# Holy Moly - $200 - $400 for spaying?



## JazzNScout (Aug 2, 2008)

Yes, it's been a long time since I had a dog spayed. I almost fell out of my chair when I just made Layla's appointment. WTH?! Are they going to serve her caviar as a post-op meal?


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## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

Wowza!

I hear you though, they want to charge me $350 to spay my kitten! ​


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## King&Skylar (Jun 3, 2010)

it costed me $550 to get Skylar spayed, i didn't look at other prices, obviously haha.


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

Wish they would have charged me that when I had abdominal surgery!


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## gsdraven (Jul 8, 2009)

I don't remember what it cost to get Raven spayed... it was included with her Wellness plan.

It cost me about $300 to get Kaiser neutered. 

When I had to get my cats neutered and spayed, I called around and got them both done for the cost that our vet up until then wanted just to spay the female. Lots of places have low cost clinics. I think $200-400 for a spay is pretty typical.


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## shilohsmom (Jul 14, 2003)

It is expensive. For those that might be interested some Shelters offer low cost spay/neuter programs. Here in Northern California we actually have a Van sponsored by the SPCA that comes by from time to time and offers no charge spay/neuters. My youngest boy, Eli, was neutered by them. 

Rosa


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

gsdraven said:


> Lots of places have low cost clinics.


I personally have not had good experiences with low-cost clinics. When I lived in Austin my foster dogs were spayed and neutered at a vet clinic that did the work for their cost for the rescue. When I moved to Dallas I had to start using low-cost clinics. The dogs had noticeably more pain and longer recovery times than they did when we were using the vet clinics.


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## gsdraven (Jul 8, 2009)

Emoore said:


> I personally have not had good experiences with low-cost clinics. When I lived in Austin my foster dogs were spayed and neutered at a vet clinic that did the work for their cost for the rescue. When I moved to Dallas I had to start using low-cost clinics. The dogs had noticeably more pain and longer recovery times than they did when we were using the vet clinics.


I wouldn't do it either for a spay/neuter but it's available. Where I live there are also coupon programs where you go to a regular vet with a discount coupon.


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## JonnyRico (Sep 21, 2010)

Well... I was going to wait 'til Kali was 2 before I had her spayed. BUT, she came down with Pyometra at 18 months, and a visit to the E-Vet and a bill for $2k+... uh...
I wish I only had a $300 spay to do...


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## ZebsMommy (Dec 4, 2010)

I got Zeb neutered with a voucher from the humane society. I went there, pay THEM $60 for the voucher and then set up an appointment with 1 of 15 vets that accept them. They treated him just as well as if I had paid the full $$$. Best part was his usual vet was on the list! My cat was spayed at the humane society ANImobile for a "donation" of $40.


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## Minnieski (Jan 27, 2009)

It cost us $250 to neuter Tanner because he had a cryptorchid. Yikes.


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## Castlemaid (Jun 29, 2006)

It cost me $350 for Keeta - I had a voucher from the Shelter (worth about 150 if I remember right). There was extra costs for a "large dog spay", and I had her tattooed, and updated on shots, all in one. 

Since I had adopted Keeta the shelter has opened a low-cost clinic - haven't heard anything bad about them, and according to the latest stats, having the low cost clinic available has _halved_ the unwanted dogs cats that the shelter normaly deals with.


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## ZebsMommy (Dec 4, 2010)

Castlemaid said:


> according to the latest stats, having the low cost clinic available has _halved_ the unwanted dogs cats that the shelter normaly deals with.


Glad to hear that! I know it helped us out greatly and they were awesome. I was worried, but they were super good.


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## Lora (Jan 7, 2011)

The price they gave me for Brewski who is 83lbs and 16 mths is $325 tx included and that is a neuter, boosters and chip. I know here the price depends on the weight of the GSD !
Brewski is not neutered yet vet recommended to wait for him to mature a little more, but the quote is good for a year!


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## 1sttimeforgsd (Jul 29, 2010)

1 1/2 years ago, my female lab was spayed at our regular vet $130.


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## arycrest (Feb 28, 2006)

JazzNScout said:


> Yes, it's been a long time since I had a dog spayed. I almost fell out of my chair when I just made Layla's appointment. WTH?! Are they going to serve her caviar as a post-op meal?


Don't know if this will help or not but these sites claim to help with costs of spay/neuter:

*VOLUSIA COUNTY* 
Pet Vet Cruiser 
Un-incorporated Volusia COUNTY RESIDENTS ONLY 
Tel. 386.323.3575 Daytona Beach
Tel. 386.626.6643 Deland
Tel. 386.424.6875 New Smyrna Beach
http://volusia.org/animalcontrol/cruiser.htm 
Cats Female/Spay*: $5-20-35 Male/Neuter*: $5-15-20
Dogs Female/Spay*: $5-25-45-55-65 Male/Neuter*: $ 5-20-35-50-55 
*Income based, reduced fee spay/neuter services-for eligibility details visiit http://volusia.org/animalcontrol/Pet%20Vet%20Cruiser%20Eligibility1.pdf . Bookings are done with 1 month in advanced. 


*ARNI (Animal Rescue, Need & Intervention)
Daytona Beach FL
386-267-0277*
Web: www.arnifoundation.org 
*Halifax Humane Society 
2364 W. LPGA Blvd 
PO Box 9035 
Daytona Beach, FL 32120 
386-274-4703* 


*Central Florida*
Seminole and Volusia Counties both have spay-neuter rebate programs of $25 per animal.* Seminole County* (407)330-9523. *Volusia County* (904)943-7895. *Orange County* has several low-cost spay/neuter clinics (407)254-9150.


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## paulag1955 (Jun 29, 2010)

I'm expecting it to be around $300 to have Shasta spayed. Our local spay/neuter clinic won't take dogs over 50 pounds. Shasta hasn't been under 50 pounds since she was 4.5 months old.


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## ripsofie (Oct 28, 2010)

Wow, my vet they only charge 185.. If you are low-income you can get free or low cost.


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## Franksmom (Oct 13, 2010)

Frank was $300 including the microchip for his neuter, our vet has a check off list where you can pick what you want and do not want, I went the whole 9 yards with Frank lab work, IV fluids, pain meds, laser, etc, basic neuter without all that is about $80-$100
I only do the basice neuter/spay with the feral cats that come to our barn and they do well with that so I guess if you wanted to save money you wouldn't have to have everything for the dogs.


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## Samba (Apr 23, 2001)

Around here you can get a spay for less. I am not comfortable with it and want the monitoring and meds I get with the 200.00 spay.


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## Jax's Mom (Apr 2, 2010)

Wow... $700 here... and that's after shopping around.


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## molasses (Jan 14, 2011)

I think $200-$400 is pretty normal. I had Thor neutered when he was about a year old and it cost me $170.00 and that was almost 10 years ago. He will 11 in March. 

Molasses


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## CassandGunnar (Jan 3, 2011)

We paid about $300 for Gunnar and that was 3 years ago. I think it was $60 extra for the laser surgery.
He was only 6 months old because that was our agreement with the shelter where we got him. 
I know there's some debate about the age, but he's now 90 lbs so it didn't stunt his growth any.


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## CPH (Sep 8, 2010)

I am from Vancouver, Canada and we just got our 8.5 month old GSD Neutered and after pre-surgery blood work, the cone, over night stay and pain meds for after it came to $1000 and that was also after shopping around. Just for any use of anesthetic its $150-$300 before the cost of surgery. Yes i know the SPCA offers to do it for I believe about $300 but i have heard a few horror stories of people having their pets spayed & neuterd at SPCA.


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

I paid 185$ for Masi a year ago.


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## Jessiewessie99 (Mar 6, 2009)

Tanner came neutered it was included in his cost, and I forgot how much it cost to get Molly spayed.


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## ChristenHolden (Jan 16, 2010)

HOLY STINKING COW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! yall are crazy, our vets around here its only 80 to 90$ for a dog Bellas size and another only 65$ if thats more common i can see why we have so many inaltered pets and shelters FULL. if i had to pay that much to get my dogs spayed or my cats NONE of them would be and its almost certain i would have a oops litter. some of what yall payed is more than I pay to the bank for a house payment. i could not afford more than 100$ to have a dog fixed unless it was life thretning. and thats not spca or some rescue price thats everyday price range for these vets. and one of them is the best within 5 towns


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## kelso (Jan 22, 2007)

I am just north of you in KS, Christen, and we paid a total of $360, for our male to get NEUTERED. Less involved than a spay.

He had the laser surgery, aggressive pain management, pre op lab work, IV fluids, heart monitoring, follow up, it was really nice actually. And worth it as it was the vet my husband has been using since Meeka was 12 wks old (so about 17 years). That is worth it's weight in gold to us.

Not that something cheaper is not just as good, I don't know, I just didn't search around. I am NOT trying to say getting it for less is bad, please do not take that from this. Lots of dogs are s/n everyday at low cost clinics very successfully. But just saying it is not unreasonable for it to cost more.

And whoever said before that 100-300 dollars is better than at some point having a dog with pyo is right. It is not terribly common? from what I understand, but it very well can be fatal...besides having been there, done that, and got the $2500 dollar t shirt.... with our Meeka girl


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## elisabeth_00117 (May 17, 2009)

Jax's Mom said:


> Wow... $700 here... and that's after shopping around.


When I was calling around for my sister's 20lbs mix dog I was quoted $730.00 as a base price... 

Ontario sucks!


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

yeah i'm not looking forward to when i have Shasta spayed.


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## Jessiewessie99 (Mar 6, 2009)

It must be cheaper in California, its $140 for males over 25lbs and $160 for females over 25lbs. Thats at the shelter I volunteer at. And they offer financial assistance too!


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## LisaT (Feb 7, 2005)

kelso said:


> He had the laser surgery, aggressive pain management, pre op lab work, IV fluids, heart monitoring, follow up, it was really nice actually. And worth it as it was the vet my husband has been using since Meeka was 12 wks old (so about 17 years). That is worth it's weight in gold to us.


Ditto this. Like Samba also said, I want the monitoring and the meds.

I am disturbed though the number of vets that will vaccinate at the same time the dog is undergoing a surgical procedure :thumbsdown:


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## LisaT (Feb 7, 2005)

Jessiewessie99 said:


> It must be cheaper in California, its $140 for males over 25lbs and $160 for females over 25lbs. *Thats at the shelter I volunteer at*. And they offer financial assistance too!


Private prices in CA are not cheaper.


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## Dainerra (Nov 14, 2003)

yikes.. It was $130 when I had Freya done and that was about a year ago. 

There is a clinic in town that runs different "monthly specials" thoughout the year. One month might be teeth cleaning, sometimes it's spay/neuter. He charges $89 (pain meds and all the usual extras are of course extra) He runs that special a couple times a year - doing his part to encourage people to spay. 

He is also a huge rehomer of unwanted animals. There are always animals posted on his sign.


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## Samba (Apr 23, 2001)

You can get it done very cheaply here. Some vets 40.00 to 60.00 dollars. I am not willing to put my animals through that.

I had Samba spayed at 6 years old. I was able to be with her at induction of anesthesia, through surgery and I was the first person she saw when she emerged from anesthesia.

She did not seem traumatized by the experience. My previous female was never the same about the vet. It might be a function of nerve strength, but I think it was a better experience for Samba She had good post op pain management. Worth it at twice the price!


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## EchoGSD (Mar 12, 2010)

We are lucky in my area to have a really good Humane Society veterinary hospital about 45 minutes away. Very clean, very caring, and lower fees than most private clinics. My current pets were all spayed/neutered at the emergency clinic where I worked at the time, but several fosters and 2 of my own cats were spayed at the HS clinic with no problems at all.


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## Caja's Mom (Aug 6, 2003)

All of our Canadian members need to come to the US, it would be WAY cheaper to have it done in Buffalo. You could even stay at deluxe hotel and do tons of shopping and still be under the base price.


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## KaiserGSDLove (Oct 21, 2010)

Minnieski said:


> It cost us $250 to neuter Tanner because he had a cryptorchid. Yikes.



You got a deal! Kaiser had a cryptorchid neuter done today and the total was $350. I called around and that was the lowest price around here. They range all the way to $500!


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## elisabeth_00117 (May 17, 2009)

Caja's Mom said:


> All of our Canadian members need to come to the US, it would be WAY cheaper to have it done in Buffalo. You could even stay at deluxe hotel and do tons of shopping and still be under the base price.


I actually am researching vets in that area as well as MI (family in Windsor, ON) for when I get Stark's hips/elbows done. I got his prelims done for $500.00 and don't want to spend that much again, so hoping for a cheaper solution since I am so close to the border. Not sure how that will work though..


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## WarrantsWifey (Dec 18, 2010)

To get my kitty spayed. It was 170, I was quoted 75$ at the start. They are no joke tacking on charges.


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## Zoeys mom (Jan 23, 2010)

You guys are ALL lucky- $400-$600 here for females over 75lbs.


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## Mrs.K (Jul 14, 2009)

I am amazed about the prizes in the US. Seriously, when I called the vet to get an appointment for Zenzi's euthanization they charged me 65 USD's just for the **** call! Just because I called the office they charged me 65 bucks and of course I paid for the call itself as well. 

I looked up the spaying and it's over 300 dollars as well. 

I thought about going with a coupon from friendsofanimals though if I am going to do it. 

She's one year old now and hasn't gotten into her first heat yet.


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## PupperLove (Apr 10, 2010)

WOW!! To neuter our dog at the vet was around $160. I know a spay is more, but this is something that new puppy owners need to take into considration when factoring the costs in the first few years of the pup's life!! I would never have guessed that high if I would have gotten a female. But then again it does vary by location...


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## krystyne73 (Oct 13, 2010)

here in Oklahoma (or at least my vet) they charge per pound so my dane was $120 and my other GSD were all less than $100. They use to only charge me $150 for their year dental cleanings but now have gone up to $225 for those per dog, ugh
but I know just 100 miles from me (OKC) they charge $300 for spays. 
We do have spay clinics here that only charge $45 or sometimes free to spay. But I would never go there because I know 2 people that their pets died at the clinic.


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## vinnyb (Mar 22, 2010)

I'm on the fence on this one. I love my vet and I don't mind paying a little more for their services but in the case of neutering my dog at my vet, its going to cost me $360! Its only $50 at the low-cost clinic. My vet said that they monitor all of the dog's vitals etc, but 6X more expensive? I really want to support my vet in every way, I could see if it were $150, then yes I wouldn't have to think twice. But $50 vs $360...I think I'll most likely just go with the low-cost solution. What would you do in this case?


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## Kris10 (Aug 26, 2010)

I would have this done by his regular vet.


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## cuttingedge (Nov 23, 2009)

Wow New Jersey is expensive.

Last year we paid $1104.00 to have our Lab spayed.
Granted part of the invoice was for other things (ResQ chip $52.50 and Hip Xrays $115.00) but that leaves a grand total of $936.00.
We did opt to have the Laser proceedure done because it is a smaller incision and less recovery time but that was only an additional $230.00 so a normal spay on a 6 mos old female is over $700.00


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## Sunstreaked (Oct 26, 2010)

We're getting Eva spayed on Friday - after calling around extensively and getting prices from $200 to $600, hers will be $310 and $84 of that is extra for fluids during the surgery, something we definitely wanted. 

That includes all the pre-op bloodwork, anesthesia, pain meds, fluids, the surgery, a microchip, and post-op check.


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## Baby Byron (Aug 20, 2002)

We paid $250 to spay Molly laparoscopically (a 2 yr old 95lb GSD). She was back to herself and playing in 48 hr. Best post-op ever. The fee included the spay, anesthesia, overnight stay, complete bloodwork and the follow-up appointment. Gus' neutering was $195 at the same place (same age and weight at the time of the procedure). I might be biased but I would not trust my dog's well being to a "low cost clinic". They are my kids too. 
Cheers,
Ana


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

Yeah that is normal. My cat's spay was about $225 IIRC.

I have had quite a few fosters spayed/neutered at the low-cost clinics though, and also got one of those friendsofanimals certificates for one foster.


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## DJEtzel (Feb 11, 2010)

LaRen616 said:


> Wowza!​
> 
> 
> I hear you though, they want to charge me $350 to spay my kitten! ​


Yep. I just paid $316 for my kitten's spay. 

(happy birthday, btw!)


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## southforsunshine (Mar 8, 2011)

We have a vet called Piedmont Communities Spay, Neuter and Wellness Clinic that does great work.

$18.50 first checkup
$13.50 followup checkups
$9.00 Rabies
$24.00 Microchip

Canine Spay $70
Canine Neuter $55

Feline Spay $55
Feline Neuter $45

$600?! NC isn't far.. ROADTRIP!


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## marshies (May 18, 2011)

Looking at the people quoting 300 as the top end of their local price ranges makes me want to cry. 

My "vet of choice" is quoting me at 550 +


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## Jessiewessie99 (Mar 6, 2009)

I know places where its $140 for male dogs over 25lbs and $160 for females over 25lbs, and few other places that offer good prices. 

My friend got her dog neutered for $40 of course it wasn't the clean cut way they wanted.


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## elisabeth_00117 (May 17, 2009)

Jax's Mom said:


> Wow... $700 here... and that's after shopping around.


Yup, the cheapest place I contacted wanted to charge $740.00 for a spay (was shopping around before I got Zefra). A neuter is almost as much at $500.00.... ridiculous.


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## marshies (May 18, 2011)

elisabeth_00117 said:


> Yup, the cheapest place I contacted wanted to charge $740.00 for a spay (was shopping around before I got Zefra). A neuter is almost as much at $500.00.... ridiculous.


I'm not very happy with my vet hunt. 
I want to get gastropexy along with my spay, and none of the vets I've spoken to seemed very knowledgeable about it.
One vet said he it is only done in emergencies.

Ugh. Frustrated with the state of our vet services.

Elizabeth, if you're going down to the states for either of them, please PM me. I'd LOVE to tag along. 

It isn't so much the cost in Toronto, it is the lack of good options.


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## krystyne73 (Oct 13, 2010)

That is insane...hard to push for spaying with those prices.


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## ksotto333 (Aug 3, 2011)

145.00 for Tessa..included overnight stay and pain med to go home with..


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## JeanKBBMMMAAN (May 11, 2005)

What is the cost of living in these Canadian prices? That is, are prices that high for other things that you purchase there as well? Training classes? Food?

Regionally in the US there are wide variances in vetting costs. On IMOM you can kind of tell by the estimate where the dog is from. 

You probably could do better in Buffalo!


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## TheOrganicPetLive (Mar 11, 2011)

NE OHIO--$750--estimate for a female GSD. That is outrageous. The ironic thing was, I was bullied because I didn't have the $ or the desire to spend it. I am very responsible and our dog was never alone.


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## marshies (May 18, 2011)

JeanKBBMMMAAN said:


> What is the cost of living in these Canadian prices? That is, are prices that high for other things that you purchase there as well? Training classes? Food?
> 
> Regionally in the US there are wide variances in vetting costs. On IMOM you can kind of tell by the estimate where the dog is from.
> 
> You probably could do better in Buffalo!


The cost of living in Toronto is comparable to the cost of living in major American cities, with goods costing slightly more. 

Here is a link that a quick google search provided: http://www.canadaimmigrants.com/Torontoliving.asp. In 2008 the average household spent 8,132 on food. 


I think services are more expensive in Canada though, less people.


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## ksotto333 (Aug 3, 2011)

TheOrganicPetLive said:


> NE OHIO--$750--estimate for a female GSD. That is outrageous. The ironic thing was, I was bullied because I didn't have the $ or the desire to spend it. I am very responsible and our dog was never alone.


We are in NW Ohio.. I don't understand this huge price difference.


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## ChristenHolden (Jan 16, 2010)

Just a update. Just got Bella spayed recently, for the spay it was 80. That's the every day price. But also had her hips X-rayed that was 60 and then her rabies was 10 for a total of 150$ but it would have only Been 90$ if I hadn't had the vet check her hips checked out. She was off her food a few days but out of all the dogs we have had fixed she is the only one to go off her food. So I'm happy with the price I ended up with specally since the vet said her hips are good I'm really happy


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

Shasta is planned to be spayed in March. She's just recently been fully updated on her shots so i wont have to worry about those at the same time. I asked for a high end estimate for March and i was quoted at $250. That includes the surgery, pain meds and monitoring for up to 24 hours if i desire it. We'll see how it goes come march.


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## bellamia (Feb 7, 2010)

we live in a suburb of houston, tx and we had to pay about 350 ish fr spayin Mia. once i added tax, pain meds etc yes it was around $400. she was only 6mnths old. we had only 2 options = not spay her(no no no not an option!), or a low cost clinic but heard some not so encouraging things about them so paid $400 for her to be spayed at my vets. he did a great job, Mia was fine after, no obvious pain or stiches coming loose or nything.


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

I think you have to look at some of the differences and see if they are worth it to you.

Certainly you are paying for the nice reception area with the Kuerig coffeemaker and digital xray equipment, in house ultrasound etc, when you pay that higher bill.........but there can be some line item things too such as bloodwork (looking for any problems the dog may have with anesthetic; probably low probability for a young spay/neuter but it is out there), monitoring (extra staff in the room), injectable pain meds etc.


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## Mrs.K (Jul 14, 2009)

200-400 is what pretty much any vet wanted to neuter Judge. 

TO NEUTER!!! I was like "Thanks but no thanks."


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## angierose (Apr 20, 2009)

Kaylee's spay was around $180, but that was without the voucher that I think knocked off $100. The county gives them out, they're funded through the rabies tags and you can use them at any vet.

I used a van spaying service in Nashville when I lived there and had a handful of stray kittens I'd taken in, they were good for the cost but I don't think I'd do it again with females.


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## JeanKBBMMMAAN (May 11, 2005)

Well, here is another way to look at any surgery being done. What are they doing before, during and after to prevent issues and complications and how much is that worth to me? What is their track record in doing this procedure? How responsive are they to owners, before, during, after the surgery? 

If I am paying for various bloodwork, specific pain management, fluids, monitoring devices in surgery, quality aftercare how much is that worth being done by a medical doctor and qualified staff? I think a lot of these prices are a bargain for that! 

You may find that information you gather on your local speuter clinics = best price and best service/care. Or you may find that the clinic charging the most has the best of everything. But you need to figure out what it is you are paying for and what you are getting. If I pay the most, but get no aftercare instructions then I am not getting what I want. And what I want is the best care for my dog. That is a hard thing to put a price tag on - but I would rather compare best care than best price (because they are not always the same).


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## asja (Mar 22, 2011)

I've said this before here, but I'll say it again. I think you get what you pay for. I love my vet here, she is a great vet and I completely trust her. She is also not cheap. 

So anyway, six months ago I adopted a German Shepherd from a shelter, and I specifically asked for my vet to do the neuter, but I was told no, only the shelter vet can do the neuter. Three days and $140 shelter fee later, my new dog ended up in my vet's office requiring more surgery to repair the crappy neuter the shelter vet did. The shelter vet did such a bad job, and caused such a massive infection, my own vet said the dog might not survive. He was in the doggy hospital for days, on several antibiotics. Just the first vet bill from that was $700, and over the next three months, at least another $1500. I didn't even get a gastropexy out of all that money, as I would have had done if my own vet did the original surgery. I would much rather have paid my own vet the $400-$500 she charges and have the surgery done properly, than have my new dog butchered by a crappy vet, and then have the poor dog suffer. 

But that's only one story about ****ty vets. I have more. Seriously, you want a cheap vet, you'll get a cheap vet, and then I'm sorry animals have to suffer for it.


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## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

Google 'low cost spay' (or neuter) to find a low cost resource.

In Madison, WI there is the Spay-Me clinic. They are a low cost facility that spays and neuters dogs, cats and rabbits. They work assembly-line style and have a VERY good track record.

If they were closer I would use them for all my animals. Right now I have plans to start catching the local feral cats, sending them up there to be speutered and then bringing them back to recover and release them. I don't mind them living around uor barn and such but I get really upset seeing generation after generation being squashed on the road.


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## saraja87 (Jul 12, 2011)

I'm having Milou spayed in a few months and our two normal vets quoted us $284 and $250 and that includes a 20% discount. The last animal I had spayed was a feral kitten I rescued and if I recall, they did her for $30 bucks but I wasn't 100% happy with their work. They used uncomfortable wire stitches that did not contribute nicely to her healing process and she has a "pouch" on her belly from the surgery.


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## jang (May 1, 2011)

These prices are incredible!!! When I got Sib she was already spayed and chipped, had all her shots etc at 14months--I paid $250. for the dog--I never knew what a deal I got til today..plus she's a wonderful dog..What gets me is all you ever hear is spay/neuter your pets but it seems to me that "they" are making pet ownership an option only for the wealthy. Come on--most families can't afford this kind of money to do this procedure.. I was going to look into getting Sib's stomach tacked but I can see now that will not be an option..Imagine the cost of that!! HIGHWAY ROBBERY!!!!
Jan


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## jetscarbie (Feb 29, 2008)

I live in Mid-Ohio.

My male was around 400. My female was around 500. Both had the laser. My terrier was around 140 with laser.

The vet told me the reason such a huge cost gap between dogs......my dogs were adults and much bigger than smaller dogs. They base it on the weight of your dog and how much anesthesia they have to use. If I would have had them fixed before 1 yr of age....it would have been much cheaper.

I got my cat fixed for around 15 or 20 dollars. There is a cat place in town that does it twice a week.


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## Rainer (Feb 15, 2012)

Animal Care and Control here runs something called the Spay Shuttle. The cost is $40 for cats, $100 for dogs to include the surgery, rabies vaccination, license tag and microchip. With proof of public assistance, the fee is waived. You drop off your pet in the morning and pick them up in the afternoon. I took both my cats and Lucky (RIP) to them and everything went smoothly. Quick recoveries and no complications. 

The downside is that there's an enormous wait list. I think for my last kitten I had to wait 3 months to get an appointment time.


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## Lakl (Jul 23, 2011)

$700 for a spay/neuter is just unreal! I think I paid around $185 to spay my female a year ago. Dogs would never get fixed in my area for that price!


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## Samba (Apr 23, 2001)

Yes, different places have different rates. I get excellent care for a low price. The clinic is better than many in the large city to the north of us. I get WAY more than I pay for here. Our community is small and the rural area is generally lower income. Veterinary offices just can not charge what they could in other locales. I always get the entire package of lab work, IV, IM and oral pain meds and still it is 200.00 at the most.

There is a low cost clinic where a group brings a vet into the area just to do the low cost sterilizations. They are 40.00. I would not go there.


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## Jamm (Nov 21, 2011)

I live in a small town just outside Canada's capital, Ottawa, and it costed close too $600 for Joeys neuter. That being said we did get all the 'extra's' like a full blood panel, pain med's, etc. That seems to be the norm price around here.


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## Zisso (Mar 20, 2009)

Three years ago, when I adopted Z, it cost me about $250-$300 for his neuter. He had a retained testicle so I went to my regular vet to assure it was done right and he got good care. 

When I adopted Nadia, I decided to shop around and went to the low cost clinic. I thought spays were typically easier. The cost of the spay, I believe, was around $230. However they nicked her spleen - so they had to open her up more to repair that (at the own expense) and had to provide extra care afterwards to make sure she recovered correctly-without complications. 

As it turned out, she was and still is just fine, but it makes me wonder if the low cost clinics are worth taking a chance any more.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Here in Illinois they have a wonderful spay program and everyone qualifies...I paid $65.00 to get my female dog fixed and the vet did a wonderful job...so wonderful that I called and told them so. She never even acted like she had been fixed, she didn't lick the 1.5 inch incision, and she healed quickly


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## Rachel1422 (Aug 30, 2011)

It will cost us upwards of $500 to spay our girl. They go on weight and the price goes up if she has a heat cycle. All part of the cost of having a puppy. I asked the vet before we got our girl to make sure we knew what to expect for all costs. Very pricey for sure!


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## GregK (Sep 4, 2006)

JeanKBBMMMAAN said:


> Well, here is another way to look at any surgery being done. What are they doing before, during and after to prevent issues and complications and how much is that worth to me? What is their track record in doing this procedure? How responsive are they to owners, before, during, after the surgery?
> 
> If I am paying for various bloodwork, specific pain management, fluids, monitoring devices in surgery, quality aftercare how much is that worth being done by a medical doctor and qualified staff? I think a lot of these prices are a bargain for that!


Absolutely. I wouldn't expect to pay 50 bucks to have my bitch go under invasive surgery!!


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

It's been about ten years since I had a dog spayed, and my vet quoted me $200-400. Another vet quoted about $160. We're in Northern CA and this seems to be the range. I think Luka's spay, ten years ago, was around $90, and I knew it would be more now, but I hadn't expected the cost to double-quadruple!

Since I am still struggling after the fire I am going to apply for the low-cost spay program for Vinca. The way they do it is you say how much you can pay, and they give you a voucher for the balance, and a list of vets that will honor the voucher. So you still get good veterinary care from a regular vet, not a cut-rate clinic. Not that I think s/n clinics give "bad" care, but I feel more comfortable at a regular vet in town (since I know most of them).

I'm glad I don't live in Ontario--$750 for a spay?? Good lord, we are supposed to be *encouraging* pet owners to s/n, not making it cost-prohibitive! Does Canada have the pet overpopulation problem we do in the US?


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

wanted to update. Shasta was spayed yesterday and I paid $205 total for her spay, they got a urine sample, did a urinalysis, and gave antibiotics for the UTI that was starting as well as pain meds. I used a low-cost clinic here in MD that has gotten good reviews. One vet quoted me $500 while another quoted me almost $1000 when I was pricing around. Shasta will be 2 in May and she's 68 lbs as of yesterday.


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## marshies (May 18, 2011)

Freestep said:


> It's been about ten years since I had a dog spayed, and my vet quoted me $200-400. Another vet quoted about $160. We're in Northern CA and this seems to be the range. I think Luka's spay, ten years ago, was around $90, and I knew it would be more now, but I hadn't expected the cost to double-quadruple!
> 
> Since I am still struggling after the fire I am going to apply for the low-cost spay program for Vinca. The way they do it is you say how much you can pay, and they give you a voucher for the balance, and a list of vets that will honor the voucher. So you still get good veterinary care from a regular vet, not a cut-rate clinic. Not that I think s/n clinics give "bad" care, but I feel more comfortable at a regular vet in town (since I know most of them).
> 
> I'm glad I don't live in Ontario--$750 for a spay?? Good lord, we are supposed to be *encouraging* pet owners to s/n, not making it cost-prohibitive! Does Canada have the pet overpopulation problem we do in the US?


At least in Toronto, it isn't AS bad as the States. When I volunteered at the humane society downtown, we had room in the shelter and always brought in dogs from other cities and provinces to adopt out.

I think we have a cat problem, though.


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## mjbgsd (Jun 29, 2004)

I didn't know S/N was so expensive!! Last time I got a dog S/N was when Isa was 15mish and she'll be 7y in July. I never knew it would cost so much! If Akbar ever gets N then he's gonna be scary expensive since he's huge...


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## chelle (Feb 1, 2009)

Jessiewessie99 said:


> I know places where its $140 for male dogs over 25lbs and $160 for females over 25lbs, and few other places that offer good prices.
> 
> My friend got her dog neutered for $40 of course *it wasn't the clean cut way they wanted*.


What do you mean, the "clean cut" way ?? 



mjbgsd said:


> I didn't know S/N was so expensive!! Last time I got a dog S/N was when Isa was 15mish and she'll be 7y in July. I never knew it would cost so much! If Akbar ever gets N then he's gonna be scary expensive since he's huge...


I'm shocked, too! My girls were very cheap to spay at full service vet clinics... but that was years ago and they were small.

I paid about $150 for a spay awhile back, and just recently, $145 for a neuter, fecal and heartworm check. I went to a low cost clinic. I hope I don't end up regretting that. So far recovery seems to be on course.


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## Jessiewessie99 (Mar 6, 2009)

chelle;2414002[B said:


> ]What do you mean, the "clean cut" way ??
> [/B]
> 
> 
> ...


They expected it to be nice an neat, clean, little stitches, little to scarring and rather "top notch" quality and wanted quick healing time. And in the end it wasn't. They clinic they went to did a rather botchy job(I saw the area where he was neutered.) I knew it was going to be a rather long scar once the stitches were removed. It was rather botched. The owners weren't pleased. But they got what they paid for. They wanted something quick and cheap. 

The shelter I volunteer for does a better job at neutering. I suggested the shelter I volunteer for but they thought it was too expensive. Yes, it is was going to be about $140 but it would have been a nicer cleaner surgery, better care of the animal. If it were me I would try and find the best place for quality, that didn't hurt my budget, that took good care of the animals, did a very good job on surgeries. Plus my shelter also offered financial assistance and so did many other places I told them about, but they didn't listen.


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

Jessiewessie99 said:


> It was rather botched. The owners weren't pleased. But they got what they paid for. They wanted something quick and cheap.


How was the surgery "botched"? Did they leave a piece of testicle in or something?


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## Jessiewessie99 (Mar 6, 2009)

Freestep said:


> How was the surgery "botched"? Did they leave a piece of testicle in or something?


No. It was poorly done, rather messy, the dog walked a bit weird. I have seen many dogs recovering from their neutering and the dogs didn't walk weird nor was the surgery poorly done, nor was it messy looking. And the fact the owners complained about it. I just think they could have gotten a better neutering job done at more decent price. 

Sorry I am not about to spend $40 on a surgery.


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## kam214 (Mar 3, 2012)

I would have killed to pay $200-400 for a spay:wild:! I even called around...lowest was $600 and I wound up paying about $700 total since the vet required blood work prior to the spay. Most expensive quote was just under $1000.


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## myshepharley (Feb 11, 2011)

I just had my 18 lb Fox Terrier spayed and complete dental work done for $309. She is five. I couldn't imagine paying some of the prices posted. Does it really cost them that much to do the surgery? Our office visit is $38.


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## Verivus (Nov 7, 2010)

My papillon was spayed at 5 months old for $50 bucks at a low cost clinic. No bloodwork, incision healed fine (you can't even see it anymore), was sent home with pain meds and an e-collar. No problems, sutures out 10 days later and we were good to go. I don't think I'll ever get a dog neutered/spayed at a regular vet, unless the dog had health issues I feared would be impacted by GA.


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## Josh's mom (Oct 30, 2010)

KaiserGSDLove said:


> You got a deal! Kaiser had a cryptorchid neuter done today and the total was $350. I called around and that was the lowest price around here. They range all the way to $500!


Yep, our boy Josh was a cryptorchid neuter, it cost $400, his retained testicle took a little while to find.


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## Shaina (Apr 2, 2011)

Verivus said:


> My papillon was spayed at 5 months old for $50 bucks at a low cost clinic. No bloodwork, incision healed fine (you can't even see it anymore), was sent home with pain meds and an e-collar. No problems, sutures out 10 days later and we were good to go. I don't think I'll ever get a dog neutered/spayed at a regular vet, unless the dog had health issues I feared would be impacted by GA.



Sometimes you dont know the health issues until you go in. The vet office I work at costs more than a shelter, but includes the bloodwork, IVs, monitoring, pain medication, free follow up, etc... 

We recently were going to do a dental on a 2 year old dog, and during pre-op bloodwork found out he was going through renal failure. The owners and we were totally unaware that anything was wrong with this dog. They are now fighting to save this dogs life. They wouldn't have had any idea that he was dying without the bloodwork. Weird things can pop up in young dogs without anyone realizing it.


I got my lab neutered at a shelter for $70 and he was fine, however, knowing what I know now I would never risk it again with my own dog. I think it is great what these low cost clinics offer to people with no other choice, but if I can't afford to get safe health care for my dog then I'm not sure I should own the dogs I have (I do NOT mean that towards anybody, that is just a personal feeling, NOT trying to be offensive  ). I would never spay a female at a low cost clinic... just too invasive of a surgery, IMO.


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## Verivus (Nov 7, 2010)

Shaina said:


> Sometimes you dont know the health issues until you go in. The vet office I work at costs more than a shelter, but includes the bloodwork, IVs, monitoring, pain medication, free follow up, etc...


Yes, I'm quite aware of that since I work at a vet clinic myself, but I do yearly bloodwork on my dogs anyway as part of their "wellness" check. I'd venture to say the vast majority of dogs do fine without pre-op bloodwork. I'm not saying it's a pointless idea to get it done at a regular vet; if that's what you want then you go for it since they do everything by the book and by all means it is safer.


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## Shaina (Apr 2, 2011)

The majority, yes.. but it sure sucks to be that one dog that doesn't make it through anesthesia. Not a risk I'm willing to take anymore. I'd rather play it safe if the only down side is forking out an extra $150.

Again, to each their own! Just my personal view on it.


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## Jessiewessie99 (Mar 6, 2009)

Shaina said:


> Sometimes you dont know the health issues until you go in. The vet office I work at costs more than a shelter, but includes the bloodwork, IVs, monitoring, pain medication, free follow up, etc...
> 
> We recently were going to do a dental on a 2 year old dog, and during pre-op bloodwork found out he was going through renal failure. The owners and we were totally unaware that anything was wrong with this dog. They are now fighting to save this dogs life. They wouldn't have had any idea that he was dying without the bloodwork. Weird things can pop up in young dogs without anyone realizing it.
> 
> ...



I agree. I would much rather spend the few extra bucks to ensure my dog goes through the surgery smoothly. I wouldn't take any of my dogs male of female to a low cost clinic. I don't want to risk my dogs life by going and getting something done like a spay/neuter, for cheap.


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## jetscarbie (Feb 29, 2008)

I had my male neutered Monday. I had lots of different things done...but my total was 490.00. I was stupid and forgot to get a poop sample so they charged me 18 to get one.

Looking at the bill for all the charges, I was charged this (like I said, I had lots of other things done while he was there)

Pre blood panel 57
iv and fluids 20
gas anesthesia 50
neuter canine 51-80# 65
laser package 75

I've always done the pre-blood work on my pets before the S/N . And I do the laser. Less recovery time. Seems like the pets are in less pain.

I just found out that there is a low cost clinic around here. They charge 80 (for my size dog) and an extra 25 if you want pre-blood work done. I guess if I would have known.....I would have considered it. If you look at what my vet done and charged.....you will see if I would have went without pre-blood work and laser...it would have been cheaper. Probably comparable to the low cost clinic. 

I just like the vet that does all our surgeries. She has a wonderful bedside manner. She calls right after the surgery to update me. Then they call later with another update. After he was home.....she has called me 3 x's over the week, to check on him.


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## robk (Jun 16, 2011)

This is a funny subject to me. We cry foul over high vet bills at $400 for a spay/ neuter. Compare that to the cost of human care. I cant remember what the bill was when my wife got her tubal ligation but I do remember that it took us about 2 years to pay it off.


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

My kitten was about $200-300 for her spay, I think that's pretty average around here. Unless you go to one of the low cost s/n services at the shelters it is generally around $200-400 at vets in this area I think.
There is also an organization where you can purchase a voucher for s/n, then take it to one of their participating vets in your area. I did that for a foster dog years ago who needed to be neutered and with that certificate I was able to take him to a vet I often used.
Here's the link, I think it may some type of animal rights group but I never really looked into their stuff except the s/n service:
http://www.friendsofanimals.org/programs/spay-neuter/


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Chicagocanine said:


> My kitten was about $200-250 for spay, I think that's pretty average around here. Unless you go to one of the low cost s/n services at the shelters it is generally around $200-300 I think.



If you go to SPAY ILLINOIS you can find a vet that takes their certificates(there are quite a few) and you can purchase a certificate for $65.00 for a male or female...I just paid $65.00 to get my shepherd spayed. Its a wonderful program and it doesn't matter how much money you make..everyone qualifies


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Verivus said:


> My papillon was spayed at 5 months old for $50 bucks at a low cost clinic. No bloodwork, incision healed fine (you can't even see it anymore), was sent home with pain meds and an e-collar. No problems, sutures out 10 days later and we were good to go. I don't think I'll ever get a dog neutered/spayed at a regular vet, unless the dog had health issues I feared would be impacted by GA.


My golden was neutered for $50.00 at a low cost clinic and he did fine also. One of the best vets I ever worked for started out at a low cost clinic before she started her own.


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