I'm a firm believer in "you get what you pay for" so I have some real concerns about Sunny having this $25 surgery. I don't want to stir up trouble between you and your mom, but didn't your mom expect the cost of a neuter when she let you get Sunny? And isn't she the one who will be responsible for him when you go off to college?
Anyway, this article raises some excellent questions/issues even though it discusses spaying rather than neutering.
Surgery costs: are they too high?
Many animal population control proponents say that veterinarians should reduce the cost of spay-neuter surgery or should offer it for free so that dog owners will sterilize their pets.
In the attempt to increase the numbers of dogs that are sterilized, some folks on all sides have cultivated the perception that an ovariohysterectomy (removal of the ovaries and uterus) is quick and easy surgery that can be done on an assembly line, especially since a surgical protocol of puppies has been perfected. In recent years, some national organizations and local shelters have held marathon sterilization clinics, often at low cost, and issued press releases about the number of pets that underwent the surgery in a 24- or 48-hour period. Actually, however, most veterinarians consider the surgery to be major: although it can be quick and easy on young bitches, it can be difficult and time-consuming on bitches that have had several heats or have been bred.
The spay protocol should include a pre-surgical exam followed by injections of a muscle-relaxer such as Rompun and a short- acting barbiturate to allow insertion of a tube into the dog’s airway for air and anesthesia. When the dog is incapacitated by the barbiturate, a clamp is used to hold the mouth open and the tube is installed. The dog may be initially anesthetized with one gas and switched to another (such as isofluorine) for the surgery.
Preparation of the surgical area is done by a technician while the veterinarian dresses and scrubs for the surgery. The technician shaves the surgical site, expresses urine from the dog’s bladder, and uses betadine scrub to clean and rinse the site. The veterinarian uses a sterile scrub pack and scrubs his hands and arms just as a surgeon does before an operation.
The anesthetized dog is placed on her back on the operating table or in a tray that is placed on the table. The tray keeps the dog from sliding and gives the doctor clearer access to the abdomen. The needle used to inject the barbiturate is left in the vein in case more drug is needed.
The anesthesia is switched to isofluorine, which can be increased or decreased if necessary to lighten or deepen the dog’s anesthetized state. Injectable anesthesias can be stopped but cannot be reversed; if the dog gets in trouble on the operating table with an injectable anesthesia, she can die.
The dog is hooked to a heart monitor. The sterile surgical pack of instruments is placed within the doctor’s reach.Then the surgery can begin.
The surgery starts when the veterinarian clamps the skin to stretch it taut and begins the incision with a scalpel. The incision must be done carefully to minimize muscle damage.
The dog’s uterus is a Y-shaped organ with two horns and a body. The uterine body and horns and the ovaries and the tubes connecting the ovaries to the horns are removed in a complete ovariohysterectomy. The doctor uses disolvable sutures for the cuts at the ovaries and the cervix, checks for any abnormalities, bleeders, etc., and closes the incision with layers of stitches.
Time elapsed from start of surgery to the last stitch that closes the incision is about 25 minutes on bitches that have never come into oestrus. Bitches that have had one or more seasons or one or more litters and bitches that carry a lot of abdominal fat can take much longer. Add to this the time for pre-surgical exam and preparation, post-surgical observation, a post-surgical exam if necessary, and removal of stitches, and the cost to safely spay a beloved pet to prevent unwanted litters, reproductive cancers, and uterine infections is a bargain.
Many veterinarians charge more for spays on mature bitches, for the surgery takes longer. Many charge by the weight of the bitch, for more anesthesia is needed to keep a 90-pound bitch safely asleep than is needed for a 25-pound bitch. Generally, a spay surgery for a bitch that weighs less than 100 pounds is less than $150.
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Questions you may want to ask your vet
Those pet owners who consider using a clinic that charges $40 or $50 or thereabouts for spays should ask some questions before making an appointment for Fluffy.
Does the clinic use a reversible gas anesthesia? It’s more expensive, but it’s safer.
Are the instruments sterilized after every use? It’s more expensive and time-consuming, but it’s safer.
Does the veterinarian scrub between surgeries? It takes longer, but it’s safer.
Is the dog hooked to a heart monitor? It costs more, but it’s safer.
Is the incision closed with layers of sutures? It takes longer, but it’s safer.