Neuter - Vet/SPCA
 

Not sure if this thread is appropriate or not, if not, please remove my post.

I'm looking to get Oakley neutered within the next couple of months and have called my vet's office to get a general idea on price to include neuter fee along with microchip and to pull any baby teeth that needs pulling.

The neuter fee (including sedation, etc.) is $200, microchip $40 and around $10.00 per tooth to be pulled. As of right now, I only see one possibly double tooth (baby & adult) so my total cost would be around say $250.00.

While talking with a co-worker, she mentioned she had her cats (5) fixed at the local SPCA and gave me the info. I went online and the cost to neuter is much, much less.

What would your choice be - vet or SPCA?

I'm not looking to get bashed here, just some helpful information.

Thanks!

How old is your pup? That seems a bit high for a neuter... I'd check with other vets in the area. Also to be safe, get pre-op bloodwork done.

I personally would want a blood test done first and make sure whoever I used was experienced in toy breeds, there are special protocols for toy breeds, special tubes they need and also special anesthesia. I personally wouldn't bargain shop with this, I would need to know the doctors were competent. That said, there are many qualified doctors that volunteer at places like the SPCA, they believe in spaying and neutering and want to make sure everyone can afford it, but I'm not sure if they will do a blood test first. The blood test gives useful information on whether a dog can tolerate the anesthesia.

I can't speak for anyone else, but I'm very over protective of my babies. I would only feel comfortable using my vet. I've seen how they are with my babies and have total faith in them.

High? I thought it was low.

He'll be 6 months on the 18th. The only reason I'm seriously considering it now is he's driving me bananas with trying to hump my arm or my daughter and son's arms. While I am trying my best to correct this behavior, it's not helping.

I have done my research and blood work is on my list.

Oakley is my fourth dog and my first Yorkie. My first was a Cockapoo and the second and third were Golden Retrievers. He is my baby and I'm very protective of him. I'm more nervous with him than I was with my others and never thought I would feel the way I do with him.

When I look at all the areas in my life I could cut costs if I needed to save a bit, my pup isn't one of those areas.

There's a reason (many reasons actually) that I chose the vet ZoE has. I trusted him to do everything possible within his means to make sure that ZoE came through her surgery successfully. I don't know that you can put a price on that. But if you save a $100, that's just a couple of dinners eating out. I'd rather go without that, than have potentially lesser quality care for ZoE.

I have a friend that lives in the country & has dogs, horses, goats, rabbits, and a ton of barn cats that live in/around her various barns. She rounds up the barn cats and takes a few at a time to a low cost clinic that does spay/neuter & shots. She doesn't want to lose a barn cat, but if she did, she wouldn't be devasted, as they aren't her pets.

Neutering may not help this... my one female humps my arm on occassion lol. My 16 YO neutered male still humps my cat! Gentle correction and redirection will work.

Six months is a bit young. Ideally, his growth plates should be closed (on Xray). And by waiting, more teeth may come in and fall out on their own.

All our pets were spayed/neutered at the SPCA. They do a blood test as well. Our pets did very well. We also have their teeth cleaned there as well.

Pam

As far as having it done at your local shelter, that would depend a lot on how much you know about the people that operate that particular shelter and who the vets are that do the surgeries.

We have two different shelters that are nearby in my area. One of them I would not take a rat to much less a dog. The other one is quite well managed and the vet that does most of the surgeries is excellent. I do a lot of spay/neuter with that shelter. But most of the animals I take there are fosters or pets that I personally have rescued and have spayed/neutered myself. They do the tiniest, cleanest incisions I have ever seen.

That being said I took Gracie to my regular vet when it was time for her spay. I know they are well staffed there and there are plenty of hands near by if an unexpected event happens with a surgery. At the shelter there is one vet and a shelter worker in the room. While they are very good at what they do I just wanted Gracie at the vet's office where there was plenty of equipment and trained staff nearby.

As someone else mentioned it is important to have the pre-op blood work done as well.

LOL what is with males and kitties . . . .

I would check into it. Do your research and go from there. Check their ratings and ask many questions. If you aren't squeamish you can even shadow them for a day to see how they run their operation.

I've taken mine to a low cost spay/neuter clinic after a high recommendation from a well respected friend and I was so impressed. They do the blood work (even require it if 5+ years), they use ISO, well experienced with toy breeds as that is the majority of their clients, and they send them home with pain medicine. When you check your dog in for that day of surgery they require a vet visit so you go in a room with your dog as the vet does a wellness check. It is nice because you get to meet the vet performing the surgery and can ask any questions you may have (I had many). They also closely monitor them and will give IV fluids during surgery if needed.

I took my Maltese there and for $170 she had the pre-op blood work done, rabies shot, spayed, dental cleaning (along with 8 extractions) and 3 days worth of pain medicine. Had I got it done at my regular vet it would have cost at least $500.

When I picked her up I was even more impressed as they cleaned her up nicely and it was honestly the best incision I have ever seen. They limit the amount of spay/neuters they do per day so it usually takes a few weeks at least to get in but they get better and more individual care this way.
They did everything my vet would have done, they weren't lacking care in any way, just half the cost.

Just keep in mind that not all low cost spay/neuter clinics are the same. The important thing is to do your research and always ask as many questions as you can. You should feel comfortable and confident that your baby will be in great hands.

Make sure they do pre-op blood work, use Isoflurane as their anesthetic and give them pain medicine.

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....

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.

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.

:thumbup:
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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. :)