OFA test and neuter

[Goddard]

Hi all,

My English Shepherd pup is scheduled to be neutered today. The vet called last minute and said, "Oh, I didn't realize Bodie was going to be so big" (he hit 47.4 lbs today) and that he wanted to do an OFA prelim hip test while he's under anesthesia. He said the main benefit would be that if he saw a major problem, it would allow us to start saving money to have a hip replacement later. This was going to cost $250 on top of the $450 for the neuter.

a) this seems kind of expensive for a neuter and for the OFA test since he's already under anesthesia
b) i'm not sure what the real value is to the OFA test. We'd probably not do anything different than we're already doing with our savings so...maybe cut down on his exercise a bit

am I missing something?

 

[Zoom]

Where do you live at??? $450 is OUTRAGEOUS for a neuter. Maybe there's a conversion I'm not aware of. I'm not sure what OFA costs, I've never had it done but there are plenty of breeders on here who do, so wait for them.

OFA is simply a set of x-rays that are then scrutinized by some OFA experts. If you got your dog from a breeder, it's kind of a nice thing to do so they know how sound the pups are that they're producing and it does give you an idea of what you might have in store later on down the road. You can always do it later but most dog do require some form of sedation since the x-rays are taken with the dog laying spread-eagled on their back and that can be a stressful position.

 

[Goddard]

I know. $450 is ridiculous. We like the vet though (except for the fact that I think he's going to be able to retire early off of us...) so we decided not to look around to price shop. We're in the Bay Area which may be a factor in the price as well. Although I'm sure there are less expensive places to neuter around.

As for providing the breeder with the info, while useful I'm sure, Im not really ready to pay the money just for that... If there was something we could do from a preventative standpoint then I would strongly consider it. The vet said that he would want to do a 2yr check anyway though.

 

[Goddard]

The neuter price included pain killers, the e-collar, pre-op blood work, castration and IV fluids I think. Which based on some web searches, is still quite high. Urg.

 

[Zoom]

I'd wait until 2 y/o to do the OFA anyway, but still...geesh that's ridiculous for a neuter. I think my normal vet is one of the higher in the area and I don't think they charge much over $200 for a neuter? Maybe even less, not sure haven't had them do that yet.

 

[elegy]

how old is he?

i'm planning on doing OFA prelim hip films on my bc pup when he's neutered (at a year). i want to know for my own personal knowledge that he's got good hips, and it's helpful info for his breeder to have as well.

i don't think it's that helpful to compare surgery prices from one part of the country to another as they vary so dramatically. $450 sounds a lot to me, but i live in a fairly rural part of PA. prices just are different on everything.