Spay at shelter

One of the shelters in our area worked out a deal with our Vet. The shelter provides a voucher for spay/neuter at the low shelter price with the surgery performed at out Vet's office. We took advantage of this for one of our girls when it was obvious she was not a good enough working sheepdog worthy of being bred. The shelter provided the voucher when we were at a rabies clinic provided by the shelter.

I would not be surprised if our Vet provides his services at cost (or only the costs of the supplies) and the shelter pays these costs through their funding sources with the pet owner paying a nominal fee.

Pawz4me wrote:
The vet's price likely includes pre-anesthesia blood work and more pain control (both pre- and post-surgery) than the clinic price.

I've never been behind-the-scenes at a low cost clinic so I don't know for sure, but it's possible they skip some of the things that a private vet might do as their normal procedure, such as administering fluid to keep BP up or inserting an IV catheter so that if something goes wrong the vet can quickly administer any needed medication. The equipment many vet hospitals use for monitoring pets during surgery rivals the monitoring humans get. All that monitoring equipment (and improved anesthesia drugs) are why anesthesia for pets isn't as risky as it used to be. But it costs.

Pretty accurate. Also, many of the shelters operate on a tax-free basis where your vet does not. This makes a huge difference in the costs.

Bottom line is you can't really tell if things are done "right" or not. You can't really even know that with your vet, that's where the relationship you have developed over time is important.

One fact finding task you can do: ask to see the surgery facilities and explain what is done. If they say NO - walk away.

Granted there are times you shouldn't be allowed behind the doors, but if there is no time that they are willing to show you and explain what's going to happen, it's a huge red flag.

Doug, DVM

BTW, costs vary greatly by the area you live in. The taxes, personnel costs, etc. in my area are not the same as rural areas or generally as high as some areas like NY, California. So what someone else pays has very little value in assessing what you should be paying. $350 is pretty typical in our area for a full service spay, pre-op blood, catheter, fluids, pre-op pain meds, post-op pain meds, certified tech monitoring, suture removal, surgery, hospitalization and disposables.

I would go with the lower cost and spend the savings on health care for your furry friends as needed later in their life time. Or as someone suggested, make an additional donation to the animal shelter.

The vet's price likely includes pre-anesthesia blood work and more pain control (both pre- and post-surgery) than the clinic price.

I've never been behind-the-scenes at a low cost clinic so I don't know for sure, but it's possible they skip some of the things that a private vet might do as their normal procedure, such as administering fluid to keep BP up or inserting an IV catheter so that if something goes wrong the vet can quickly administer any needed medication. The equipment many vet hospitals use for monitoring pets during surgery rivals the monitoring humans get. All that monitoring equipment (and improved anesthesia drugs) are why anesthesia for pets isn't as risky as it used to be. But it costs.

I have done both clinic spays and hospital spays. It seems just the luck of the draw, but the only cat I lost and the only cat to get sick were both done at the veterinary clinic. I don't blame the vets that did the surgery, sometimes things just happen. But, I would not avoid a clinic out of fear either.

toedtoes wrote:
One thing I do recommend is that if you use the low cost clinic, ask about donating to their cause. Even if you donate an extra $40, you are still well under your planned expense and that will provide spays for two additional cats that might not get it otherwise.

Excellent suggestion. :)

If you're concerned about the skill, etc., you can call several rescue groups and ask them about the reputation of the clinic.

Once upon a time, vets didn't spay anything under 6 months of age. Now they routinely do it within the first 3 months. You've had Rowdy for several months now - even if she is small for her age, she is unlikely to be small enough to create complications.

I disagree that there is a "high risk of cross contamination" at these clinics. Most are very careful about sterilization and separation of the cats. Can something happen? Yes. But that same thing can happen at a vet's office also. I've known hundreds of cats who have been spayed/neutered through these clinics over 30 years and have never seen one cat become ill from it. I have had one cat get spayed at a quality vet's office and become ill afterwards - in reality, the cat was already ill but not showing signs until the stress of the surgery. It would have happened no matter where she was spayed.

However, with that said, you have to go with your own gut feeling. There's no guilt with either choice you choose.

I suppose my biggest worry is that this kitten is small for her age and I would rather spend the money for indivisionalized care than an assembly line. After losing my old cat of 22 years, losing one because I was cheap would do me in.

She is living up to her name of Rowdy, one little ball of energy.

Merry Christmas to all... Bob J.

A number of years ago, we had our 15 cat feral colony trapped and neutered at one of these clinics. Shortly thereafter, a disease ripped through the colony, killing all but four of them.

You run the risk of someone bringing in an unvaccinated cat, or a cat with some other communicable disease. The vets and techs do their best, but there is a huge chance of cross contamination. The goal is to neuter as many animals they can in that day, the $20 barely covers the cost of supplies.

$350 does seem a bit high to me, at my vet it is a lot less than that. Unless you are really fond of your vet, shop around a bit.

Many areas have Humane Society or Health Department grants to reduce the population of feral/free-roaming cats, and for "homed" cats to reduce over-all populations.

I know people who routinely trap free-roaming cats in their neighborhood and take them to these clinics. One of my co-workers has taken dozens of cats. The surgeries are done by vets who volunteer, and the grants defray their costs. My co-worker feeds these cats and watches them carefully, and there has never been a problem afterwards.

I agree, it would be generous to donate, given the amount of money you will be saving.