# Neutering and blood work



## CT Girl (Nov 17, 2010)

Vets like to have this in case there is a kidney or liver problem. It is also not a bad idea to have a baseline of bloodwork which you can use for reference later. $200 seems excessive for this though. When I looked it up on the Internet is was commonly $75-$100 for a full panel. I would ask the vet why he feels blood work is necessary and ask him about the price differencial for the operation. It may be he uses an IV drip while the other clinics do not.


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## schnauzerpoodle (Apr 21, 2010)

Agree w/ CT Girl. All my dogs have had their blood work done before the procedure. Recently the pup of my friend's did his blookwork before going in for the procedure and found out that the white blood cell count was abnormally high. Now they have to figure out what is going on with that otherwise healthy and active puppy before putting him under for the operation.

I personally would not skip the blood work. I agree that the price is a bit excessive though.


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## LEUllman (Feb 1, 2010)

And I thought $250 USD was expensive for a neuter!


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## lilypoo (Jul 25, 2011)

I did the optional bloodwork. I opted for all the optional services actually.  Like pain meds, IV fluids, pain pills for home, etc. I agree with the others about the bloodwork-good to have pre-op plus good to have in the future for reference.


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## outwest (May 1, 2011)

Holy smokes! You are talking $630 Canadian dollars for a neuter? That's not even a spay. I think neuters are around $200-250 USD here. They're easy. I have thought my vet was expensive, but I like him. I won't think that again. 

I do think blood work is a good idea. For a spay with blood work, antibiotics afterwards, pain pills and fluid during surgery I was quoted $340, but I get a 20% discount for buying a whole puppy package when I first got my puppy, so it will be about $275 USD when I do it. 

You can also go to a spay/neuter clinic for under $100 here, but I would rather she go to a private vet (it's like an assembly line there, but efficient and inexpensive). Maybe you should check the spay/neuter clinics run by your local spca? You can ask about the blood work and everything else, too. 

I say- do the bloodwork, but go somewhere else. And, with that price it seems it would keep people from neutering their dogs. I believe they try to make spay and neuter reasonable here to encourage it.


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## plumcrazy (Sep 11, 2009)

I ALWAYS do the pre-op bloodwork on any of my pets undergoing surgery. But it's NEVER been $200 extra!!! Holy COW!! I would definitely check out the other vets and find out what their prices are for the bloodwork + neuter and see if it's significantly less... I agree with most of the opinions above that the cost for the neuter seems very high too (even without the bloodwork added!) When I had Lucy spayed, I agreed to the pre-op bloodwork, we had an optional gastropexy done, along with the ovariohysterectomy and all optional pain management and I'm pretty sure it was right around $300/$350ish - and that was for a SPAY and GASTROPEXY, with all the bells & whistles!!! You're talking over $400 JUST for a NEUTER - no gastropexy or bells or whistles included??? That's incredible!

If it were me... and I lived in Canada... and all or most vets charged these prices... I'd find the best deal I could - with a vet that I trusted implicitly and just keep reminding myself it's a "one time charge", it's a "one time charge"!! Luckily you don't have to spay and/or neuter your pets more than once!

Good luck!!

Barb


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## PaddleAddict (Feb 9, 2010)

$200 is a lot for the bloodwork. I paid about $100. 

Please don't skip it. Bloodwork is extremely important before a surgery to assess that the dog's organs will be able to handle the surgery. It think it's the most important the very first time a pet is put under anesthesia since you have no idea how they will react. I used to work at a vet and I saw more than one puppy and kitten that did not have bloodwork done simply not wake up from the anesthesia. That was many years ago and eventually the vet I worked for no longer allowed "no bloodwork" as an option. An IV with fluids used to be optional as well but they made it mandatory. If there is an emergency during surgery, an IV already in place can be a lifesaver, not to mention the IV fluids during a surgery helps keep the patient stable.

Anesthesia is generally very safe and neuters are less complicated than spays. However, it is still surgery and there is risk involved. Although many spay/neuter clinics routinely do these procedures without bloodwork and without IV fluids, pain meds, etc., I would never skip out on these things for my precious poodle. He means too much to me.

I would not choose to see a vet who tells you that your dog does not need the bloodwork. Vets should have the pet's best interest in mind. However, your current vet sounds pretty $$$. If it were me, I would shop around for a vet who recommends the bloodwork but does not change an arm and a leg. You should be able to get a mini panel, which is not the complete blood panel but is enough for the vet to determine if the dog can handle the surgery. The mini panel should be less expensive.


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## Pudel-Fan (Nov 1, 2011)

Yes, I had the bloodwork done on both of my boys and all the IV fluids etc. and it was expensive, that was when I lived in a big city. I agree with others that the bloodwork is a good idea. Perhaps it would be wise to look around and find a vet you feel comfortable with who is not so expensive. Keeping in mind that you will need other vet care in the future and it would hard to price shop in an emergency but since this is not an emergency it could be the opportunity to make a change.

My last 10:30 at night emergency trip to the vet was to have porcupine quills taken out of my black boys face and left leg. It was comforting to know as I drove to the vet that although emergency work was going to cost more it wouldn't require me to mortgage the house to pay for it. I now live in a very rural area and the vets seem to realize that people here just don't make the kind of money that some other areas do. 

Just some things to think about, good luck.


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## poodlelover (Oct 19, 2008)

Thanks for the advice everyone. I don't mind doing the bloodwork, but it was a surprise for me to hear the price. My vet is the largest clinic in my area with a new building and many doctors, so I guess they have to charge more for their overhead.
I went to a smaller vet that I used to work for over 10 years ago and he said the neuter would be $350.00 but said the bloodwork is not necessary. I wonder about that statement. His hours are not compatible with mine. He closes at 5:00 p.m. most days and I work until 5. Apparently he won a lot of money in a lottery and just keeps the clinic for something to do. I wish I had that problem, lol. He is closed on Wednesday and that is my day off. He opens at 9:00 a.m. and I start work at 8:00. So I guess I can't go there. 

The other clinic is cheaper but I really wonder why? They do surgery 7 days a week, I actually did not feel comfortable there. 
So I guess it is back to my expensive vet. They do all the bells and whistles, and I feel comfortable there. 
I don't want nothing to happen to Oasis. I will give him the best and just groom some extra dogs for the extra money I will need. 
Thanks again. My breeder told me to neuter him between 6 and 18 months, so no hurry. I am not sure I want to wait too long, I don't want him to start humping and peeing every where.


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