Purrs In Our Hearts - Cat Forum UK

Cat Health & Behaviour => Health & Behaviour General => Topic started by: kittykat on April 17, 2007, 19:30:51 PM

Title: Cost of spaying! Can i get it any cheaper?
Post by: kittykat on April 17, 2007, 19:30:51 PM
Tipsey is coming up to 6 months (in 2 weeks) and we want to get her spayed.  We're going away to visit friends on the 12th May for 2 weeks and we'd like to get her spayed before this so that she doesn't come into season whilst shes staying at my mother in laws or in the cattery.

I've found out from our vet that spaying will cost £85!  Is this normal?

We're very very low on funds and i'm not sure how we'll afford this before we go away.

Is it worth asking around at different vets or am i looking at the same price tag wherever i take her?

My grandad has offered to take her to a vet and say she is his (as he is a pensioner and can get it at low cost/free) but i dont' know how i feel about doing that.

Thanks for any replies.
Title: Re: Cost of spaying! Can i get it any cheaper?
Post by: Susanne (urbantigers) on April 17, 2007, 19:56:55 PM
That sounds ridiculously high.  I'd contact a few other vets and get some more quotes.  I know the cost varies depending on where you are in the country but that sounds very expensive.
Title: Re: Cost of spaying! Can i get it any cheaper?
Post by: CurlyCatz on April 17, 2007, 20:14:42 PM
same here..where abouts are you.

It might be worth while phoning round and asking other vets what they charge.
Title: Re: Cost of spaying! Can i get it any cheaper?
Post by: Millys Mum on April 17, 2007, 20:39:38 PM
Thats a lot! Where do you live, Buckingham Palace?!!
Id phone around but if not then you can get vouchers from the cats protection (you dont have to be on benefits) and if they dont oblige then a member here called Ela may be able to help you out, shes likes all things on 4 legs bitless and probably some 2 legged too  :rofl:

Good idea about doing it before shes goes away, family can sometimes forget to shut a door and a cat in heat will abuse that weakness.
Title: Re: Cost of spaying! Can i get it any cheaper?
Post by: kittykat on April 17, 2007, 20:50:59 PM
Thanks.

We live in hertfordshire (renowed for being stupidly expensive for everything).

I will definately ring round some other vets.  Thanks for the advice about the vouchers.  I will look into that.  I thought you had to be on benefits.
Title: Re: Cost of spaying! Can i get it any cheaper?
Post by: Millys Mum on April 17, 2007, 21:00:36 PM
Nope not anymore, they have a new yellow voucher or something, Ela will no doubt be here soon to explain more about it  :)
Title: Re: Cost of spaying! Can i get it any cheaper?
Post by: Desley (booktigger) on April 18, 2007, 08:15:21 AM
good luck in being able to find somewhere cheaper, that is a ridiculous price for it!!
Title: Re: Cost of spaying! Can i get it any cheaper?
Post by: Michelle (furbabystar) on April 18, 2007, 10:27:55 AM
£85 - are they gold stitches ?? :rofl:

I would ring around for a cheaper price or contact you local Cats Protection for a voucher.

As for your Grandads offer i would take it and wouldnt feel bad about it - at the end of the day the most important thing is that she gets spayed.
Title: Re: Cost of spaying! Can i get it any cheaper?
Post by: forever_missing_my_boys(Lisa) on April 18, 2007, 12:27:02 PM
Id take ur grandad up on the offer
£85 is double the amount they charge at my vets and is way to much to pay for a spay
Title: Re: Cost of spaying! Can i get it any cheaper?
Post by: Ela on April 18, 2007, 14:27:40 PM
Quote
I thought you had to be on benefits.

Not nowadays, CP now realise that a person doesn't have to be on benefits or low income for the cost of neutering/spaying to be a financial hardship.
Title: Re: Cost of spaying! Can i get it any cheaper?
Post by: Liza on April 18, 2007, 15:18:30 PM
I think I paid about that for 2 kittens to be spayed!!!!  Definitely ring around, I'd even consider changing vets full stop, if they charge that much extra for routine things how much would they charge should an emergency ever occur!
Title: Re: Cost of spaying! Can i get it any cheaper?
Post by: helly on April 18, 2007, 15:56:05 PM
i am taking my female in 2 weeks and have been told it will be 30 pound i have been quoted alot more though luckily a new vets has open near us called value for pets and is very good they do it so cheap because they make money on the extras ie collars cat boxes ect i got my tom cat done last week for 20 pound
Title: Re: Cost of spaying! Can i get it any cheaper?
Post by: Millys Mum on April 18, 2007, 18:07:43 PM
Have you had any better offers yet KittyKat?
Title: Re: Cost of spaying! Can i get it any cheaper?
Post by: pippivixen on April 19, 2007, 21:05:30 PM
I am in Suffolk and took my female kitten to be spayed today at a cost of £40, unfortunatly, the Vet detected kittens, so didn't do the op, but I have a CP voucher and will use that for when the kittens are born and she is spayed when they are 5 weeks old (I think that is the date). The Vet has told me, they will hold the cost of the op for me, so I will only have to pay £14.00, I may well have her micro-chipped at the same time, as there is a £5.00 discount as she is already there.
Title: Re: Cost of spaying! Can i get it any cheaper?
Post by: Dawn (DiddyDawn) on April 19, 2007, 22:33:00 PM
I am in Suffolk and took my female kitten to be spayed today at a cost of £40, unfortunatly, the Vet detected kittens, so didn't do the op, but I have a CP voucher and will use that for when the kittens are born and she is spayed when they are 5 weeks old (I think that is the date). The Vet has told me, they will hold the cost of the op for me, so I will only have to pay £14.00, I may well have her micro-chipped at the same time, as there is a £5.00 discount as she is already there.

Oh dear  :(  How old is she and how many weeks pregnant is she?  If she's early on it's much better for her to be done, she sounds as if she's still a baby herself :(  If the pregnancy is to continue, I would wait until the kittens have stopped feeding before getting her done but make sure you keep her in until such time.  I'm surprised the vet has suggested doing her when the kittens are 5 weeks old  :shify:
Title: Re: Cost of spaying! Can i get it any cheaper?
Post by: pippivixen on April 19, 2007, 22:47:00 PM
I am in Suffolk and took my female kitten to be spayed today at a cost of £40, unfortunatly, the Vet detected kittens, so didn't do the op, but I have a CP voucher and will use that for when the kittens are born and she is spayed when they are 5 weeks old (I think that is the date). The Vet has told me, they will hold the cost of the op for me, so I will only have to pay £14.00, I may well have her micro-chipped at the same time, as there is a £5.00 discount as she is already there.

Oh dear  :(  How old is she and how many weeks pregnant is she?  If she's early on it's much better for her to be done, she sounds as if she's still a baby herself :(  If the pregnancy is to continue, I would wait until the kittens have stopped feeding before getting her done but make sure you keep her in until such time.  I'm surprised the vet has suggested doing her when the kittens are 5 weeks old  :shify:

Yes, she is still a baby herself  :(, the Vet wouldn't "do" her until her and her adoptive brother (same age, not related) were 6 months, well that is too late now, she is approx 35 days pregnant, he is now "done", she is due sometime around th beginning of June. The Vet wouldn't do her as they classed it as mid term, the date they gave me for spaying her was only approximate, they said it depended on the welfare of the kittens, if they were ok, 5 weeks would be fine, if the kittens needed longer with Mum, it could be 7/8 weeks,
Title: Re: Cost of spaying! Can i get it any cheaper?
Post by: Dawn (DiddyDawn) on April 19, 2007, 22:49:25 PM
The kittens should stay with mum until they are at least 8 weeks.......the vet should know this and shouldn't really encourage taking them away sooner.  I hope everything goes well for her  :hug:
Title: Re: Cost of spaying! Can i get it any cheaper?
Post by: Ela on April 20, 2007, 08:48:48 AM
Quote
if they were ok, 5 weeks would be fine, if the kittens needed longer with Mum, it could be 7/8 weeks,

I cannot believe a vet would say such a thing, they must know that kittens should be with mum for a least 8 weeks. Even  then most vets do not like to spay until after the milk has gone. It is about time some vets started to sing from the same hymn sheets.
Title: Re: Cost of spaying! Can i get it any cheaper?
Post by: Dawn (DiddyDawn) on April 20, 2007, 10:35:32 AM
My vets won't do a spay whilst a mum cat is in milk anyway, I know some do but the risks are higher so it's just not worth it.  Some vets haven't got a clue and need  :censored: , they should be educating folks about these things not encouraging them to wean kittens too soon etc  :censored:
Title: Re: Cost of spaying! Can i get it any cheaper?
Post by: pippivixen on April 20, 2007, 11:17:45 AM
I have always had great faith and trust in my Vet's practice, they have a lot of training and newly qualified Vets there, but there is always a more experienced Vet on duty as well.

The Vet who gave me advice on Cloud was an experienced one, but maybe "old school" and I know full well how vetinary proceedures have changed over the years, especially in the Equine field so in the feline world there must have been changes in ideas and  proceedures as well.

The information given to me about spaying after the kittens were born was given to me by the senior nurse, I found this out when I phoned to query the advice, I refered to her as a vet and was corrected.

I still don't feel happy with the situation and will phone back later and speak to the Vet who owns the practice, as Cloud is pregnant because they said Misty wasn't developed enough to produce anything, maybe they would like to have her there while I go on holiday, free of charge.
Title: Re: Cost of spaying! Can i get it any cheaper?
Post by: Ela on April 20, 2007, 11:58:51 AM
Quote
maybe "old school"

To be honest some of the advice you have been given would not have been given by even an 'old school vet' In fact I would think they would have been more loath to spay cats with  milk that a vet today. Also they know full well the implications of a kitten having kittens.