I saw this article today, and while I wasn't "surprised" about the difference between low cost clinics and regular vet practices, it did contain a lot of information that I didn't know and might be useful for anyone getting their cat (or dog) fixed:
It certainly didn't hold any surprises for me at all. I knew that a low cost facility would have to provide only the basics, although I believe most of them provide them well, and are caring individuals. They almost have to be. They work long hours for far less pay, in fact, almost all low cost vets and techs are volunteering their time to try to halt the proliferation of unwanted puppies and kittens being euthanized in our shelters daily.
The good Doctor brings up some points to take into consideration, but certainly did not say anything that would have frightened me away from a low cost clinic if I had needed to use one.
I definitely knew this! But many people don't get it. If you want all the extras, you should pick a vet hospital.
I typically take my pets to a low cost vet in the area (he's a farm vet serving a low income area). He does surgery for very low costs. In his entire time of operating, he has lost 2 pets ever. He doesn't do blood work, doesn't do IV during surgeries, no monitoring during surgery, and has someone assisting him who is not exactly the most qualified. He is a very good vet. He is very good with his patients. He also is very fast and efficient. I think that makes all the difference.
Interesting article! I think it's very nice to see a vet's side of things. I couldn't imagine holding the life of someone's pet in my hands. It is terrifying.
I'm not concerned about using a low cost clinic either. The rescue group I worked with did almost all of our spays/neuterings through them and I never heard about a death resulting from the surgery. These clinics definitely have a cost-effective model that gets an important job done with a high rate of success. I'd probably use my own vet if I ever needed to get an animal of my own fixed, just for my own peace of mind and the comfort of my pet, but they certainly do a very good job with limited resources.
I don't think any of the local vet clinics offer any of those things :tongue2:. Or, they might offer them if asked to do them, but it's not automatic. Which is probably why they all charge about the same amount for a spay. I've only used a low-cost clinic once (it's 3 hours away!), but I think they did a better job than any of the vet clinics near me.
Just from my own perspective, Hekitty's spay was just over $100. That did not include blood work. My vet asked if I wanted it done, and when I asked if he thought it were necessary, he said, "Well, it is always safer, however, your cat is young and in excellent health. I think she'll be fine." He made no guarantees, but I opted not to have the bloodwork, which would have added just over $200 to the bill.
Years ago I went to a low cost clinic and was given a voucher to have my then cat neutered at a full service regular hospital at a discounted price. I don't recall if bloodwork was done pre-surgery.
Some regular vet hospitals offer low cost spay / neuter to qualified pet owners. One of the vet hospitals here runs a low cost clinic that includes spay and neuter but the level of care is no different from that of the main hospital.
These web sites may be helpful to locate a low cost spay / neuter clinic:
The IV fluid part was just scary to me especially with a larger animal that's being spayed. In the end it doesn't look like it's necessary. I think I was perhaps naive to think that low cost spays at the SPCA for example are low cost because they are subsidized by donations and not low cost because some services are left out. I've had 2 cats neutered at a low cost spay clinic with no problems back in the day I was eating macaroni out of a box. I just assumed there was one way to spay or neuter an animal....I think I may have been the only one!!! But it's good to be educated on things.