That is definitely a significant outlier in neuter pricing. If there was a track-record of cheaper neuters being less successful, I could see people considering it; however, considering how routine and relatively simple neuters are, the existence of a $700-quoted neuter does not undermine the legitimacy and safety of a $300 or less neuter. Also, some neuters are less than $100 I’ve heard.

Keep in mind that there isn’t really a “gradient” in how “good” a neuter can be, like there can be on computer performance or something. At some point, you’re just paying more for the same result.

The deciding factor could be finances, but I think knowing how often the vet does neuters and the success rate is much more informative.

Sometimes a vet clinic will quote a very high price for a simple procedure like a bunny neuter, just to not have to perform any procedure on a rabbit.

I’d be wary. If a vet doesn’t want to deal with rabbits, it can mean they don’t feel comfortable treating rabbits. That’s just about the last thing you want. They can of course still be perfectly good cat-and dog vets. I had different vet clinics for my dog and bun when I had a dog.

700 dollars does seem unreasonably high. With that price tag, I doubt they do many rabbit neuters. You want a vet who does many neuters. Experience is very important.

It does seem high, but not completely unheard of (especially if it ends up being uncomplicated and on the low end of that range). It seems like the bulk of the cost could come from additional anesthesia, which is pretty normal. But with a neuter the procedure is usually very fast.

In my region, spay/neuter costs range from $200-$850, with $300 being about average for a neuter. I think you should ask both vets you are considering how many neuters they do per year, and what their success rate is. If the cheaper option does lots of neuters and is rabbit savvy, then I would prob go with them.

Rabbits should be going to exotic vets, not dog/cat vets. Some veterinary practices have both “traditional” vets and exotic vets together, so you’ll see all types of animal clientele going in. An exclusively exotic vet practice is not enough to justify a $700 price ask. Wick’s first vet was an exotic practice only. There are signs all over saying no dogs or cats are allowed — she only saw birds, reptiles, rabbits, and the like. Anything non-poisonous essentially. Wick’s neuter was about $250 and it went well. She also has done over a dozen molar trims on him, each were a little over $100. So again, still not $700 material.

Holy crap… this seems like such an outrageous price to me. I’ve gotten 4 bunnies spayed/neutered at a local vet for $80-120 and the procedure has gone perfectly every time. I would NOT spend anywhere near that amount of money… maybe $300 at the most is what I’d consider but man, even that’s pushing it. Read reviews on the “cheaper” vet and maybe ask them some questions to gauge how rabbit-savvy they really are.

Reading these comments has made me apprehensive of moving away from my town now haha. I don’t want to be spending an arm and a leg at other vets elsewhere. 😰

When you say “Normal Price Vet”, do you mean dog/cat vet? Do they see rabbits on a regular basis? I agree with the others, ask how many spays/neuters they perform on rabbits. I’m not saying they aren’t qualified to do it… but keep in mind that neutering a rabbit is different than neutering a dog or a cat. This is particularly true for anesthesia, etc.

Yeah I’ll just add that cost of living is stupidly high where I live, so interpret the prices I gave for my region with that in mind!

Agree with Bam, sometimes they try to scare you off with a high price because they don’t want to admit they don’t feel confident in their own skills. As you said, that might not be the case with this vet. However, I’ve been to a couple of vets before who were supposed to be experts on exotics and I was shocked by the ineptitude they showed when treating my rabbit.

Prices vary greatly depending on where you live, I paid just under $100 for the whole thing, and that was at the high end exotics vet in the area.

I went on rabbitrescue.com and they have a list of certified vets. I was being quoted at $500 from three different vets and I just can’t afford that currently so I called a vet marked as affordable. I read through reviews and they had a few about successful bunny spay/neuters and happy people and buns. I definitely agree that for this circumstance a high price tag does not necessarily mean better care, I also think a more affordable practice has probably performed a lot more spays/neuters since they told me they’re booked up til March which the other places could fit me in within a month!

That sounds good to me. 🙂

I am curious about what the vet disagrees about regarding questions about neuters. I think the list of questions originally came from the House Rabbit Society, which is a highly trusted source. Some of the questions might be a bit outdated- nowadays neuters are made routinely and the success rate is very high. There will always be the odd case of a bun that f ex has an adverse reaction to anesthesia (just like some humans can have), which means the success rate will never be 100%, if a vet performs many neuters. This doesn’t mean the vet isn’t good, its just that no medical procedure ever comes with a 100% guarantee of success. It is the same for humans. There will always be a risk with any type of surgery that requires full anesthesia.

I dont think their letter successfully explains the rationale behind the very high price they’ve quoted you.

In case you were wondering, here is the list of “questions to ask” from HRS (quote from their website):

• Ask how many rabbits are seen at the clinic each week.Ask how many rabbits are spayed or neutered each week.
• Ask whether most of the rabbits are show animals, “stock” animals, or companion animals.
• Ask what kind of a diet the veterinarian advises their clients to feed to their rabbits.
• Ask if they know which antibiotics are dangerous for rabbits (amoxicillin and most of the “…cillin” drugs like oral penicillin.).
• Ask what they recommend to their clients to prevent GI stasis.
• Ask what is the recommended treatment for GI stasis.
• Ask what are the most commonly prescribed antibiotics for rabbits.
• Ask what is their recommended treatment for head tilt.
• Ask what is their recommended treatment for flea infestation (ask for product name).
• Ask whether they routinely give analgesics after surgical procedures. If yes, what do they routinely use?
• Ask if food has to be removed the night before surgery.
• Ask if they are a member of House Rabbit Society.
• Ask what continuing education seminars they have attended that have included information on rabbits.

You’re brave! It would be nice to hear their response…. but I have a suspicion it won’t be satisfying!

Yes, definitely interesting… but may not be satisfying. LOL