far have been pretty pleased with them dispite them being on the high end of price range. I'm now considering switching. Anybody have any advice or can offer any competeing price ranges in this area. Thanks.

CH

[gravy]

I'm not sure about the boarding fee, my boy
came home the same day, unless they are talking
about letting him recover for a few hours there before
going home. I took mine in in the AM and brought him
home in the late afternoon, no "boarding" required.

[Pioneer62]

yea it's their policy to keep all animals over night when they under go any surgical procedure. I'm thinking about asking if we could forgo the overnight stay and how much that would save us in terms of money

[gmacleod]

I'm thinking about asking if we could forgo the overnight stay and how much that would save us in terms of money

I wouldn't worry so much about the money aspect. But I would strongly suggest finding out whether or not anyone is actually there all night long supervising the animals. In most cases, you actually find that there isn't - instead they have someone who comes in 2-3 times during the night to check on them. Well, if that's the situation, you're better off having your pet at home where you can give 24 hour supervision and race to an emergency vet if needed. The half hour or so it takes you to get there beats the heck out of someone discovering a problem 3-4 hours after the fact ;)

IF, on the other hand, someone actually is there supervising the whole night though - then there is a decent health and safety reason for leaving the dog in their care.

[AKFrenchieMom]

I know that I have always brought my dogs home after a surgergy. I think I would argue if my dog were not being watched all night long. It has made for a few sleepless nights, but I know they were being observed. My vets have always been in support of this realizing that we would be very careful and aware.