How much to spay?

Abby is being spayed in April spoke to the vet today £255 I knew it would be more for a larger dog(Dobermann) I was a bit surprised is this about normal price?
Mary

we were £95 for Star and that included pain killers and 3 post op checks.

Both my girls cost me £120 each, and that includes all aftercare, regardless of how long it takes

One is a GSD and the other is the Utonagan.

I paying over £100 more then It does include blood test(£40) to check liver, kidneys etc and all after care.
Mary

not sure about blood tests but ours included all the aftercare.

Will ask the vet if they did blood tests first next time I am there.

Ours always do blood tests on middle age and older dogs before any op

Abby is only one but as she is a poorly baby she needs a blood test they normally dont do tests on younger dogs.
Mary

They asked me if I wanted the blood test for Teagan, when she was spayed...it was £20.
It was optional though.

There are a number of reasons why the cost of spaying would be different, the size and age of the bitch, the breed as some breeds are more difficult to anaesthetise and recover than others, and with a few it can be very difficult indeed. As far as blood tests are concerned it depends on what the bloods are being tested for, the more simple tests can sometimes be undertaken in house others will have to go to an outside lab or hospital and I have even had one sent to the USA and that one test cost £140 for the test alone, nothing for the vet to take the blood required.

Edit to say in some breeds they would want to test for Von Willebrand's before the op, and I think that Dobs are one of the breeds where this may be needed.

When we have had our Boxer bitches spayed we have to have an alternative tranquilliser to Acepromazine. We have always opted to have the more expensive, more easily reversed, anaesthetic. Also, as mentioned by Thordell, the physical condition of the bitch in question (fat, thin, any health problems), and the age, would be considered in the cost of the operation.