The Cost of Prevention: Spaying

There were a wide variety of cases that came into the clinic this week, including pets in need of vaccinations or allergy shots, dermatitis cases, broken limbs, dental cleanings, and even some pets in need of lump removals.  The clinic was definitely a blur of cases coming in and out and it would be impossible for me to talk about every one of them, but one case that caught my attention this week was a dog with a mammary tumor.

The mammary gland's function is to produce milk in order to feed offspring.  Mammary glands are located in two rows known as the mammary ridges and extend from the chest to the lower abdominal area.  The nipples indicate their location on the trunk of the body.  A mammary tumor is a benign or malignant tumor of the mammary glands.  These benign or malignant tumors occur frequently in unspayed female dogs.  Approximately 50% of tumors are found to be malignant and 50% of patients have multiple tumors.

The tumor along with the associated mammary gland was surgically removed from the dog.  The surgical process of removing the mammary gland is commonly known as a mastectomy.  The tumor was sent off for a histopathology test to determine whether it was benign or malignant.  Tumors that are malignant commonly return time and time again and may no longer be able to be removed by surgical means.  Chemotherapy may be effective in such cases that indicate lymphatic or vascular invasion, but such treatment may be toxic.

What really troubled me about this case was the fact that it could have easily been prevented/avoided with a simple ovariohysterectomy otherwise commonly known as spay.  After doing some research with the help of one of the veterinarians at the clinic I found that females spayed before the first estrous cycle or first heat only had a 0.5% risk for mammary tumors compared to an intact female and those females spayed before the second estrous had only an 8.0% risk of developing mammary tumors.  I couldn't understand why people would pass up a simple procedure that could extend the life and wellbeing of their pets, but after some consideration I figured it probably was a matter of cost.  I decided to look a little further into the financial aspect of this case.  Once again I had one of the veterinarians help me estimate the price breakdown of a general  dog spay and a lump removal surgery.  The cost breakdown is as follows:

Dog Spay
Canine Spay                               $91.50
Anesthesia                                 $72.50
Post Surgery Monitoring           $0.00
Post Surgery Hospitalization     $0.00
Post Surgery Pain Control         $20.00
Antibiotic                                   $9.00

Total:                                        $193.00

Lump Removal
Anesthesia                                $45.00
Lump Removal                        $95.00
Pain/Inflammation Injection    $18.00
Antibiotic                                 $15.00
Histopathology                        $55.00
Radiograph                              $86.00
IDEXX Catalyst Chem 17      $68.00
Lasercyte Blood Count           $44.00

Total:                                     $426.00

After considering the price breakdown it is obvious that making the decision to spay before the first estrous cycle (around 5-6 months of age) is worth the small investment in the long run.  Not only does it save quite a bit of money, it also reduces the risk of cancer in pets allowing them to live a longer, healthier life.

Note: Although this post was addressed toward a case involving a dog, it is important to remember that mammary tumors can commonly occur in cats as well and it is just as important to have them spayed before the first estrous cycle to reduce the risk of cancer.