How Much Does It Cost To Neuter Or Spay A Dog?

Getting your dog spayed (or neutered) is one of the most important things you can do for her, her health and the overall dog population.

While it might be scary to think of your BFF going through surgery, there’s nothing like knowing you’ve done all you can to give your dog the best life possible.

The Dodo reached out to Dr. Michelle Burch, a veterinarian at Paramount Pet Health, to find out the average cost of getting your dog spayed or neutered.

There are tons of benefits to getting your dog fixed. Some of the most common ones include:

Spaying or neutering your dog will help decrease overpopulation from unwanted litters of puppies. “Currently, 3 to 5 million dogs and cats will enter U.S. shelters every year, with 1.5 to 2 million euthanized,” Dr. Burch told The Dodo.

Spaying a dog under one year will reduce the risk of developing mammary cancer to less than 0.05 percent. If your dog isn’t spayed, her risk of getting mammary cancer is 8 percent after her first heat and 26 percent after her second heat.

“Mammary cancer is the most common cancer in unaltered female dogs, and approximately 50 percent of these tumors are malignant,” Dr. Burch said.

Spaying or neutering your pup will totally eliminate the risk of certain diseases that affect those organs (like ovarian or testicular cancers).

“Dogs spayed or neutered will eliminate the risk of disease associated with the uterus, ovaries and testes,” Dr. Burch said.

Sterilized dogs have been shown to have long life spans compared to dogs who have remained unaltered.

“Dogs who have been spayed or neutered have an average lifespan of 9.4 years, while unaltered dogs have a lifespan of 7.9 years,” Dr. Burch said.

A dog spay at a private veterinary hospital can cost anywhere from $320 to $550.

The cost of the spay will typically include:

A low-cost veterinary clinic will typically charge $150 to $240 for a dog spay.

“Low-cost veterinary clinics are less expensive because they usually do not require preoperative blood work before surgery,” Dr. Burch said. “These clinics typically do not place an IV catheter or give IV fluids during surgery. Some low-cost clinics do not perform routine monitoring of vitals during surgery, including CO2 levels, ECG, blood pressure and body temperature. After surgery, your pet may not be monitored due to limited staffing.”

Getting your dog neutered at a private veterinary hospital can cost between $150 and $400.

The cost of the neuter includes:

A low-cost veterinary clinic will typically charge $40 to $150, according to Dr. Burch.

There are a variety of factors that can affect how much you’ll be paying for your dog’s spay or neuter. Here are some of the most common ones:

Because a spay is a more invasive procedure, the cost of it is typically higher than a neuter

Because facilities can set their own prices, there can be big discrepancies between how much a procedure might cost from one place to the next.

“The cost of spaying and neutering will depend on the type of hospital, whether at a low-cost spay and neuter clinic, general practice or specialty hospital,” Dr. Burch said.

Geographical location will change the surgery price due to cost of living and inflation.

“In Huntsville, Alabama, a dog spay or neuter will cost less than a dog spay or neuter in Los Angeles, California,” Dr. Burch said.

Your dog’s individual health will affect how much the procedure costs. If it’s a bit more of a risky surgery, the bill will be higher.

“Female dogs in heat or pregnant will incur a high cost of surgery due to increased time of surgery, more material used and increased use of anesthesia,” Dr. Burch said.

Large- and giant-breed dogs will incur high costs for spay and neuter because they require more anesthetic and pain medication than smaller dogs.

“Larger dog spays take more surgical time and material to remove the ovaries and uterus while preventing postoperative complications properly,” Dr. Burch added.

Mature female spays are at a higher cost due to the increased fat around their ovaries and uterus — which contain multiple blood vessels. This makes surgery a bit trickier than if she were younger.

“Longer surgery time and more material are needed to safely complete this surgery and ensure post-operative bleeding does not occur,” Dr. Burch said.

While it’s recommended to discuss with your veterinarian the best time to spay or neuter your dog, Dr. Burch gave some insight on how she tends to see it:

Small breeds: “I recommend small-breed dogs, those who will be under 45 pounds [at] adult body weight, be spayed or neutered at 6 months or before their first heat cycle,” Dr. Burch said.

Medium and large breeds: Dogs projected to be over 45 pounds should be spayed or neutered after growth stops. According to Dr. Burch, growth for these dogs typically ceases between 9 and 15 months of age

Being a responsible dog owner means that you take the time to make the best choice for you, your pup and the community. If you have any questions about getting your dog spayed or neutered, be sure to contact your veterinarian.