We’re all feeling the pinch right now, and many of us are forced to think twice about vet prices that might previously have been manageable. As part of the veterinary industry, we know that many people are concerned about the rising costs of owning a pet. Rather than be defensive, we think it is better to be honest and explain why things cost what they do. Today we’ll do this for a routine dog surgery.
Table of contents
Factors Affecting the Cost of a Dog’s Surgery
The bulk of this article will explain what goes into the costs of a common procedure, a bitch spay. However, much of the information is applicable to other routine surgeries, as well as some non-routine ops. The list is, of course, not exhaustive, and will vary wildly from practice to practice. It is also worth noting that many practices will actually subsidise neutering procedures heavily (often to the point they do not result in profit) to encourage owners to neuter their pets – other procedures are likely to cost far more and be more reflective of the actual cost to the practice.
Which Practice You Use
There are thousands of veterinary practices up and down the country, and they will all be different, even if they are part of the same company.
Charity practices tend to be subsidised or even free for those most in need. They provide a basic level of care, including neutering, so your female dog can be spayed there. However, you will need to fulfil certain criteria to qualify for receiving care, such as receiving benefits, proving you are in financial difficulties, and registering only one or two animals there.
Most practices are either privately run businesses or groups run by larger companies (corporates). In general, you may find corporate practices are cheaper as they can afford to subsidise spays more, purchase supplies cheaper, and have more financial leeway. On the other hand, you might prefer the more tailored or personal approach that some private practices have, even if this means the costs increase.
At the other end of the scale, referral-level practices tend to be the most expensive, as their staff are likely to have advanced qualifications, their equipment will be top-of-the-range, and they may purchase premium consumables. However, some of these practices may not perform routine procedures like bitch spays, instead focussing on non-routine ops.
Even within these categories, there will be variance based on the practice location, size, business model, staff numbers and experience, utilities, product suppliers and more.
Running a Practice
Before we even get to the costs of a surgery, your practice will need to pay rent, gas, electricity, water, internet and maintenance just to keep the doors open. All these costs have increased for veterinary practices like they have for private individuals, and unfortunately some of these costs must be passed on to customers.
There will also be staff to pay. Vets are obvious, but there will be a host of supporting staff needed too. Vet nurses will assist with the surgery and keep your dog monitored; receptionists will ensure you have an appointment; cleaning staff keep the practice free of dirt and disease; managers are needed to order supplies, run the business and keep everything going; there may even be gardeners, maintenance staff, and others who need a salary.
Vet practices will also have a myriad of other costs, like insurance, professional subscriptions, equipment, consumables, learning for staff, marketing, software and other IT, and much more. All are needed to keep the practice going.
Type of Operation
Next there will be some variance based on the specific operation your dog is having. The vast majority of dog spays will be performed via traditional surgery. However, some practices offer laparoscopic keyhole spaying. There are some pros and cons to this procedure, but often it will be more expensive, as the equipment and expertise required are more than a traditional spay.
In some cases, a dog may have to be spayed in a non-routine way. These can include following a pyometra (a life-threatening uterine infection), as part of a caesarean operation, or due to cancer of the uterus or ovaries. Because many of these dogs will have associated illness, the procedure is technically more complex, the risks are higher, and different equipment may be needed, the costs are likely to be higher. These procedures will also not be subsidised by vets. As well as to prevent these life-threatening diseases, cheaper costs will hopefully encourage you to spay your dog pre-emptively.
Patient Factors
No two dogs are alike, and most vets want to offer a tailored experience for each animal, to keep you and them as happy as possible. This means variation in costs.
Larger dogs tend to cost more to spay than smaller dogs. They need higher drug volumes, the surgeries can be more difficult thus take longer, and they may require more staff to handle them. Smaller dogs often cost less in this regard.
Elderly dogs are at a higher risk of complications than younger dogs. As such, they may require more pre-operative testing, and peri- and post-operative management to keep them safe. They often can cost more to spay than younger dogs. Saying that, very young dogs are also at a higher risk of complications, particularly hypothermia, and thus need more attention. In general, vets don’t spay puppies, but some dogs neutered around puberty can still be quite small.
One of the most common groups of dogs are brachycephalic dogs, in particular French bulldogs. These dogs, as we have written about plenty of times, are at a much higher risk of anaesthetic complications than many other breeds, owing to their short faces. Most practices will advise they require pre-emptive anti-sickness and anti-anxiety medication, pre-oxygenation therapy, closer monitoring, and extra post-operative drugs. As such, these dogs will generally cost a lot more to spay than a dog without these deformities.
Individually, if your dog is anxious or aggressive, has an underlying health issue, has had anaesthetic complications in the past, or you just want to be cautious, this may result in additional equipment and drugs needed to enhance patient safety, which can increase the price.
Before the Operation
Before we even go ahead with a procedure, there are some steps vets might take. All pets should be checked before a surgery, to check they are suitable for the procedure, answer any questions you might have, and assess any specific factors that might affect the surgery. This takes veterinary time so often will be charged for.
On the day, some dogs are recommended to have extra tests before we give any drugs. Blood tests to check they are healthy are advised for elderly dogs or those with underlying health issues. Some vets might advise your dog has intravenous fluid therapy for an hour or so before to help support their blood pressure – this will require single-use (or disposable) equipment such as intravenous catheters, connection tubes and consumable resources – IV fluid and fluid bags. Brachycephalic dogs are less likely to have complications if they receive oxygen therapy before their procedure; which needs consumable oxygen as well as the use of an oxygen chamber or mask.
Inducing Anaesthesia
Spay procedures are performed under a full general anaesthetic. To induce anaesthesia, powerful anaesthetic drugs are used. There are many different combinations for different situations, given in different ways. Your dog will receive some of these, commonly intravenously or intramuscularly, via a syringe and needle. They will then be intubated via an endotracheal tube in their throat to provide oxygen and anaesthetic gases throughout the surgery. Both of these chemicals are consumables that the practice must pay for. The machines that introduce these gases are often very expensive to purchase and maintain.
Once fully asleep, the veterinary nurses will then surgically clip and scrub your pet’s abdomen to ensure it is sterile for the procedure. At the same time, the vet will be surgically scrubbing their hands and putting on surgical gloves. Some of the equipment needed for just this simple step include: clippers; clipper blades; antiseptic solution; containers for the solution; swabs to wipe the surgical site; water; surgical gloves; surgical spirit. Local anaesthetic may also be used. All the consumables must be replaced regularly, while the permanent equipment requires cleaning and maintenance.
Remember that time is also a resource. Your dog will have a minimum of two members of staff at all time, one vet and one vet nurse. This is time that must be paid for. This is partly why longer surgeries can cost more too.
Surgical Procedure
Now we get to the surgery itself. For a basic bitch spay, the vet will need at minimum: surgical drapes; a surgical pack with their instruments; scalpel blade; suture material; swabs. The vet nurse will be monitoring the anaesthetic throughout the procedure, adjusting your dog’s anaesthetic depth with the inhaled gases. On occasion, additional drugs may be given if your dog isn’t deep enough, and some vets might need more equipment too.
Bitch spays can take time; especially if your dog is particularly deep-chested, large, overweight, young, has complicating factors, if the vet is less experienced, or just due to chance and bad luck. The longer a surgery lasts, the more oxygen and anaesthetic gases are used. Again, the staff’s time is also being used too.
Once the surgery is completed successfully, the anaesthetic gas is turned off and your pet slowly wakes up, remaining on oxygen until this point.
Post-Op Recovery
Your pet is now awake, but will be confused and disorientated. A vet nurse will stay with them at this time to ensure they stay calm and don’t hurt themselves. This will be done first in the surgical theatre and then in a kennel (which will have to be cleaned before and after each patient, the bedding washed and replaced). Many dogs get cold under an anaesthetic, so warming aids will be used to keep them toasty.
Depending on how quickly your dog recovers, most dogs are discharged that evening, having stayed in hospital for most of the day. Many may have an extra pain relief injection before discharge, and most go home with oral pain relief. More rarely, other drugs like antibiotics, anti-emetics and more are needed too. It is often recommended your dog has a pet shirt or buster collar to prevent them irritating the surgical site. Every pet will require a discharge appointment with a vet or nurse to discuss the procedure and post-op care needed at home. Again, this takes time.
Finally, a post-op check is advised for most patients to check the wound is healing well, they are not painful and are back to normal. This is often done in person or via telephone/video call, but all require an appointment to be made and time used. The vast majority of dogs heal from a spay quickly in a week or two, but complications can result in prolonged healing and additional costs.
Summing Up and Speaking to your Vet
The point of this article isn’t to necessarily explain how a dog is spayed, and we don’t want you to consider each individual step. Rather, this article is to appreciate how much ‘stuff’ goes into neutering your dog. From staff, to equipment, to consumables, to the electricity bills, there is so much that your dog needs. All of this will be considered when vets set their prices. Remember that many vet practices do not make huge profits, and much of this will be reinvested into the business to provide better care for your animals.
Saying that, we do understand that it can be hard to accept this when the bills seem so high. If you are concerned about the possible costs of spaying your dog, or indeed any veterinary care, then please speak to your vet; ask for a breakdown of costs, so you can understand what exactly you are paying for. Attend your pre-operative appointments so you can determine what your dog does and doesn’t need. Vets will give you lots of options, but should say what they do and don’t recommend for your individual dog. We won’t be doing this to squeeze more money out, but because we feel they are important for your dog’s procedure.
It is always better to be open, and if you are concerned about a bill, tell us so we can work out how we can help. We aren’t here just to make money, we are here to care for animals. But money is needed to keep vets in business, and so there will always be costs. Hopefully after today, you will have a better understanding of why bills cost what they do, and how much work is needed to get your pet home safely.
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