Insurance revisited and the cost of neutering where you are?

DukesMom

Vet Insurance is not available in California. There was another one that someone listed thru Petsmart but it looks like you have to go to their clinics and there isn't one around me. Anyone else have pet insurance and if so which one and are they any good? Also how much does spay/neuter cost in your area. It seems to be totally outrageous here. Our Vet participates in Feb discount spay/neuter month and it would only be $69 but since Duke is cryptorchid they say he doesn't quality for it. And want to charge over $300! It's crazy. I'm debating on whether to get the more expensive pet insurance for both Duke & Gracie that covers everything including spay/neuter at least til they both get a little older. Your thoughts? My hubby is having kittens over the amount of money we've spent on Duke already!

wildlifecr13 · Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 5:15 pm Post subject:

i have seen/paid bills from $120-200 for spay, depending on how they lump/seperate things, like bloodwork, pain pills, antibiotics, etc, and exactly what and how much of these items you get.

anne · Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 8:10 pm Post subject:

Last spay I did was $250 but then again I live in LA too.

anne

AmyB · Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2008 12:21 am Post subject:

Wow, you guys have it good. The Vets around here charge anywhere from $300-500!! Crazy, huh? Luckily we have a program called SNAP and it's at a reduced cost of only $65 for a bitch. Not many Vets will accept it though because some comes out of their pocket.

richandtiff · Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2008 12:34 am Post subject:

I am going to have to pay 80 dollars this feb to get sandi spayed but I live on post. And luckly we got a new vet in that does spay/neuter. We will have been moved again when it comes time to get jack neutered. So I am not sure how much he is gonna be. luckly everything else I have done shots and stuff is fairly cheap 20 dollars and under I mainly just pay for the meds. the vet visit is 2 dollars.

DukesMom · Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2008 12:54 am Post subject:

Anne, no they aren't sure that other testicle is in the belly. The Vet didn't feel anything but says she has to go look for it?

anne · Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2008 2:18 pm Post subject:

yeah OK, that is going to be a more expensive and invasive surgery then.

nurse88 · Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2008 2:54 pm Post subject:

I had to check into this, too. KD's vet wanted to charge due to her weight. Instead I am taking her to a spay and vet clinic and it will be about 50 dollars less, but they will keep her overnight and monitor her during the surgury. I was not happy about dropping her off at 8 and picking her up at 4 and then having to pay for the medicine... when it is all included at the spay and vet clinic and I have a few people who have been there and it is very reliable.

anne · Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2008 3:03 pm Post subject:

DukesMom · Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2008 4:10 pm Post subject:

I contacted the breeder when we realized that there was only one and she didn't say? I will shoot her an email and ask. So you can usually feel them both right when they're born?

anne · Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2008 4:20 pm Post subject:

I don't think you can feel them when they are just born and I'm not sure when the earliest is when you can feel them, but most people check them some time around 7, 8 weeks as a part of their regular testing before they send the pup to their new home. I know I was able to feel them at 6 weeks, but it's not always easy to find them even at that age. You need to have experience or have someone experienced show you how.

DukesMom · Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2008 4:23 pm Post subject:

My breeder called her Vet who said to wait til he's a year old and that Weims can be slow to drop. MY Vet says if they haven't dropped by now they aren't going to. Hmmmmm

anne · Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2008 4:31 pm Post subject:

How old is he again?

Vets do have specialities and a general vet isn't going to know as much as a repro vet.
That said, by around 6 months, the ingunal ring is starting to close so if they don't make them down into the scrotum the chances get slimmer and slimmer that they wont' come down as they will get stuck above the ring.

Have you looked for them yourself? If you can find them, it does help to massage them down.

I would wait until a year myself, from a different perspective... I would want to know for my breeding program, and there is no harm done in waiting. Also I would want to keep them anyway, no matter where they were for at least the first year, preferably longer to get the hormone benefits.

DukesMom · Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2008 6:41 pm Post subject:

He's 5 1/2 months. Could you explain how one would massage it down please? LOL I'm willing to give it a try!