A cesarean section, or C-section, is a planned or emergency surgical procedure to remove puppies directly from a pregnant dog’s uterus. While the procedure can save the dog’s or the mother’s life during a difficult or complicated birth, emergency surgery can be costly.
We at the MarketWatch Guide team researched the cost of dog C-sections and found that, with a few exceptions, most pet insurance policies do not cover the costs associated with emergency or elective C-sections. Here are the costs you can expect to pay for a C-section and ways to make the procedure more affordable.
How Much Does a Dog C-Section Cost?
As a pet health insurance pet health insurer bring, Expenses b C-sections It can be reached from From 500 to 4,000 dollars. This wide range depends on whether the procedure is planned or emergency, whether your pet or puppy will need to be hospitalized before or after the procedure, and where you live. The type of facility also plays a role in cost, and prices for veterinary clinics, animal hospitals and emergency vets vary. Emergency surgery at a large referral center costs more than a scheduled C-section with your vet, and complications increase the cost.
Dog C-class is an important value to consider when deciding to breed your dog, and for professional breeders to include in their business plans. Whether a pet has had a previous successful birth or not, a difficult birth can occur for many reasons and a C-section can be necessary at any time. This is one of the reasons purebred dogs are often expensive to buy.
Additional pre- and post-employment costs to consider
Depending on your dog’s breed, you may incur additional costs related to pregnancy and egg testing, insemination and implantation procedures, and routine health checks during pregnancy.
Dogs that have a difficult labor may need to be hospitalized and treated before going to a C-section surgery, which adds to the overall cost. Post-operative complications may require overnight hospitalization, antibiotics, glucose or calcium supplements, and pain medications until your pet is stable enough to go home. Post-operative follow-up visits may or may not be included in the total cost of the surgery.
Does pet insurance cover C-sections?
Most of the best pet insurance companies do not expressly include coverage for any costs associated with breeding, including C-sections. A few pet insurance providers, including AKC and Fetch, allow you to purchase a reproductive health rider to add to the basic policy that covers emergency C-sections necessary to save the life of your pet or her puppies. However, you should always read the fine print to make sure you fully understand the policy. Repeated or planned C-sections are typically not covered.
You can save on C-section costs by spaying your female pet to avoid unwanted pregnancies and pregnancy complications that lead to a C-section. Before embarking on a breeding program, ensure that breeding dogs are healthy and free of genetic disease, and understand the health needs of your chosen breed. A Pet Health Savings Account or CareCredit card can help you pay for a C-section if your pet needs one.
Why does a dog need a caesarean section?
C-sections are performed when the dog is unable to have a safe natural birth (also called whelping), this can happen for a number of reasons. Here are a few conditions and medical conditions that may warrant a C-section for a dog.
- The cubs are too big to fit through the birth canal.
- The pups’ heads are too large for the mother’s narrow hips – common in brachycephalic breeds such as bulldogs, French bulldogs and Boston terriers.
- Too many or too few embryos: For example, if there is only one pup, there may not be enough cortisol to induce labor.
- Weak contractions
- Labor takes a long time
- The mother’s glucose or calcium levels are depleted, leading to muscle weakness
- One or more puppies died in the womb or in the birth canal
- The mother dog has a uterine infection
- Other symptoms including bleeding
Bottom line
Dogs may require a C-section for a safe and successful birth, so pet parents and breeders should be prepared for that. Costs associated with C-section surgery range from From 500 to 4,000 dollars, as special circumstances. The best way to cover C-section and other breeding expenses is to buy an affordable pet insurance plan with breeding benefits before your pet gets pregnant, but a savings account or pet-specific credit card can help you manage costs.
Methodology: Our system for ranking the best pet insurance companies
Our review of pet insurance companies is based on in-depth industry research that includes reading hundreds of customer reviews, shopping quotes and the mystery shopping process, talking to representatives over the phone to evaluate customer service experiences, and examining 1,000 dogs and cats. Pet insurance coverage for owners nationwide to determine the most important factors.
Based on those elements, we scored each provider on a 100-point scale. We divided this final score by 20 to calculate the overall star rating out of 5.0 stars.
Here are more details about each condition and how it is measured:
- Monthly rate (25%): The best pet insurance companies combine comprehensive coverage and plan options at affordable prices.
- Plans (15%): The major pet insurance companies offer accident-and-sickness plans, accident-only plans, and wellness or preventive care add-ons, giving customers the option to choose the plan that’s best for their pets.
- Covered treatments (15%): Based on the treatments and procedures we cover companies. Companies with a wide range of covered treatments and specialty coverage earned more points than providers with more standard or comprehensive policies.
- Customization Options (10%): Providers with more annual-limit, deductible, and payment-rate options received the highest scores.
- Customer care (10%): We score companies on the accessibility and overall usability of their websites, customer service offerings, mobile applications (if available), money-back guarantees and veterinary options, providing insurers with additional customer experience offerings.
- Industry Reputation (10%) We reviewed current ratings and certification information from the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and ranked companies based on years of experience in the industry and state presence.
- Waiting time (10%): Companies with shorter accident, pain, and bone waiting times between enrollment and coverage start date scored higher than companies with longer waiting times.
- Eligible Age (5%): Some companies do not offer policies for pets over a certain age. We have deducted points from providers with age restrictions for covered pets.
To help us determine the best pet insurance companies in the industry, we use our ranking system to compare and contrast each company against major factors. Read our full pet insurance guide to learn more, review providers and score points.
Angela Bell, DVM, likes to use her writing to help pet owners take the best possible care of their furry companions. Angela worked in private practice and taught veterinary technicians for 15 years. As of 2020, she has worked full-time with Rumpus Writing and Editing, a veterinary-specific writing and editing firm. Angela lives in Columbus, Ohio with her husband, two sons, and their spoiled chihuahua mix, Yogi.