Cost of neutering

[Staja]

So, my 4 year old rabbit *just* started humping things over the weekend.  (It’s the funniest thing ever, but I know I really need to get him fixed) My biggest problem is this – I called my local vet (recommended by the House Rabbit Network, and experienced with rabbits) and she is looking to charge $370 for the procedure.  Is it me, or is this an incredible amount of money for a neuter surgery?  Is there anyone in the Boston area able to recommend a vet that would not charge as much?

Thanks for your input! Warren and I appreciate it!

[babybunsmum]

i have no idea what a cost range would be for a neuter… hopefully others can help out with this.  i do know it can vary depending on your location and from vet to vet.  probably a good idea to get costs from other vets that are rabbit-savvy.  finding a rabbit-savvy vet was an issue for me (i’m in ontario canada).  good luck!

[reds1513]

I live in Michigan and just spayed my bunny last week and I paid $240. This included an initial office visit, IV, pain meds and the surgery. I would think it is more involved doing a spay than a neuter.

[Floppy]

I can’t help you with Boston area suggestions however
I was able to get Mr Floppy neutered for $40 at a low cost
spay and neuter clinic..also if theres my local humane society
offers the procedures to dogs, cats and rabbits as well so that
may be something to look into. The humane society I looked
into was asking for about 100.00 Vets do charge a lot for the
procedure…Floppys vet was looking to charge $350 which is
sort of ridiculous to me. Anyway, goodluck!

[Gravehearted]

Hi Staja – welcome to Binky Bunny!! $370 for a neuter does seem on the high side. I have a friend who volunteers with House Rabbit Network in MA, I’ll drop her an email to see if she has any other recommendations.

Floppy – we are **extremely** lucky to have low cost options in the Bay Area. In many places low cost neuter programs are only for cats and dogs and do not include rabbits.

[Staja]

That would be much appreciated! 

I know the neutering needs to be done either way (Warren’s like a teenager – now that he knows he can hump things, he doesn’t want to stop), I just want to see if there are any less expensive options out there.  Thank you all so much for the responses!

[Beka27]

that does *seem* like it’s high… but what do i know..?  Meadow’s spay was 286 and change for everything… i’m pretty sure that neuters are generally cheaper than spays…

[Lagomorpheus]

The price of alterations for rabbits is indeed ridiculous. I paid about $300 for my Vicky to be spayed. I think this is something that makes adopting from a shelter so much better since they’re usually spayed by the shelter beforehand.

[Beka27]

http://www.mahouserabbit.org/vets.asp

here’s the link to MA HRS list of vets… maybe there are some there you didn’t contact…?

[Sarita]

We don’t have any low cost options in my area other than the vet that I use. Her costs are actually extremely reasonable but I know they just increased their costs – not sure what those are yet but they will still be in the reasonable range I know. That does seem excessive and I would want to know exactly what is included in this but no matter what it sounds like alot.

None of our humane societies or spca’s do rabbit spays and neuters and frankly I wouldn’t let them as I’m not so certain they are rabbit savvy in my area – I know my friend who runs the guinea pig rescue has gotten a few piggies from the SPCA that were botched and our vet had to fix.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Yes, the cost where I am is ridiculous…I tell people and they can’t believe it…
My thinking when I first decided to spay was “a dog is around 150, a cat around 90 so a rabbit should be…well less then 90″…so wrong

I checked EVERY vet in Edmonton and Area (not THAT bit but over a million people population wise) and the lowest cost was around 250
The vet I selected will be doing the procedure (everything is included) is just under four hundred…I picked her as she seemed the best, answered my questions the best and has been our dog’s vet…

I think the cost is expensive because the anestesia etc. is very expensive and they are technically exotic pets, hard to pull through surgery and usually watched one-on-one while recovering. It’s still high.

In edmonton we have ONE low cost spay neuter and they only do cats and dogs…*sigh*

[dmh426]

I paid just over 275 to have Sophie spayed in upstate New York. It is expensive. I know that. But it’s the best thing that you can do for your bunny’s health.

The reason it is more expensive is that rabbits are more sensitive to the anesthetic that is used. Because rabbits are unable to physically vomit, there is no way to prevent an overdose. My vet also told me that a special type of anesthesia is used. When Sophie had her spay, the vet performed the surgery and had a vet’s assistant in the room constantly monitoring her vitals and the anesthesia. It is considered a specialty for a vet to work on a rabbit. You could pay less by going to a vet who treats dogs and cats but it would be like going to a pediatrician for a gynecology exam. I’d look around, see if there is another vet in the area who has a specialty in lagomorphs who charge less. Otherwise, spend the money and look as it an investment for your bunny’s health.

I’ve went to the same vet since I got Sophie. There’s nothing like having a vet who knows you, knows you bunny, and in the event of an emergency, rearranges her christmas travel plans to perform surgery on your baby (this happened last year, when Sophie almost died. A lof of vets would have brushed me off when I said something is wrong with my bunny and that I didn’t know what, but my vet knew I knew my rabbit and knew that I would know something was wrong, told me to come in and ended up performing surgery that night that saved her life)

[Staja]

I understand that it is more expensive to alter a rabbit than a dog or cat (My roommates paid $50/each to get their cats fixed), but I was just amazed at the actual cost. I was going into this, thinking it would be around $200 for the whole procedure. This vet also told me spaying costs even more, so I’m a bit curious as to that price, as well.

That being said, I am now in the process of checking out other vets within a 5-8 mile radius (I don’t drive, and I want him to be close to his “grandparents”, as they are taking him in for the first couple of days after his surgery, and I still need to be able to visit) I can’t make this a burden on the people in our life, and I know I need to get this done for Warren’s health. If I do end up having to go to this vet, Warren may end up waiting until I can scrape together enough cash to go ahead.

Keep your fingers crossed that I can find a lower-cost option soon!

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Posted By dmh426 on 11/20/2007 6:36 PM
 There’s nothing like having a vet who knows you, knows you bunny, and in the event of an emergency, rearranges her christmas travel plans to perform surgery on your baby (this happened last year, when Sophie almost died. A lof of vets would have brushed me off when I said something is wrong with my bunny and that I didn’t know what, but my vet knew I knew my rabbit and knew that I would know something was wrong, told me to come in and ended up performing surgery that night that saved her life)

What a sweet vet you have!!! You are soo lucky!

[babybunsmum]

dmh426 i agree that it’s worth some extra $$ for an exotics vet who specializes in rabbits.  even if it means saving up a little longer for the procedure.  and to form a relationship with them.  what a great vet you have!  do vets offers payment plans i wonder?  i’d bet they would for a good client.

when Baby bun had her mass surgically removed my vet explained the same thing about anesthetic.  her assistant – who was also involved in baby’s physical exam – also constantly monitored her vitals.  rabbits skin is tissue paper thin and requires a gentle touch for sutures.  my vet had Baby on a heated water bed thingy to keep her temps up (they loose alot of body heat during surgery), and they listen to the lungs and give massages when they hear noises to keep them regular.  i have no idea how some of this compares to surgery on cats or dogs but the fact that it was all explained to me helped me be confident in this vets ability.  and understand the cost of the procedure.

[Molotov]

Louie’s neuter was going to be 35$ but my vet gave me a discount because I am forever in his office with my Labradors. Ended up paying 20$. My vet doesn’t do spays and when I called around for Muffin and Athena’s surgeries I heard numerous 300-250 price ranges before finding a vet in my boyfriend’s town that only charged $95.
It seems a little steep to me considering a neuter is alot less evasive than a spay. Maybe the steepness of the price for rabbit surgeries can vary widely because different vets feel less comfortable working on them and feel it takes longer and is more tedious/delicate working on rabbits than working with cats or dogs? How much does that clinic charge for a cat neutering I wonder. Maybe they are just an expensive clinic.

[Gravehearted]

I messaged the person I know in your area, and didn’t hear anything back 🙁 I hope you’re able to find a vet. 5 – 8 miles is not a very wide radius, we travel close to 40 miles to get to our rabbit vet. There are other rabbit vets closer, but it’s important to find the right match for you and your bunnies. I am sure since this is a special kind of circumstance, it wouldn’t be a huge burden on your parents to drive a lil further to not only save you some cash, but also to get him the best care.

[Staja]

So, my roommates and I had some people over, and one of the girls volunteers at the local shelter. While my local shelter does not handle exotics, she herself has rats and was able to give me some suggestions for local vets who may be able to help me out.

As of now, Warren and I have an appointment next Wednesday at our local VCA. This is where my parents used to take their dogs, whenever they had emergencies, and the vet somes with high regards.

We’ll see how it goes. Warren’s never been to the vet.

[Lion-O's Mamma]

I just had my bun neutered yesterday and it was $149.68 for everything, surgery, anesthesia, all of it. I would have croaked if they’d charged me $370!

[5cats1bun]

I live in RI, if you wanna take a drive, I got mine done for $80 and $100 for the girls but everywhere else around here is outrageous as well. it might be worth the gas money spend the day in newport or something.

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