Neuter - Vet/SPCA

[Lorraine]

Originally Posted by Yorkiemom1

Yorkies have to have a gas anesthesia....gas anesthesia is more expensive, so places that offer the discounted surgical procedures, often times do NOT use the gas anesthesia. Then there is the preop blood work that I insist on, and continous IV during and after the procedure to (1) provide easy and immediate access to a vein if an emergency happens....and (2) tank my baby up with fluid and dextrose because they dont usually eat or drink a lot over the next 24-36 hours.....I would go with the vet option....

Absolutely correct information and very good info at that. Thanks for posting this.
Yes there are cheaper vets but be sure you know what your vet cheaper or more costly will be doing. SPCA price for neutering will likely not include baby teeth removal and you would need to know how they put a puppy under, what kind of anesthesia is used and I doubt he would be on IV. Check these things out first.
After a spay/neuter I also have pedialyte on hand at home. I like to give them a few cc's when they get home and before bed. It helps a lot. Having them in IV in the first place during the procedure also helps the pup recover much better post surgery.

[Yorkiemom1]

Originally Posted by yorkietalkjilly

I'd insist on going the vet way where I know things are done right, the person who starts the IV is going to shave and cleanse, be practiced at starting an IV, intubate easily as possible, instruments clean, meds they use are not out of date and in the correct dosages, that the proper anesthesia protocols for a Yorkie were used, that a complete blood panel has been done first, vitals checked and every precaution taken. I can't help but think that if you pay less, you get less. I may be wrong but it would worry me so much to be using a team of perhaps volunteers who don't work together often. I'd want to be certain if the worst happened and my dog stopped breathing, arrested or bled uncontrollably, the surgical team would be experienced at working together and knowledgeable in life-saving measures. And that post-op, he wouldn't be restrained with a too-tight tie-down for hours, kept warm, checked on frequently for signs of trouble and vitals checked on time.

I forgot completely about this!! Remember the person whose little dog ended up having to have a leg amputated because tha baby sustained some kind of injury to the leg, where the cirrculation had apparently been cut off to that baby;s little leg??? I had forgotten about THAT until you just mentioned "restrained" again!

[yorkiemini]

Somewhere on YT I read that someone went to a spay place and in addition to the spay they came home with a not so lovely tattoo on their belly to show they had been spayed.

[SophieKatesMom]

I agree with the posters who recommend your Vet.

Along with the blood work needed pre-surgery I just feel that a relationship between you, your Vet and the Yorkie will benefit you in the long run.

I fully support low cost Spay/Neuter clinics but if you can I would go with your Vet.

[Ellie May]

Vet.

Clinics are necessary and a good thing, but it is low cost, high volume medicine. If you can afford a regular get, why go to a clinic?

I've seen one ehind the scenes. They can answer every medical question correctly, but until you visit/volunteer/tour, the truths of low cost medicine may be hidden from you.

Some places do line spay/neuter. They also sometimes forget how to clean or just don't have time. The whole surgery room can smell like pee.

I would never let my furkids have surgery at a plce like this.

[Adamsfly]

Thank you all for your responses. When checking the SPCA website, you can either go to the main SPCA site or there are several vets that work with them and one is a vet in my area (meaning it's done in the vet's office). I'm leaning more towards the vet because he is my baby and I just don't have in me to just take him for the sake of savings a few dollars. I really wanted to see what my fellow Yorkie owners would do.

I do know that this will not completely stop him from humping my arm but I'm hoping he'll maybe calm down a little, lol. He's a feisty little guy!

I would never ever jeopardize his health for the sake of saving a few dollars. Oakley has brought me nothing but joy. I've only had him for 3 1/2 months and couldn't imagine my life without him.

[MomtoJasper]

Personally, I will use our vet. I know how he is with our animals and the repoire he has built with them. It seems like it is a matter of personal preference. But, I would feel safer with the vet. I'm going to be a nervous wreck anyway, so at least I'll feel better knowing whose hands my baby is in. Just IMO.