Photo: Making sure your pet will have surgery under the most optimum conditions is something that pet owners have to consider before agreeing to any surgical procedures for an animal.
Everybody loves a bargain. There’s no denying that cashing in on exclusive discount offers that regularly flood the retail market can indeed be exhilarating. Any opportunity to save money, whether it’s on what you love or what you need, is always welcomed with open arms. But when you’re in the market for surgery for your pet, the lure of discounts should be anything but appealing. In fact according to renowned veterinarians across the country, low cost animal surgery should raise a red flag right in front of your face. The decision to bring a pet into the family is often one that is often accompanied by a lot of thought and contemplation. After making that decision however, the greatest part of our responsibility first begins. But despite our best intentions, it is not uncommon for pet owners to fall far short of putting enough consideration into our furry friends health care. One of the most conspicuous examples of dangerous bargaining with our pet’s health comes in weighing options when it comes time to have your pet spayed or neutered. We are all familiar with the barrage of low cost spay and neuter options available in the veterinary marketplace. But what many pet owners are not familiar with is what some veterinary health care experts say is the dangerous price our animals pay when we look to save money on their surgeries. These deeply discounted surgical pricing schedules are often indicative of the fact that the vet in these cases is using a cheap, inferior injectable anesthesia that could put your animal at deadly risk. Anesthesia drugs on the animal marketplace can range from $5 to $220. A low cost animal surgery can also be an indication that specialized anesthesia personnel are likely not part of the surgical team–either during the surgery or equally as important during the crucial recovery period. It is common for vets who offer low cost procedures, using inferior drugs and untrained personnel to make almost double what a vet who uses the best drugs and qualified personnel can make. There certainly may be veterinary professionals out there who offer good services at reasonable prices but before using them or any other veterinary professional to operate on your pet, go into the situation armed with a checklist and make sure you get all the right answers from whoever is doing the surgery. Make sure you use a vet that has no qualms about showing you their operating suite. Ask about the anesthesia drugs. Find out what type of monitoring is done during surgery and after surgery. Don’t be fooled into thinking that all surgeries are created equally, they’re not. When I made the recent decision to spay my 1-year-old Chocolate lab puppy, I took her to my vet’s office where she had a full physical exam and a thorough pre-anesthesia blood work up. While Cocoa was getting her blood taken, I was taken on a tour of the surgical facilities and left with the confidence of knowing she would be well cared for by a highly trained professional team. The choice of a veterinarian for your pet is as personal as your choice of pediatrician for your children. Treat it as such. If your wondering why your vet is charging you between $500 and $600 for a spay procedure when you’ve seen those ads for $75 then its likely you’re taking your precious cargo to a facility that is far better equipped to care for your animal and offers a level of protection for your pet that is absent from facilities that operate under entirely inferior circumstances. Look carefully before you leap into this arena and make sure you know that bargain hunting in this neck of the woods could be a deadly choice.
By Patricia L. Adams pat@theforumnewsgroup.com
