Re: Spaying our little girl

In Reply to: Spaying our little girl
Category:   Medical
Posted by:  David
Posted on:  November 13, 2002 at 01:13:22

: I've been following with great interest, and concern, the questions regarding spaying lately.

: Since my vet's office hardly blinked and asked no questions when I scheduled Moo's operation, I would like to know, specifically, what I should ask my vet regarding the surgery, the bloodwork, etc., to be sure that his office is handling the procedure in the "best" way.

: Moo goes to a small veterinary practice, and while I had no reason to distrust the vet, I will admit that I am accustomed to multi-vet practices, most often associated with a high-tech hospital.

: So, with that in mind, can anyone give me any guidance on what I can ask, without risking offending a good vet? Also, for my 5 month old, what should I anticipate the range of costs to be?

: I was told the fee for a bitch her size would be $120, and I have to say that while I don't want to spend more than I have to, something didn't sound high enough about that. (Yes, I must be every vet's dream...a patient who thinks I should be charged more!)

: I live in the Tampa Bay area, and haven't called around to ask what other larger facilities charge, but after reading the recent posts about the loss of a puppy, I have to say my level of concern is a bit higher than it might otherwise have been.

: Our Moo is out daughter, and I don't take chances with her well-being.

: Thanks for any input.

Response:

Hi David,

First of all I want to assure you that what happened with the other person's terrier is a rare event.

But with all surgeries that require general anesthesia, there is always a certain amount of risk involved.

What needs to be done with your pup is a good general exam and preanesthesia blood work done. Some vets recommend this even for pups, some don't. It's always a good thing to rule out any potential problems before putting a dog under (that goes for humans too). I suspect at her age just the blood work to see if there is any underlying internal problems would be sufficient.

As a dog gets older and into its senior years more testing might be required like an EKG, ultra-sound, urinalysis, x-ray and the like.

I can't tell you the average cost of a spaying procedure in your area. Every area is different and if you are happy with your vet and confident in his/her abilities then don't be too concerned about a quote that you seem to be on the low side. Perhaps their overhead isn't as large as a larger/multi-vet facility might be.

I would discuss the pre-operative blood work with him/her and then you can make your decision whether to have it done or not. I personally like to err on the side of caution and like I said the tragedy that happened to the other poster is rare.

Moo sounds like she is in loving hands. I am sure everything will work out fine :)