do you think think the cost of the PennHIP will go down if I have my dog spayed at the same time?

I don't think the hip x-ray will cost less because you have the dog spayed at the same time but at least you will only have to pay for the anesthetic once so you'll save money there.

You need to ask the vet for risks and costs.

And ask the vet when it is best to spay her. Dont rely upon a breeder. My mom got a standard poodle from a breeder who said to wait til the poodle was over a year old to be spayed. We got her spayed around 6-8 months because we have had poodles in the past who went into heat before they were a year, and you know what, they turned out fine. Happy and healthy. It didnt affect their growth at all. She was normal size by the time she was a year old.

So dont rely upon what the breeder says. Go by your instinct and advice from vets.

It always cost less to have two procedures done, as you only pay for the anesthesia once. However, with very large breed dogs it's often best to wait until the dog has stopped growing before a neuter. Same thing with the hips - until the dog is done growing not all hip dysplasia is detected. Best to talk to the vet and the breeder on this one. You may do the dog a disservice by neutering too early, and may miss hip issues by x-raying to early.

Hips can't be done until after age two.