Question:
I've been calling around the local vets for prices as the first vet we saw wants $400 for spaying...

Now I'm really confused! some of them offer bloodwork, IV fluids etc - even pain meds - as optional extras. Some don't offer IV fluids.

What's essential and what's not?

Trying to find decent care at a decent price... any advice?

TIA

Answer:
IV fluids are not required for a spay tho a good vet has them available and at the ready should something happen!! The price here is about $100 and that includes the antibiotics (I would refuse to go to a vet who did not send a cat home without antibiotics), pain meds if needed - and I think they are tho cats are likely to minimize their pain (It is their instinct)(with the vet's approval - she knew I could fdo it, I had once treated her son).

So $400 seems excessive to me. I would call around and get a better proce but you still have to make sure the vet is good.

I have volunteered in a few s/n days for a local rescue and oh my gosh, we do maybe 300 plus spays and neuters in one day - we had a system going. I have yet to see any cat require IV fluids but that may have been luck on that day. It could happen if a cat had some underlying illness or needed blood but this surgery is really uncomplicated and quite minor. (Tho even knowing that I was a basket case each time my babies were having theirs, lol) You do need to watch them post surgery - to me, that seems just as important as cleanliness and the vet's ability to do the surgery.

Since many of these were feral kitties, we used sutures that dissolve but many of them eventually found a home.

Since I am not a vet, I did not do this surgery - I was "just" as assistant but it is surgery that takes very little time but still must be with the utmost care for the patient!!! Some cats did need O2 (oxygen) but that is not expensive - vets have that on hand anyway.

Our fire dept has bought little masks that fit cats and we used them as well as some donated by vets' offices.

My point is I see no need for all those extras - except for antibiotics which should come included in the cost.

Answer:
Thanks, cyberkitten

I am leaning towards the one that includes the cost of pain meds. Just because I know how I feel when I come out of surgery (BTDT - it hurt! ). No one has mentioned antibiotics so I'll have to ask more Qs, I figure if they are good they shouldn't mind!

Would love to hear more opinions

Answer:
The more you get the easier the recovery... IV painkillers aren't necessary, but they do keep the inflammation down, which leads to faster healing... There's a reason for everything on that list... You just have to decide how far you're comfortable going.

Answer:
We recently had our kitty Gracie spayed. Cost was about $120 for the spaying plus $65 for presurgery bloodwork (we opted for the bloodwork because we wanted to ensure that she was healthy).

A couple of years ago when we had our pup Jack neutered, the cost was about $100.

Our vet discouraged the use of post surgical pain killers unless absolutely necessary. The thought was to 'force' the cat / dog to rest and heal rather than to numb the pain thus tricking them into thinking they are doing better than they really are and possibly injur themselves by tearing stitches, etc.

Answer:
The thought was to 'force' the cat / dog to rest and heal rather than to numb the pain thus tricking them into thinking they are doing better than they really are and possibly injur themselves by tearing stitches, etc.
hmm, hadn't thought of that - I guess I was thinking in human terms about the post-op pain.

I'll look again at the lists...

Answer:
I would get the bloodwork done just in case there is something wrong that could cause death while under,example problem with liver function.

Answer:
With the neutering of my dog, I chose the bare basics and he picked at the stiches and had to go back in...so with my girl's spay I did the works. I was much happier and she seemed to be too. That said, my opinion is that the spay is FAR more invasive than the neutering is...

Your cost seems very high, however to me. Last year Maia's spay (dog) with EVERYTHING- bloodwork, IV, microchip, etc- was about 300 ca.

Answer:
It depends also where you live, if you are near downtown Toronto, the vet has to charge more otherwise they could not afford the rents/mortgage on the place they are in, I have a 3 bedroom brick bungalow here in Woodstock worth about $180,000, if this same home was located in some areas of TO it would be worth over a million.

If you compare the average family income of those living and working here or in east coast it will be significantly less then those living and working in the prime areas of TO, so vet cost balance out when you look at it that way


The TO(all areas combined) average family income is 64K
St Johns NFLD 49K , Sherbrooke Qc, $47K, St Catherines 53K, London 58K, winnipeg 53K, Vancouver 60K

So by looking at these figures it would be pretty safe to assume vets in St Catherines will be charging less than those in TO, and within TO certain areas are going to be very pricey based on the average incomes of the area, in some areas the average family income is over $200K, and housing costs and rents also vary due to the average incomes of those areas

Answer:
I think the high cost is (a) because I'm too close to T.O. and (b) bcause I;m too close to the Posh Neighbourhood with the Big Fancy Houses

Answer:
looks like great minds think alike!

Answer:
Yeah, geog might play a part in it. Dogastrophe, I do research in pain relief for children(Come and visit my lab some day on Univ Ave!) - and we have laid to treat so many myths - can you believe ppl used to believe babies did not feel pain??? My vet did not give me any pain meds for my cats but ion 2 occasions, when my cats were obviously uncomfortable - and there is much proof that any one - cats or humans - get better faster with pain relief - so I (with the vet's permission) made my own concoction of a narcotic for them. Very small amt!!! Cats tolerate narcotic meds much better than we do but that does mean they need a whole lot of a med - they are small little creatures (compared to us anyway and most are kittens when spayed/neutered).

Perhaps it is my background but I refuse to allow my own patients to needlessly suffer and I disagree with the vets' opinion about letting cats think they are better than they really are. I have cared for 100 plus cats (either in rescue , my family's , my grandmother;'s, my friends or my own) and while they know when they are feeling better and meds might get in the way of that, they are groggy for a time post op anyway and that is when they are in the most pain and need it. My cats needed only one capsule of "my" medication which I made in the lab. The vet has begun to use some of them when necessary - and we are looking at more serious research. The med used is already indicated for cats but it is finding the appropriate amt that we want to do. I found it similar to finding pain meds for the tiny newborns I work with on occasion or infants who have cancer or HIV - every child is different and we do have been doing research ion this for some 15 yrs plus now.

I guess in the end, I refuse to see anyone suffer needlessly and that can happen post spay and neuter surgery no matter what any vet tells you. I do not believe in overwhelming them with mega drugs tho - but enough to be comfortable after the surgery. They should not need any on the 2nd day and if they do, that is an indication there may be probs.

So, I would ask for pain relief for the first day at any rate. But that's just me. to me, it is like wondering whether to have natural birth (sans meds) if one can do it - or whether to have pain relief. It is up to the individual. In this case tho, just like little children, cats can tell you if they are in pain and their instinct is to hide it so I'd prefer to help them heal faster and not have the extra issue of pain to complicate it.

Anyway - that's my opinion - both as an overprotective meomy and as a health care professional.

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