If you adopted a pet during the pandemic, you're not alone. Shelters across the country saw adoption rates surge between 2020 and 2022 as people sought companionship during an isolating time. It was genuinely wonderful, and it also created something veterinarians are now watching closely: a large population of pets who were adopted young, and who may never have been spayed.

At Tacoma Animal Hospital, we want to talk openly about why spaying matters, what happens when it doesn't happen, and why the cost of a spay procedure at a full-service veterinary hospital is different from what you might pay at a low-cost spay/neuter clinic, and why that difference is worth understanding before you make a decision.

The Case for Spaying: Beyond Population Control

Most people know that spaying prevents unwanted litters. That's true and important. But the health case for spaying is equally compelling and far less widely understood.

Intact female dogs and cats face significantly elevated risks of mammary tumors, ovarian cysts, and uterine infections as they age. The risk of mammary cancer in dogs spayed before their first heat cycle is dramatically lower than in dogs spayed later, or not at all. These aren't rare edge cases. They're predictable, largely preventable outcomes that we see regularly in our practice.

Spaying also eliminates the risk of pyometra, a condition that, left untreated, is fatal.

What Is Pyometra, and Why Are We Seeing More of It?

Pyometra is a severe uterine infection that occurs in intact female dogs and cats, most commonly in the weeks following a heat cycle. The uterus fills with pus, the animal becomes systemically ill, and without emergency surgery, the outcome is often death. It is not a gradual condition. Pets can deteriorate rapidly, and the window for intervention is short.

We are seeing pyometra cases with increasing frequency, and we believe the COVID adoption surge is a significant contributing factor. Pets adopted in 2020 and 2021 as puppies or kittens are now three, four, and five years old, the age range when pyometra risk climbs. Many were never spayed, either because their owners intended to do it later, because access to veterinary care was limited during the pandemic, or simply because life got busy.

If you have an intact female dog or cat who is approaching or past middle age, this is not a distant risk. It is a present one, and it deserves a direct conversation with your veterinarian.

Why a Spay at Tacoma Animal Hospital Costs More Than a Low-Cost Clinic

We want to be transparent about this, because we think honesty serves our clients better than defensiveness.

Low-cost spay and neuter clinics perform an important service. They make sterilization accessible to pet owners who might otherwise not be able to afford it, and they do high volumes of straightforward procedures efficiently. For a young, healthy animal with no complicating factors, a low-cost clinic can be a reasonable option.

A full-service veterinary hospital like Tacoma Animal Hospital offers a different scope of care around that same procedure. That includes pre-anesthetic bloodwork to identify hidden risk factors, individualized anesthetic protocols tailored to your specific pet, continuous vital sign monitoring throughout surgery, IV catheter placement and fluid support, post-operative pain management, and a veterinarian and support team equipped to handle complications if they arise.

For a young, healthy two-year-old dog, many of those layers may feel like they're adding cost without adding obvious value. For a seven-year-old intact dog going into surgery with elevated liver values, or for a cat in the early stages of pyometra, those layers are the difference between a routine outcome and a crisis.

We also do not limit the time a pet spends in recovery based on volume targets. Your pet stays until she is stable, comfortable, and ready to go home safely.

The Cost of Not Spaying

Emergency pyometra surgery, which involves removing an infected, potentially ruptured uterus from a critically ill animal often after hours of supportive care, and it costs significantly more than an elective spay. It also carries far higher risk. Pets who survive pyometra often require extended recovery and follow-up care. Some don't survive at all.

We share this not to frighten anyone, but because we believe informed pet owners make better decisions. The conversation about spaying is easier, less expensive, and far less stressful when it happens before a crisis, not during one.

What to Do If Your Pet Isn't Spayed

If you have an intact female dog or cat , regardless of age, we'd encourage you to call us and schedule a wellness exam. We can assess her current health, discuss the right timing for a spay procedure, and talk through what the process involves and what it costs. For older intact pets, that exam may also include bloodwork to make sure she's a good surgical candidate.

Tacoma Animal Hospital performs spay procedures with the same standards we bring to every surgery we do. If you have questions about the procedure, the recovery, or the cost, we're happy to walk through all of it with you before you commit to anything.