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Spaying or neutering can benefit both you and your pet for health, financial and social reasons. And knowing what to expect from the process and costs can help you prepare. You might even have enough time to buy a pet insurance policy to cover this procedure.
Consider spaying or neutering your pet to prevent health risks for your beloved furry companion, like types of cancer brought on by hormones that neutering minimizes. Also, spaying or neutering lowers the rates of animals without a home, cutting down on millions of pets brought to animal shelters each year.
The benefits of a spayed or neutered pet:
Veterinarians recommend spaying or neutering your dog between six and nine months old, but the procedure can be done as early as eight weeks old. Cats should be spayed or neutered anywhere from eight weeks to five months old. But have your vet make sure pets are healthy before having them go in for surgery.
Spaying or neutering is a minor outpatient surgery for pets. Caring for your pet before and after the surgery isn’t complicated, but you’ll get specific instructions to make everything go smoothly.
Having your dog spayed or neutered will cost between $200 and $500 at most veterinary clinics. If you use a low-cost vet clinic, like a local humane society, you can pay as little as $40 to $60 for a cat or $80 to $100 for a dog.
Any pain medication, ointments or other products or services will add to that price. Also, your pet’s size, age and gender affect the pricing, and cats typically cost less than dogs.
Most clinics will charge a fee for pet parents wanting to neuter their furry friends, and even low-cost clinics typically charge a small fee. Ways to get a free or further reduced price for spaying or neutering include:
Yes, pet insurance covers spaying or neutering if you buy a wellness plan, also called a routine care plan. You won’t pay a deductible to access these services, and you’ll get reimbursed up to a specific dollar amount. Most wellness plans have a short or no waiting period before you can use it for spaying or neutering.
However, most insurers require you to buy accident or illness coverage, then add on the wellness coverage, which adds to your insurance premiums. A few insurance companies offer wellness plans separate from their accident and illness pet insurance.
It depends on the pet insurance company, but most companies don’t advertise a discount for spaying or neutering. On the other hand, an un-neutered pet may pose higher health risks, raising your insurance premiums. Some insurers won’t cover specific illnesses like ovarian cancer if your pet isn’t neutered.
You’ll find a few main drawbacks to your pet’s health risks and behavior if you choose not to spay or neuter:
You can find low-cost ways of getting your pet spayed or neutered, and reap the health rewards as your pet gets older. Consider whether a wellness pet insurance plan can help you shoulder this procedure’s cost.
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