by Janet Farricelli CPDT-KA

Created on: August 11, 2009

After having your puppy or kitten undergo their series of required vaccination boosters, the next major expense is having your pet spayed or neutered. The cost of the spay and neuter surgery may vary from animal hospital to animal hospital. Some shelters and special organizations nowadays, have made these surgeries now even more affordable for people with lower incomes. With a little bit of research and following some guidelines today, you can easily get a dog or cat fixed for under $100. Following are some tips so to be better prepared on what to expect and how to avoid sticker shock.

Things to Know and How to Reduce Costs of Spaying and Neutering

-If you own a female dog or cat, the cost of having her spayed will be slightly higher than having a male dog neutered. This is because having a female spayed is a more invasive procedure than having a male dog neutered.

-Spaying a female while she is in heat is going to cost more than having her spayed when she is not in heat. This is because once in heat their is more swelling and the surgery may be a bit more complicated.

-Spaying a pregnant dog or cat will also increase the price.

-If your dog or cat is over weight you will see the prices increase. because surgeries are based on weight. Often the usrgery prices are categorized by dogs under 25 pounds, dogs 26 to 50 pounds and dogs 52 pounds and above. However, each hospital has their own protocol.

-Cryptorchid cats or dogs will cost significantly higher. These are dogs whose testicles have not descended. In this case, the surgery is more complicated and invasive because the vet will have to open the abdomen to remove the testicle. This may easily up to cost considerably.

-If your dog or cat is not up to date on its core vaccinations, it may need to be placed under isolation. This may mean there will be an isolation fee.

-If you are spaying an older pet and it has not been seen by your vet for over a year, it may require an office visit and this will add up to the costs.

-Older pets generally over the age of 5, may require pre-anesthetic bloodwork to ensure their organs are working well and able to undergo anesthesia.

-Pain meds may add to the costs. The generally cost between $25 an $50 dollars, however they may be helpful and are generally recommended.

-Low spay surgery clinics generally cost significantly less than regular veterinary clinics. However, they will not keep pets overnight. So expect to pick up a groggy pet that may need special care and monitoring until the anesthesia wears off.

-Following are some examples of costs in normal veterinary hospitals (however, these costs will vary from hospital to hospital and from weight of dog or cat). These include overnight hospitalizations, surgery and stitch removals.

-Dog spay from $ 150.00 to 280.00

-Dog neuter from $150.00 to 180.00

-Cat Spay from $180.00 to $250.00

-Cat Neuter from $100.00 to $180.00

As seen, there are several ways owners can cut their costs of having their pets spayed and neutered. To prevent the problem of over filled shelters many low cost spay and neuter clinics are now available. Call your local humane society for more information or look for spay and neuter events in major pet retail stores.

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