Pet ownership can be expensive. Cost doesn’t make wellness care any less important, though. Low-cost spay and neuter programs are a big part of what we do here at Sky Canyon Animal Hospital. Keep reading to learn more.
Cost to Spay a Cat or Dog in California
Spay and neuter is a routine procedure for pets, but that doesn’t make them simple. A lot goes into “fixing” an animal. A spay or neuter procedure typically includes:
- Pre surgical evaluation
- Full anesthesia and monitoring
- Pain medication
- Surgical removal of reproduction organs
- Post-operative monitoring
The expertise to perform the surgery and to monitor the patient under anesthesia, the medications utilized, and the equipment are not without cost.
Many pet owners wonder how much does it cost to spay a dog or cat in California. There are a lot of variables including size of the pet, overall body condition, exact monitoring and services provided, and the cost of living in your area. In general, though, a spay procedure ranges from $100-$500 with cats and smaller dogs being on the lower end. Neuter procedures tend to range from around $50-$250, again with cats being less expensive.
A pet owner who was not prepared to spend hundreds of dollars on their pet in their first year of life might be wondering “are there low-cost spay and neuter programs near me?”
Low Cost Spay and Neuter
Spaying and neutering pets is an important part of responsible pet ownership, and it is our team’s goal to be able to provide this as affordably as possible to all pets in need.
We feel strongly about this because spaying and neutering:
- Helps the pet overpopulation problem: In the United States millions of dogs and cats are euthanized or become strays because there are not enough homes for them. Spaying or neutering your pet stops your home from contributing to this issue unintentionally.
- Eliminates risk of uterine infection: Female pets who have not been spayed are at high risk for developing a serious, life-threatening infection in their uterus called a pyometra. Removing the uterus eliminates this possibility.
- Decreases risk of mammary (breast) cancer: Spaying your pet before her first heat cycle almost entirely prevents the development of breast cancer down the line. Even pets who are spayed after they have come into heat enjoy a dramatically decreased risk.
- Prevents testicular cancer: During a routine neuter procedure the testicles are removed, which removes the possibility for the development of testicular cancer. Intact male dogs are also at increased risk for perianal gland tumors.
- Decreases prostate problems: Male pets who are not neutered are more likely to suffer from benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH.
- Prevents roaming behavior: Pets who are intact are more likely to get out of the yard and roam while looking for mates. This puts them at increased risk for being injured or lost.
- Helps avoid behavioral issues: Hormones can contribute to behavioral issues such as increased vocalization during a heat cycle, urine marking, and roaming behaviors when in search of a mate. Pets who are not spayed or neutered are more likely to become lost or injured.
Low-cost spay and neuter services are incredibly important. Please contact us today with any questions you might have. Helping pets and their people is what we do.