Ok, so with the info and advice that I've been given on breeding Tinkerbelle, I will spay her.  It breaks my heart because I've been telling her she is going to have puppies for months now and she seems excited... 

Anyway,  there is a low cost spay/neuter clinic near my house.  They spay for the humane society, rescue groups, feral cats,etc...  This is where I took my kitten Lily to get spayed and everything worked out great.  But, this is Tinkerbelle....I'm not sure I want her to go to the clinic.  It will cost $50 to spay her and they do use anesthesia and will charge extra if she needs pain meds.  My vet charges $237 for basically the same thing.  My previous vet charges around $270, but they keep her overnight as well.  I feel like the Project Spay Neuter clinic is very experienced and they are very professional, but why do I think I'll be getting better care if I pay more money.  Does anyone have any bad experiences with spaying?  Are there certain questions that I need to ask?  Would it be better for her to spend the night in the vet or at home with me....it's not like they are there 24 hours.

Tinkerbelle is worth any extra money, but if it's just money that is the difference...Do I need to spend the extra cash for peace of mind?  Help!

Carol

Carol,

               I'm going to tell you something and it's not ment to scare you ( or anyone else on here for that matter. ) But when I was calling around shelters and Humane societies to get Indie neutered for less $ I found out this VERY disturbing info.  And this may not be true for all areas but I was told that what these low cost spay/neuter clinics do is schedule a handful of animals the same morning to be dropped off for their surgery.  Then they load them all on a truck take the to a "clinic" bascially do a crappy job of neutering and then ship them all back.  That's why they are so inexpensive.  Now, not to start a mass hysteria on here but this is just something I was told and to be honest I've seen enough things on those news show specials to know that this type of thing CAN and DOES happen.  So, needless to say even though I will be paying a nice penny for Indie to be neutered as I did with Emma and Apollo.... to me it is worth the money to have someone like your vet whom you trust to do the neuter/spay. 

Thought I would put up a link to the PET VET clinic if anyone thinks they would like to check it out.  It says they actually teach other vet's how to do the spay/neuter to litters. 

http://www.projectspayneuter.com/

First of all, you're in the Atlanta area, correct?  That may be why the cost is a little more than some of us have paid.  I remember when I moved down here from Atlanta I was pleasantly surprised at the lower prices.

Don't have any experience with the spay/neuter clinics.  Probably like most things some are good and some are bad.  If you trust your vet then the extra money is worth it but that is JMO.  I really trust and like my vet and all the people who work there so I took all my dogs there for spay.  It cost about $160 for the two little ones including anesthesia.  Loco the whippet cost a little more (I think...can't remember) but she's bigger and they did something different with the anesthesia because whippets and greyhounds can have trouble with it.

I haven't had any bad experiences with spaying dogs.  I had a cat get a UTI after spaying many years ago but that was easily cured.  Go with what gives you the most peace of mind - and I'm sure Tinkerbelle will be just fine!

I LOVE!!! the SPCA! spay/net. clinic! ALL of my aniamls have gone there from the one I went to in Texas to North Carolina to here in Ca! They are staffed by(volunteer) vets and techs that LOVE! there job! and don't do it for the $$$ I use to volunteer with my vet friend to do the surgeries for Ferral cats and saw 1st hand how easy it is! she did it on 6 week old kittens under anesthesia, and she also did the cripptoid ones too,its an amasing thing to watch! the vet-SPCA here did Shamus in the morning and I took him home at 2 pm! he was perfect and never knew anything happened! they gave him enough drugs that he slept the rest of the day and next day he was up and playing like nothing ever happened! Cash was done in northcarolina at Spay-Net Clinic, (formally the SPCA) and the same results! Same place did Julius and he was cripptoid and he did fine too cost 10$ more but still all were 60-70$with ALL there shots!!!

I don't believe in going to those low cost spay neuter clinics .I perfer taking my animals to my own vet. It cost me $250.00 to have Prince neutered. He stayed overnight and I picked him up the next day. Also I think the prices are different for dogs and cats. Ozzy my cat is going to the vet tomorrow morning to be spayed. Thats going to cost $180.00.  I'd rather pay the higher price, Because that way I can be sure they're getting the best of care. My enitre family's pets have been going to this vet for years! And I trust her completely.

I'm sad they do it like that there one of the ones here you bring your dog, wait for them to get finished then you can take them home. They also limit the number of animals she they each get the care needed. But I'm glad that you brought this up people should look it to it if thinking about it and my be visit one to better understand how they are run, the vet that does them here are really good and the staff of voleenters are very nice from the one that I did visit. Its sad to say some can be trusted and some can't. But ours are low cost/no cost do to donations and the people willing to do it for no cost. All I can say is look into the ones where you are, lke you said if you don't trust it don't do it.

We took advantage of my county's spay/neuter program when we had Bo and Lucy both 'fixed'.  Because of the over-population of unwanted dogs and cats in shelters here, my county's humane society got a huge government grant to subsidise a few selected clinics and animal hospitals, and we had our neutering and spaying done for $40 each.  It was done at a regular animal hospital (St Francis Animal Hospital) and they did exactly the same routine surgeries as they do with any other dog or cat even without the government subsidization.  Bo was neutered one month, and Lucy the next month, but we had to pre-pay for both to get the lower price, so that the animal hospital could turn in the paperwork and get reimbursed from the federal grant monies for the balance of their charges.  I personally knew one of the vet assistants that worked there, so I had no problem trusting them.  I think it just depends on how you personally feel about it.  Maybe you can go to the clinic and check them out before you decide?

thats true! some don't give you the option of a earley check out! I wanted to tack Shamus home I have had pleanty of experence with my boys and knew what to do for his care,when I got cash and Julius and caesar done they stay'd till the end of the day so THEY could watch them I knew that one -on -one worked for me but if iwas at work all ay them staying there was better...Personally...I think vets overcharge! there is not that much involved in the procedure! It only takes @ 15 minutes! (longer for the anist.)The clinic do so many of these that they are very good at it! cause that is ALL they do! I go to my vet for yearly's,and when I get a new pup,but with fostering and lots of ratties! I have to cut costs somewhere...

I have hurd that in Sacremento Ca. that ALL dogs will be required to be spayd/net! and they are trying to get PITT's to be done for FREE!!!cause they have so many in the shelter that nobody wants!!!I know they are THICK! here the whole "Gang thang" Its scary to just go walk outside! I don't even try to take my pups out luckley they have a big SECURE! backyard to stay in!

I also think you should do what feels right to you!  I'm in Atlanta area and my vet wanted around $330.00 to spay Alice.  I also had 2 female cats that were rescues.  They were going to be around $200.00 each!   After much research and talking with the spay/neuter clinic, I took all of them to the Pet Vet (Tinkerbelle's mommy had link).  I was very pleased with them.  It was clean, everyone including the vet was very nice.  That's all they did though.  Alice and my kitties all did great and had no problems.  Good luck to you!!

I think the vets are going to HAVE to get there prices in line with the clinics if there smart!I just don't know HOW! they can give away so much business! And I know most are up for getting the overpopulation under control(are't they)? it seems to me that ALL of them should do it for free! and they would get a lot of new clients too for other things

Oh Carol!!!  I just realized that you are Tinkerbelle's mommy!!  Sometimes I wonder about myself.  Anyway, just wanted to tell you that if you want to call me and ask any questions, just PM me and I can give you my phone number.  There is another place very close to me that does spays and neuters that's about $30.00 more that Pet Vet.  They were booked for 3 mos. ahead when I called them.

yea! a lot of them are getting that way now! you almost have to get on the list as a newborn!SPCA is @ a month! so you must get on the list @ 4-5 mons old! or you run out of time!And they start to get STUD'Y!

this is the one I used in greensboro N.C. its SPAY&NEUTER CLINIC OF CENTRAL CAROLINA, 4527 W.WENDOVER GREENSBORO 27407 336229-3999 kIM SHEETS IS THE VET (ONLY VET!) SHE IS GREAT AND DOES peds too! we got pain med(extra)rabies/nail trim(o)$and neuter for 75$ -55 just for neuter! I know her well and she REALLY does the work perfect!

shamus was done here in marysville at

yuba/sutter s.p.c.a. 745 sutter st yuba city ca. 95991 530-673-6390

By dr kerry ellsworth DVM great job he got all shots and neuter for 74$ perfect job!they do Just shots too 7.00 rabies 10.00 disp/parvo corona 7.00 ALL the time! no office visit charge!!!  this is soo good when you got 3 to feed!!