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Originally Posted by Gingergirlsmom I've heard that often it's harder for vets to operate on the tinies too and that often they'll refuse. Don't know if there is much truth in that. |
You are correct ... that is VERY TRUE!! I was actually going to post a thread about it today. Just to give you a brief idea of what my thread will say ... I took Cali and Tia to the vet Friday. Tia had her baby teeth removed (the surgery was a success and Tia is going great) and Cali was supposed to be spayed, have her baby teeth removed and have 2 dew claws removed. All 3 vets that work at the office out right REFUSED to work on Cali -- they said absolutely not! They weighed her and she is actually smaller than I thought -- she's only 1 lb and 2 ounces at almost 8 months old. All 3 vets highly recommended that I:
1. Wait until she's older
2. Wait until all of her adult teeth come in
3. Help her gain a few more ounces (about 2-3 ounces -- it may not sound like a lot but for her tiny frame it's plenty)
4. Have a team of specialists perform the operation
Spaying her will be VERY expensive (we're talking anywhere from $1,500 - $2,000). Plus they will want to run a series of blood tests before the operation and keep her afterwards for a few days.
Other than that, they said Cali is an extremely well bred and healthy dog. They all loved her and were kissing her the entire visit.
So yes, a tiny dog DOES in fact require a lot of extra care and attention. Also their vet bills are almost always higher. For example, I have found that it costs more just to give them a routine blood test.