Latest news with #neutering
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Does pet insurance cover spaying and neutering?
Remember 'The Price Is Right'? If you ever spent a day home sick from school watching the classic game show, you likely remember Bob Barker ending every episode by encouraging viewers to spay or neuter their pets. Bob had a good point: Besides preventing unwanted litters, spaying and neutering have other benefits, including the prevention of serious diseases like pyometra and some forms of cancer. But one thing that can give owners pause is the cost. Spaying and neutering procedures can add up to $500 or more in vet bills. This embedded content is not available in your region. While pet insurance can be a smart investment, it's not much help when it comes to spaying or neutering procedures. Typically, only wellness plans cover any portion of sterilization procedures (except for extreme circumstances). Here's what you need to know about pet insurance and spaying/neutering. Pet insurance policies provide coverage for unexpected injuries or illnesses, such as broken bones, respiratory infections, or cancer. The standard policies don't provide coverage for preventative care, such as vaccinations or wellness exams, nor do they cover elective procedures. Where does spaying and neutering fit in? Spaying/neutering are surgical procedures to sterilize your pets. But, they are elective procedures, and the veterinarian will perform surgery on a healthy pet. As a result, spaying or neutering is typically excluded from coverage. Because spaying and neutering are typically elective, planned procedures, they're rarely medically necessary — so pet insurance policies won't cover the cost. Learn more: Your guide to what pet insurance covers Despite not typically being included in coverage, there are two ways a pet insurance company might cover spaying and neutering. Learn more: Pet insurance that pays the vet directly: How does it work? The most common way to offset the cost of spaying or neutering your dog or cat is by adding a wellness or preventative care plan to your policy. Wellness plans are optional add-ons that work differently from insurance; they provide a fixed amount of reimbursement per year for certain routine care expenses. For example, a wellness plan may cover up to $450 in wellness expenses, but there are caps for each procedure or treatment type. Here's a sample of a wellness plan's limits: For example, let's say you have a six-month-old golden retriever. You schedule him to be neutered with your veterinarian, and the procedure will cost $500. If you have a wellness plan with your pet insurance company, the insurer will reimburse you for up to $150 of the cost of neutering, so your actual net cost would be $350. With a wellness plan, you're still on the hook for the majority of the expense, but it could still provide some assistance. There are some serious health conditions that can occur in dogs and cats that require sterilization as part of the pet's treatment. For example, pyometra is a serious and potentially fatal infection affecting the pet's uterus. To treat the condition and save the pet's life, the veterinarian may need to perform an emergency ovariohysterectomy — basically, a more complicated form of spaying since the pet is so ill. If the condition isn't a pre-existing condition and your veterinarian decides spaying or neutering is an essential part of your pet's treatment plan, the procedure may be covered under a standard pet insurance accident and illness policy. If so, the usual coverage limits, deductible, and reimbursement percentage will apply. A pet insurance wellness plan can provide some help with the cost of spaying or neutering, but these plans can also reduce the cost of many other services or treatments, including: Wellness exams Vaccines (such as rabies or distemper) Flea or tick preventatives Heartworm preventatives Bloodwork Microchipping Dental cleaning Grooming Tip: When comparing wellness plan options, consider the annual coverage maximum and the limit per treatment category. For example, for a younger dog, a higher limit for vaccines and spaying or neutering may be more cost-effective. Learn more:Does pet insurance cover dental treatment? While a standard pet insurance policy only covers spaying or neutering in extreme circumstances to treat a disease or condition, it's possible to get some help with the cost of sterilization by adding a wellness plan to your policy. These pet insurance plans reimburse you up to a set amount each year for routine or preventative care, making your pet's care more affordable. Not all pet insurance companies offer wellness plans, but pet parents can find several options in our list of the best pet insurance companies of 2025. Spaying and neutering are both elective procedures and (in most cases) not medically necessary. Standard pet insurance policies cover treatments for unexpected injuries and illnesses. In general, it's best to spay or neuter cats by five months of age. With dogs, the best time varies by breed and animal size — for some breeds, it may be a good idea to wait to spay or neuter your pet to give their joints more time to develop. Always talk to your vet to find out what makes sense for your pet. The cost of spaying or neutering will vary based on your location, veterinarian, and in many cases, age and size (for dogs). In general, you can expect to pay anywhere from $250 to $600. Although spaying and neutering are common procedures, they're still surgical procedures. To perform a spay/neuter surgery safely, your veterinarian will have to do bloodwork to ensure your pet is healthy, administer anesthesia, and perform surgery. Afterward, they have to administer pain medication and monitor your pet, so it can be a costly procedure.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Owners urged to neuter pets amid influx of abandoned kittens
An animal rescue centre is warning cat owners not to "get caught out this summer", as unneutered strays have caused an influx of kittens. Bosses at Bath Cats and Dogs Home say they are currently caring for almost 30 kittens and their mums, many of which are believed to be abandoned. The high cost of living has left many pet owners struggling to care for an unplanned litter of kittens, and a decline in adoption leaves them without a permanent home. As the weather warms up, cats are more likely to roam, interact, and find food – prompting the shelter to urge owners to neuter their pets to prevent unwanted litters. Cats can become pregnant as early as four months old and, if not neutered, may produce up to three litters a year – potentially resulting in hundreds of kittens over their lifetime. This contributes to the overpopulation of surrendered or abandoned cats in shelters and rescue organisations, which are already struggling to stay afloat. Bosses at the animal shelter said it costed about £1,700 to house a mum and a litter of kittens for a three-month stay. On one day in May, a total of 15 cats arrived at the rescue shelter. Chrissie Anderton rescued an abandoned cat and her six two-day-old kittens from a field in Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire, and cared for them for two weeks. "Having four pets already, sadly, the high cost of keeping seven more cats just wasn't possible in the long term," she said. "It was hard to say goodbye when I took them to the brilliant Bath Cats and Dogs Home, but I know they are in the safest place and will have a happy future." In 2024, the rescue centre performed 185 cat neutering operations in their vet suite, which potentially prevented 1,700 unwanted kittens out in the community. "It is really tough when abandoned pregnant cats or mums and their kittens are left to fend for themselves in the wild, with no food and at risk from predators," a spokesperson said. "Luckily, some of our current rescue cats were rescued by RSPCA inspectors or members of the public who brought them to us or via a local vet." The charity expects to see a record number of kittens being born on its site over the next few months and has launched an appeal, called Feline Summer, calling for donations to help care for them. The 2024 RSPCA Kindness Report revealed that 78% of pet owners say the cost of caring for their pets has increased over the past year. "Don't get caught out this summer," a rescue centre spokesperson warned. "Please ask your vet about getting your cat neutered as early as possible to avoid unwanted kittens. "If you do have a pregnant cat and can't cope with kittens please reach out to your local vet or animal rescue centres for help." Follow BBC Somerset on Facebook and X. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. Sealed cardboard box of cats found dumped Charity faces huge rise in people giving up pets Alarming rise in abandoned pets sparks 'crisis point' Charity pairs homeless cats with elderly people Bath Cats And Dogs Home
BBC News
23-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Urgent warning to cat owners amid influx of abandoned kittens
An animal rescue centre is warning cat owners not to "get caught out this summer", as unneutered strays have caused an influx of kittens. Bosses at Bath Cats and Dogs Home say they are currently caring for almost 30 kittens and their mums, many of which are believed to be high cost of living has left many pet owners struggling to care for an unplanned litter of kittens, and a decline in adoption leaves them without a permanent home. As the weather warms up, cats are more likely to roam, interact, and find food - prompting the shelter to urge owners to neuter their pets to prevent unwanted litters. Cats can become pregnant as early as four months old and, if not neutered, may produce up to three litters a year - potentially resulting in hundreds of kittens over their contributes to the overpopulation of surrendered or abandoned cats in shelters and rescue organisations, which are already struggling to stay afloat. Bosses at the animal shelter said it costed about £1,700 to house a mum and a litter of kittens for a three-month stay. On one day in May, a total of 15 cats arrived at the rescue shelter. In 2024, the rescue centre performed 185 cat neutering operations in their vet suite, which potentially prevented 1,700 unwanted kittens out in the community."It is really tough when abandoned pregnant cats or mums and their kittens are left to fend for themselves in the wild, with no food and at risk from predators," a spokesperson said."Luckily, some of our current rescue cats were rescued by RSPCA inspectors or members of the public who brought them to us or via a local vet." 'Please reach out' The 2024 RSPCA Kindness Report revealed that 78% of pet owners say the cost of caring for their pets has increased over the past year."Don't get caught out this summer," a rescue centre spokesperson warned. "Please ask your vet about getting your cat neutered as early as possible to avoid unwanted kittens. "If you do have a pregnant cat and can't cope with kittens please reach out to your local vet or animal rescue centres for help."
BBC News
19-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Essex charity say cats are being abandoned due to neutering costs
Pet owners being unable to afford to neuter their cats has contributed to a rise in the animals being abandoned, a charity has claimed. Linzi Fallows, 50, is one of the founders of Pippa's Army Animal Rescue, a charity that takes in mainly stray cats around Thurrock and Havering in 2021 and 2024 there was a 51% increase in abandoned animals in England and Wales according to the Fallows, from Basildon, said: "People can't afford to [neuter] anymore, they don't think about neutering anymore. "Since Covid there is such a throw away culture - people are getting animals and not keeping them."In the UK it can cost between £100 and £190 for neutering and Miss Fallows said: "I couldn't afford that."She added there was a lack of education and responsibility when it comes to neutering cats."There needs to be something in place where cats get neutered before they go to a new home," she added. Unwanted litters Figures released by the RSPCA last year, revealed Essex had 582 cases of abandoned animals in 2023 compared to 414 in 2021, a 41% Army opened in 2016 and takes care of about 100 cats and kittens, of which about 95% of them are Fallows said: "We're full, they've got no room, it is just absolutely horrendous out there, people are just dumping them left right and centre, it's heart-wrenching."She said last year it had cost her £4,000 per month to run her rescue shelter, but now it has started to cost her £5,000 to £6,000. Tarryn Twitchett, from the Blue Cross animal charity, said: "A lot of the time [the cats] are not neutered, we are seeing them come to us who are pregnant and they have unwanted litters."We've seen a huge increase of people giving up their cats."She said some people have asked them to come to their homes because their cat has become pregnant with a Twitchett said the increase could be due to a number of reasons including people not being able to afford pets and a high backlog of vet appointments caused by the pandemic. Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Fox News
18-05-2025
- General
- Fox News
Beloved pet makes daring escape from animal hospital after surgery and travels 3 miles to get home
George the cat wasn't having it. The feline fugitive decided recently it was time to leave an animal hospital in Lakeland, Florida, while he was still recovering after being neutered. So, he broke out of his crate and scaled a fence. "I was distraught and heartbroken," George's owner, Bob Beasock, told FOX 13. Employees at SPCA Florida chased after George, but they weren't able to catch him. "George was able to bust out of the trap, and he literally scaled some dog fencing and went into the woods. And our staff were literally hoisting each other up over the fences to try to chase George to capture him," Randa Richter of SPCA Florida told FOX 13, adding he still had "silly drugs in him" after his neutering. Days later, George arrived home 3 miles away. "If I would've gotten stuck at the SPCA, I would've called an Uber, but George didn't have that option," Beasock joked. "But coming back from there, he has to go through two or three subdivisions. He has to go around the lake, another lake that's between us and the SPCA, and probably five or six roads." Certified cat behavioral specialist Joey Lusvardi told the station cats have evolved to find their way back. "We think it's due to a combination of scent or visual markers and possibly geomagnetism," which relates to Earth's magnetic field, Lusvardi said. "Contrary to popular belief, cats are very attached to us, so they will want to find their way back home eventually." Beasock, while brushing his beloved George, told the station, "He needed a human touch, and that's what he got."
