I got a quote on the phone $300-$400 to bring my children's 1 year old female cat in to get her shots, have her spayed, and chipped. After paying the $150 for the shots and the feline AIDS & leukemia... Read More
I got a quote on the phone $300-$400 to bring my children's 1 year old female cat in to get her shots, have her spayed, and chipped. After paying the $150 for the shots and the feline AIDS & leukemia test and doing some internet research as to the average spaying cost of a female cat that quote seems about right. Maybe a bit high since as the doctor said this is a "private practice". Well it seems whoever i spoke with on the phone was wrong and now i'm holding itemized quote from Doctor Andrews of $650.00(low end) to $730.00(high end) to have a female cat spade. That includes the $49 for putting in a chip. I asked why it was so much? "We are a 'private practice' if you want to take her to the 'shelter' it's not as much, but there's probably a waiting list." said Dr. Andrews. The 'shelter' being the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals or as most of us know by it's acronym SPCA.When i get home the first thing I do is Google average cost to spay a female cat. Top hit:"These routine surgeries typically cost up to $200, depending on the vet and the facility. However, more affordable options are available to pet owners through lower-cost spay/neuter programs and clinics."-petfinder.com May 9, 2017"While the cost to spay a cat varies, the operation typically runs from $300 to $500 for a female cat and around $200 for a male when it's done at a private, full-service veterinary practice, said Cory Smith, spokeswoman for The Humane Society of the United States."-petmd.com May 9, 2017The $650-$730 quote I received was not even close. Keep in mind this is southeastern Virginia and per capita income in the region is consistently below the national average, also keep in mind Mill Dam Animal Medical Center is a 'private practice' and if I want to take my 7 & 9 year old daughter's cat to the 'shelter' it will be substantially less but i'll have to likely get on the waiting list. No thanks. I was more than prepared to pay the $300-$400 quote i received on the phone when making the appointment. Getting the cat up to date on her shots, spayed, and chipped that price seems about right. My family has taken our pets to this Mill Dam Veterinarian for years going back into the early 1980's. It's convenient and we live less than a mile away. Never had a problem and prices have always been within the reasonable.I don't believe they're under the same ownership they were going back into the 80's, 90's, and early 2000's. I could be wrong but i do know that this same vet owns the other veterinarian on Shore Drive and it's like a consortium of half a dozen or so veterinarians that have come together. Who knows, who cares What I do know is we won't be going here again. Keep in mind they don't take American Express or Discover. Too convenient for their clientele?More likely too much juice for the credit card companies by one or two percentage points versus Visa and MasterCard for the liking of the Mill Dam Animal Medical Center. Read Less