Turds are not toys. Also, spaying "options?"

[slvrwhispr]

Hahaha! That's true, about camping. I've seen some of the hooded ones that they have out now that are really well-ventilated. They're a couple of bucks more, but still less mess to deal with. I think it's worth it to me to have to take a couple of seconds longer when scooping, than to walk all over cat litter when I get out of the shower with wet feet! I'm sure if I had more than one cat, I'd feel differently though.

[Tambrey]

Well...having one more cat is a possibility...that little yellow one sure is a cutie

[slvrwhispr]

I knooooow! But I don't think there's any way I can afford another cat. We've gotta get Izzy spayed soon, and I can't find anywhere qualified that will do it for under $300.

[Tambrey]

geeeesh...our vet charges $65 for a spay and $55 for a neuter...

anyways...there are updated pics in Debbie's Cloud

[slvrwhispr]

I saw. *cry* I just know that I can barely afford to get Izzy spayed, let alone another one. I think I need to find a new vet anyway... they spew a lot of crap about them being the most state-of-the-art, but I think they only do it so they can get away with grossly over-charging. Her shots, total, ended up being about $150. That's nuts.

[kehorner]

Check with the humane society or rescue groups in your area to see if they know of any low-cost spay programs.

[slvrwhispr]

The only thing I'm worried about is quality. I don't want to risk losing her, or having complications, because I didn't want to pay top dollar. Although, I suppose if rescue organizations are using a particular vet's services, they would have to be qualified. Hm. Just things to think about.

Let me bounce this off you guys and see if it seems odd. The vet that I've been taking Izzy to gave me a packet of information regarding spaying. They have two prices, one for basic surgery, and one for all the bells and whistles. It says that things like IV fluids, the coag panel, and blood work are optional, and if I want all these things included, it'll cost me roughly $400 for the surgery. I know the price is ridiculous, and that's an issue in and of itself. But does it seem terribly irresponsible to anyone else that these crucial procedures are considered optional? I mean, if they don't run the coag panel or do blood work, and the cat is low on iron or has blood clotting issues, there's a very high risk that the cat won't survive the spay. Are these things typically optional, or should I run like the wind from this vet? My instinct is to run, to be absolutely honest.

[Cleo]

Tidy Cats makes a cool hooded litter box where the hood stays attached and just lifts up. I switched all my boxes to that kind. $20.00 plus change is a little pricey for a litter box but worth it to me for easy accessability.

http://www.tidycats.com/getpage.aspx?ContentID=228

[Traci]

$400 for a spay surgery is rediculous. Call around to other reputable small animal vets in your area for quotes.

I always strongly recommend pre-surgical blood work prior to any surgical procedure, including spays and neuters. This monitors vital liver, kidney function to determine candidacy for anesthesia. If any of the values are off, it would be a safe gaurd to address the problem before subjecting to anesthesia and surgery.

Some vets are giving itemized options for IV's, pain med injections, ECG, etc etc etc....but a good vet will do this regardless, for a reasonable charge. IV's for example, are good practice during any surgical procedure, pain meds are also good practice to minimize discomfort and speed healing. ECG's and other advanced diagnostics are other safegaurds, but generally are not necessary unless the vet finds something significantly unusual upon pre-exam, such as a heart murmur, in which he'd want to investigate before subjecting the patient to anesthesia.

Call around to vets in your area that you know are reputable, perhaps those listed as AAHA-certified, feline-only, etc. A reasonable spay fee that includes pre-surg bloodwork, IV's, pain meds, etc should be reasonable, roughly less than $200, depending on the clinic's services, location, competition with area vets, etc.

Keep in mind that a problem with using "spay clinics" or reduced fees from animal shelters or humane societies, etc, is that they often do not followup on the patient after surgery. If a complication developed post-op, you may not have recourse to the vet who performed the surgery. Your primary vet is always your best bet for these procedures because you are getting quality pre-surgical detection, monitorization before/during/after surgery, nursing care, followup care, and because you've established a vet/patient/client relationship and your vet will be available to you for followup care.