[ilovesadie]

Our hospital charges between $350-$600 for spays depending on the time in surgery (things like being in heat, deciduous teeth, etc... increase the length of surgery time). While Los Angeles is known for being pricey, the quality of the care is also beyond what vets in other cities or states may be providing. Any quality surgery should include the following things:

1. Pre-Anesthetic Bloodwork Profile - any pre-existing conditions that might put the animal at risk during anesthesia? these answers also help vets choose safer methods of anesthesia for a particular animal.
2. IV Cather/Fluids - direct IV access for pre/induction meds and emergency meds if needed, fluids keep the blood pressure up during surgery and help with a speedy recovery
3. Pre-Anesthetic Sedative - relaxing the animal makes the induction process safer, painless, and stress-free
4. Safe Anesthesia - appropriate induction drugs with isoflourane anesthesia (a lot of places will only do one or the other, not both)
5. Pre and Post Surgical Nursing Care, Overnight hospitalization - someone making sure the animals needs are tended too, pain is managed, and the animal is comfortable at all times.
6. Pain meds and Prophylactics - any invasive surgery might need prophylactic antibiotics to prevent infection, some doctors may use marcaine at suture sites to ease recovery or administer buprenex post op. They may also send home pain relievers like metacam or derramax.

These things are not just requirements of a "good" spay, they are responsible things that unfortunately only a small percentage of all vets practice, mostly due to cost issues. For a lot of vets the greater good is neutering and spaying all animals, and the quality of care suffers so that the procedure can be cheap. However, for owners who really care about our pets, we can have control over what kind of care they get!

A spay is a MAJOR surgery, they are removing the ovaries and uterus in an animal a small fraction of the size of a human. A human equivalent surgery would cost upwards of $30,000 not including the fees for the anesthesiologist, nursing, hospital care, etc...

Since you live in NYC, it seems like a reasonable amount to pay for the spay. However, make sure that your vet is doing the above otherwise you may want to look for another surgeon! The best surgeons will not be necessarily the most expensive, since they will take the least amount of time in surgery. Doctors charge for surgery time per 15 minutes. There is a doctor I work with that can do a neuter in 38 seconds and a spay in under 8 minutes. The less time they are under anesthesia the safer the procedure. A spay is not the time to take a risk on the quality of care your dog is going to get!

Good luck! -Nate

 

[ilovesadie]

Hi Selena, the time in surgery will vary not just from doctor to doctor but also what is going on when the doctor begins the procedure. He/She won't be able to tell you exactly how much time it will take, but you can ask how long the procedure "normally" takes for the doctor. This way you don't offend the doctor by implying that they should be doing it faster, etc... Also, when you mention things on that list, don't mention specific drugs to the doctor as different doctors have preferences of what they use. It does sound like the vet you are using is a great vet and is doing everything right.

In terms of coming home the same day, many vets prefer to keep the animal overnight to ensure a full nights cage rest. This is to prevent disruption of the sutures and trauma that might cause internal bleeding. Doctors and techs are very keen to any negative symptoms so pain management during this time is also critical. I would recommend it if it is an option. I'm not sure how the clinic operates that you are taking her to, but although operations are scheduled at certain times, doctors perform them in order of priority (a TPLO before a spay, spay before a dental). So it's unlikely that the spay will happen exactly when its scheduled. If you are planning to bring her home the same day, its okay if she's alone for a small period of time, in fact it is probably better so that things are quiet and she's not excited. The most important thing is that she doesn't move around much and that she is eating and healing properly. I would actually be in favor of leaving her alone for 3 hours versus taking her to a neighbors (who will probably want to touch her and play with her, etc...).

Good luck! This is always such a nervous time for us Chi owners!

-Nate

Sklarsen - it is steep, but they are board certified, the quality of care is top notch, and our hospital caters to the Santa Monica/Beverly Hills/BelAir population. Most of the plastic surgery our clients have had is cheap in comparison =)