Shocking vet prices-is this normal?

[Sadie366]

  I have a 1 year old Great Dane who is finally ready to be spayed and I'm shocked at the prices I'm finding at the different vets in my area.  I live in the northeast but am in a depressed/fairly low cost of living area.  My girl is 90 lbs so I understand that I will be paying more than I would for a smaller dog.  That said…I had a different 90 lb Great Dane that needed to be spayed 6 years ago and I $250 was the going rate at that time.  Two years before that I had a different, slightly larger Dane spayed for $175.  I understand that prices increase so my husband and I set aside $500 for the procedure, thinking that we were overestimating on the cost.  Now I'm calling around to different vets because our vet doesn't do spaying, so it will be with a different vet in a different office and I'm not comfortable with that.   I'm getting prices of $800-$1,000!  The price doesn't go down much for smaller dogs. Is this normal?  I do have emergency money I can dip in to but I would rather not use that.

  We recently found a vet that came highly recommended to us and when we called them they said the cost would be about $300(normal)-$600(in case of complications) for a 90 lb Great Dane.  So we made a pre-surgery/well visit.  DH and I got a babysitter and drove down.  The whole trip took us 3 hours and $70 for the visit.  We just got the estimate today.  They are charging us $664-$928 for the spay a 220% increase from what it was when I called two weeks ago.:eek:  I'm feeling a little bit like I was a victim of bait and switch.  

These prices seem ridiculous to me. I support vets and I know they need to make a living but I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that the going rate 6 years ago was only $250 and now its near $1,000. Is this the new going rate for spaying? If that is the case I’m not sure I will ever own another dog again.

[Marshfield]

$250 is dirt cheap, for years veterinarians did surgery below cost. That would be a $600 spay for me at the minimum. While a spay is a routine surgery, it is a MAJOR abdominal surgery. None of us are getting rich in the field. I know rich veterinarians, they married the money or inherited it. Health insurance is a common benefit and it keeps going up. Most of us are paying (or are employers are) in the $700 range for insurance for two per month. We don’t see the costs of our own care. Veterinary medicine is still the best health care bargain out there.

I won’t apologize for expecting to make a decent income and have a reasonable standard of living after 8 years of education.

[Equibrit]

This is our local specialty spay/neuter place; http://www.petvetinc.com/services/spayneuter-fees/

The last one I had spayed was in Feb 2018.
17.5lb terrier.
Included; Exam, hospitalization, anesthesia and monitoring, surgery, pre-op and post-op nursing care, and pain medication (Metacam/Meloxidyl). $70.00

Google for low cost spay/neuter clinics in your area. In the NE they will probably be more expensive than here, but they have very much more experience in this field than you average vet clinic.
Example; http://www.nutmegclinic.org/dogs

[Simkie]

Yeah, I expect a grand for a spay. It can be done for less, but probably without bloodwork, saline during surgery, monitoring during surgery, ketamine induction instead of propofol, and the post surgery pain meds might not be included. It’s just expensive.

[S1969]

So who really pays for the rest of the actual cost in a low-cost spay/neuter clinic? Are the vets volunteering their time?

I think my vet charges about $650-750 for a spay but that has probably gone up in the last 6 years since my breeder spayed her bitch (which I now own). Barring specialty surgeries, I would prefer my own vet to perform any surgery…(definitely not a low cost clinic), because they would be the ones following up the care on the dog and should know about any complications, issues with anesthesia, sensitivity to any medications, etc.

Surgery is expensive. Period. This is why I keep telling my 20 year old daughter she is not ready for a dog. At least a spay is something you can schedule when you are prepared financially, with time to ensure recovery, etc. Not the same for lots of other possible complications - obstructions, bloat, injury, etc.

[Equibrit]

@S1969

So who really pays for the rest of the actual cost in a low-cost spay/neuter clinic? Are the vets volunteering their time?

No volunteering. 3 vets in the practice several nurses and receptionists/office.

http://www.petvetinc.com/faqs/

[LauraKY]

@S1969

So who really pays for the rest of the actual cost in a low-cost spay/neuter clinic? Are the vets volunteering their time?

I think my vet charges about $650-750 for a spay but that has probably gone up in the last 6 years since my breeder spayed her bitch (which I now own). Barring specialty surgeries, I would prefer my own vet to perform any surgery…(definitely not a low cost clinic), because they would be the ones following up the care on the dog and should know about any complications, issues with anesthesia, sensitivity to any medications, etc.

Surgery is expensive. Period. This is why I keep telling my 20 year old daughter she is not ready for a dog. At least a spay is something you can schedule when you are prepared financially, with time to ensure recovery, etc. Not the same for lots of other possible complications - obstructions, bloat, injury, etc.

While low cost spay/neuter clinics are great for reducing the unwanted animal population, they’re not the right choice for me for a pet.

Here’s a pretty good comparison of a low cost clinic to a veterinary center. You do get what you pay for.

https://winslowanimalhospital.com/the-difference-between-low-cost-spayneuter-regular-clinics-winslow-animal-hospital-dog-cat/

[Simkie]

@S1969

So who really pays for the rest of the actual cost in a low-cost spay/neuter clinic? Are the vets volunteering their time?

They’re sometimes supported by donations and grants. And often a spay at a low cost clinic looks very different on the scope of services (no preop bloodwork, no telemetry during surgery, no saline drip, potential for different, cheaper, drug cocktail, maybe no post op pain meds.) Those things do add up.

I’d be curious to see deaths per 100 spays at low cost clinic vs a full priced clinic. Or complications? Skipping something like bloodwork is probably usually fine in a young animal, but there’s a greater risk without it…wonder how those numbers look.

[tbchick84]

Sadly I do think you’re paying more for their student loans more that for the procedure. You don’t say where in the northeast you are. I know in CT, we have low cost spay/neuter vans that come around the different towns and we have Nutmeg Clinic Stratford. all they do is low cost spay/neuter. Yes you take on more risk doing it that way over a vet’s office, but it does give you more options. Also shop around on vet offices. Costs can vary greatly in the same town.

[Callista17]

Here they are about $600-$700, however the one group of vets offer puppy packages, about the same price, which includes the surgeries, vaccines- dhpp, lepto, rabies, pes, flea and hw prevention. They are about the same price, and it’s usually 2-4 visits, depending on the the pets age.

I do think a lot was about if you have them come as puppies and kittens, the people will become regular clients.

I am curious why your vet doesn’t spay? It is an abdominal surgery, but fairly common.

[LauraKY]

Remember this when you think adoption fees from rescues are too high.

[Equibrit]

Regular vets indulge in a lot of scare mongering in an effort to persuade people that low cost clinics are dangerous. They do it to protect their income stream. Just like they push all the flea etc preparations and yearly shots.

[LauraKY]

@Equibrit

Regular vets indulge in a lot of scare mongering in an effort to persuade people that Lolow cost clinics are dangerous. They do it to protect their income stream. Just like they push all the flea etc preparations and yearly shots.

Low cost clinics aren’t as safe, they can’t be. It’s up to the pet owner…build a relationship with a vet and, in an emergency, you have a vet who will squeeze you in. Or don’t and take your chances. My vet in KY and the one here in Ohio…I can call up to 10 pm and they will meet me in the office for an emergency. I’m also lucky that I have Ohio State for back-up for something really, really serious.

[Marshfield]

@Equibrit

Regular vets indulge in a lot of scare mongering in an effort to persuade people that low cost clinics are dangerous. .

I’ve seen the surgery reports from multiple ones with no pain control and outdated anesthetic protocols from ones in my area. Are there ones which do a good job–yes, there are. But are there ones, I would tell people to run away from–yes, there are.

Low cost spay/neuter is probably more accurately described as subsidized surgery. Most (not all) are non profits with all that comes with that

[Equibrit]

@Marshfield

Are there ones which do a good job–yes, there are. But are there ones, I would tell people to run away from–yes, there are.

Low cost spay/neuter is probably more accurately described as subsidized surgery. Most (not all) are non profits with all that comes with that

There are also really bad regular vets that you should run away from.
Who are you suggesting subsidizes low cost clinics ?
It’s like any other service you require; you research the provider before deciding who to use.
Clearly $1000 is utterly ridiculous.

[Jhein12]

That seems high to me. I’m in Maryland and two years ago I think I paid around $150 at my regular vet. 25 lb dog though.

[Chall]

Maybe we’ve been watching too many episodes of “Dr. Jeff” of Animal Planet.
He does free spaying days and visits Mexico to provide free spay/neuter and surgery.
IIRC he had neuter surgery that took some ridiculous assembly line time, under a minute for males.
It is an interesting show , you get to see the organization for the surgeries etc.
And he makes little money (based on the life style they show on camera).

[vxf111]

$1000 seems slightly on the high side for my area but only slightly so. I paid around $700 all in for a full grown collie. So much of this is location dependent. If your vet is in an area where rents are high and the hiring pool is competitive it’s going to cost more than in a more rural area. And of course it also depends what is included in terms of blood work, etc.

[RoughOut]

Remember when you step into a vet clinic the lights are on and its climate controlled. There is a receptionist and at least one vet tech who will be with your dog for the day. These all cost money.

A people “spay” would cost $10k+

I feel badly that you weren’t expecting the amount especially since you recieved a quote but I dont think the vet is putting the extra money in his pocket.

[vxf111]

But regardless of actual cost I think it’s completely obnoxious that you got a bait and switch on the estimate and you have every reasonable right to be annoyed about that