Sophie (4 yr old Yorkie) jumped from DW's arms, fractured her back leg in three spots. That was Thanksgiving weekend 2007. After four surgeries and two specialty vets, we're looking at close to $8,500.
Hey, the kids are all grown, and only one grandchild to spend it on.
Sophie is trying to sleep on my shoulders, behind my neck, as I type while sitting my home office chair. She looked up to see what I wrote and we both agree she is worth it!
Karen and Warren
"Counting the days 'til retirement"
Sophie and Sam, our two Yorkies.
Austin, Texas is home. Also, look for us
at our getaway in Rockport, on the Texas Coast.
2003 38GH model Tiffin Phaeton
We, like you guys, will spend what ever it takes to keep our dog healthy. I hate getting screwed because of where we live. Our MinPin had to have 5 teeth pulled at a cost of $600 here on the Outer Banks. I was back home visiting in Arkansas and my sisterinlaw had her dog at the vet for the same thing and it only cost $115. I get so tired of paying the "beach price". And no there was not any problems to run the bill up. The vet said everything went fine and without problems.
fordsooperdootydieselsmoker wrote: I suppose we all shoud check out buying Pet Health Insurance! My dog is too old, but our next puppy will get it. I'm leaning towards VPI (veterinary pet insurance), they're the biggest, I've heard good things, and it covers preventative care such as vaccinations and tooth cleanig, as well as emergencies. It didn't make much sense to me previousily, but now it does!
I am in the process of doing the same thing (VPI). Since Harlee’s 9 years old VPI requested a copy of her medical records and will give us an answer next week.
If approved, I’m looking at 89 bucks a month for their premium coverage package. This covergae covers a lot of the small stuff too. You can say I'm trying to get her covered all the way around an then some....LOL
After the cost of her last surgery, I could use any help I can. Should she have something major again.
Pops
$89 a month is $1068 a year. Assuming your pet lives to be 15 then you will spend a total of $6408. Look closely at that "insurance" and you will find it will not cover a lot of routine expenses. You can "self-insure" for much less.
There are some vets that will gouge you. I'm sure most of them are caring, loving individuals - but.
Our rat terrier had her teeth cleaned in late February by our old vet up in Minneapolis (I was staying up there with my grand daughter at the time anyway). Then in late April I took her to our new vet down here when she got bit by another dog and to be looked at. The "new" local vet charged me nearly $200 for an exam and a bottle of amoxicillin. No stitches - he just spent about 5 minutes looking at the wound and dabbed it with a Qtip full of Triple - which I had been doing at home. Then the kicker - he told me that she was desperately in need of a teeth cleaning and that she was going to have all kinds of problems if I didn't get it done soon. Needless to say he was quite embarrassed when I told him it had just been done 6 weeks prior. His answer was that it wasn't on his records so he didn't know. He didn't even bother to look in her mouth!
When the new pup needed to be neutered in mid May he quoted me $260 plus whatever the meds cost. The old vet in Minnetonka did it for $115 including the meds. Needless to say - our new vet is now our old vet and we are driving back to Minneapolis for vet care. Even with the gas costs it's still cheaper than this guy - and maybe a bit more honest too.
(sorry to rant here - but obviously I'm still ticked off by this guy)
I think it really pays to call around and ask questions. Don't be afraid to ask for prices. Also, send me a PM if you're interested and I'll give you an idea for the heartworm meds.
Julie
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A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving. ~ Lao Tzu
Wait until you hear this one. My brother-in-law is a bachlor & his family is his dog. He had a 10 year old poodle that got sick, he took him to the Vet and the vet said it was his pancreas, well he gave him some medicine and the dog after a couple of weeks didn't get any better. He took him back to the vet and the vet suggested taking hinm to a place in Tampa when they can do more intensive tests. So he took the dog to Tampa left him there to have the tests ran and after running the tests they found he had a brain tumer, but it was in a place where it couldn't be operated on. Also in doing the tests the dog lost function of his rear legs. So now the dog was put to sleep. When brother -in-law got the bill it was over $7000.00 and he had no dog. Brother also camps but had to cancel his Summer trip for he was running low on money.
We have a small dog and to get his yearly shots at the Vet it was over $150.00, we found that there is a group of vets that travel around to the different grooming parlors and the different Pet stores that give the yearly shots and it cost us $55.00 from them.
It is getting very expensive to own a pet anymore.
2004 Gulf Stream 36 ft Sun Voyager triple slide
Workhorse W22 8.1
2004 Saturn VUE w/stowmaster towbar
Two Ole Pharts & One Little Shin Tzu named Isabel
YnotTurbo wrote: Our Rotti mix tore her ACL last week. She goes in for surgery Tuesday. 3800 bucks. You got off easy lol.
LOL! Yep! x2!
Hershey has 2 new knees! Between that, stuck rawhides, wasp stings...
I call him my $10,000. Lab. Had to take money out of my retirement to pay for his back-to-back knees.
Is he worth is?
EVERY DARN PENNY!!!
-Lab
2008 Nissan Titan LE Crew 4x4, DOHC 5.6 V8 w/VVT, Big Tow Pkg, GPS
2006 Jayco JayFlight 29FBS
Equal-i-zer Hitch
Prodigy Brake Control
Member of clubtitan.org
"Hershey" My Chocolate Lab!
"I asked God for a true friend: He sent me a Labrador Retriever."
Here in S. Florida we have a pet chain store called Petsupermarket that gives vaccinations maybe you do also. For your pets hip, search online for Ester-C and dogs. Our Doxie stopped walking she was paralyzed, she was on 1000 mg a day and she started walking about after 2 months. It's not scientifaclly proven but with dogs it works, she's now on 250 mg a day forever.
Heartworm medications can be purchased online check out Pet Meds Express and Entirely Pets. They still need the blood work done first (which your done) .. After your dogs teeth are cleaned look into taking to PetsMart on a schedule for grooming which you can get the teeth cleaned and the anal glands expressed.
Susan I
2008 McKenzie Starwood 32 FKD TT
Hensley & Prodigy Brake Controller
03 Dodge 3500 Quad HO Diesel DRW 4:10
Fulltiming, On the road somewhere.
Thanks, I will while we're here. They probably don't have PetsMart in Mexico. We're there 8 months a year. They don't even FEED their dogs where we go, for the most part. I think they'd giggle if I asked them to clean her teeth and express her anal glands!
As veterinary care becomes more modern, more comprehensive, and more like that provided to humans, the costs have also escalated. Personally, we have a wonderful relationship with our animal's vets, and think the care they provide is worth every penny. We don't feel they "scalp" us in any way. They have improved and expanded their facility to accommodate a growing population and practice, and have modernized their capabilities and technology as new procedures become available. That said, they are honest and caring enough to make a referral when a condition is beyond their expertise or capabilities.
Like the sentiments expressed by others, we will spend whatever it takes to keep our pets healthy, comfortable, and to increase the longevity of their lives. They are not property, they are family members. We have a Flatcoat retriever with severe allergies. After treating him with antihistamines and corticosteroids, with mixed results and at the risk of Cushings syndrome from the steroids, we bit the bullet had him tested. Best thing we ever did and worth every penny. After a hyposensitization regimen, and now on maintenance shots, and a change in diet, he is no longer "itchy" all the time and does not get hot spots.
Last year, our dachshund become paralyzed in the hind quarters for the second time. The first time he was trampled by our bigger dogs but recovered after treatment with steroids and muscle relaxants and supplements. This time, there was no recovery and after an MRI revealed a badly herniated disc, it was readily apparent he required spine surgery at a specialty practice 200 miles away. Between a trip to an emergency facility when the condition first appeared, three days at our vet to see if he would recover with medical treatment, and the surgery and follow-up treatments this episode cost us over $6,500...and that doesn't include the cost of traveling to and from the specialty practice for treatments and follow up. By the way, this specialty practice has board certified veterinary neurosurgeons, orthopaedists, neurologists, oncologists, nephrologist, physical therapists...A veterinary version of any human specialty you can imagine.
We also don't fault the vets, and don't feel we have been "ripped off" when an outcome is less than favorable. We paid over $600 for surgery on a cockatiel with a prolapse cloaca...who died after surgery. Nothing in life is certain, and the veterinary professionals did the best they can.
For the OP, I did note that the vet has prescribed Deramaxx for hip issues. While this may be necessary, it may also open up another can of worms and avenue of expense as it's known to hammer liver enzymes and will require follow-up with regular liver function tests. We went through this with our late Yellow Lab, Honey, who subsequently developed liver cancer (related or not, who knows) and finally had to be put down at the age of 14. In the end, consenting to certain treatments or medications sometimes comes down to weighing quality of life vs quantity of life.
2005 31' Coachmen Freelander 3150SS, Stargazer II - Mobile Astronomy Unit Do you remember when the sky was dark, and the stars were bright? The International Dark-Sky Association American by birth...Scottish by the Grace Of God.
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