Pets

[Molalla1]

I just posted about our dogs in another thread a minute ago. But our first Doberman was a chronic visitor to the vet ... We got him in 1995 and he lived to be 13.. he was our child...and by the time he had passed my vet bills were north of 70k..I stopped adding.
I would do it again today as well. Still miss him

:drink: . . . . I hear you.

 

[Molalla1]

Last year I gave our son 3600 bucks for his dog to treat cancer. Couple years before that, gave our daughter 2800 bucks for her dog...
They both died within months, but the Vet's were happy.

You took care of your children Wolf . . .

 

[bnold]

Wow, but you love that dog . . .

I did... finally put him down about 6-7 years ago.

 

[rgr33]

I might be the biggest sucker here. Have a 205 lb Newfoundland, when he was 4, he blew out his left rear knee so bad, the bones In the knee joint had to be reshaped.

The cost in 2015 was $5500, on the way out, after paying the bill, the Doc says there is a high probability of the other knee going out too.
2 weeks after Zeke finished rehab, he blew out the other knee, that one cost $5800.

No regrets, he’s family.

 

[RichZ]

Blown knees are common, especially with giant breeds. My 185 pound mastiff blew out both his knees. Fixed them for over $2000 each, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Dogs are family. There's nothing I wouldn't do for my dogs. Nothing.

 

[kenmac]

I might be the biggest sucker here. Have a 205 lb Newfoundland, when he was 4, he blew out his left rear knee so bad, the bones In the knee joint had to be reshaped.

The cost in 2015 was $5500, on the way out, after paying the bill, the Doc says there is a high probability of the other knee going out too.
2 weeks after Zeke finished rehab, he blew out the other knee, that one cost $5800.

No regrets, he’s family.

well, Since you spent more than I did last week. I don't feel so bad.

My wife ran over my 10 yr old blue tick hound broke her femur.

$5500.00 later, she has a steel plate, screws and wires to hold it all in place until bone grows around the steel plate and screws.

To be honest, I was shocked when the Orthopedic surgeon told me the price during the consultation .

Wife said we really shouldn't spend that much on her due to her age.
I said she was fine until you ran over her. She will be repaired.

Thing is, I drive tractors, trucks, UTV'S around this dog all day and she runs over her pulling out of the garage.

People have said I was nuts spending that much, but Like moss said, I have spent /blown much more on other things.

 

[tallyho8]

Not the most I spent on a vet because the horses cost much more but the most aggravating treatment I got from vets was:
My retired racing rescue greyhound started limping 6 months after we got him. We tried a few home remedies for about a month then gave up and brought him to a vet. Vet's policy, the dog must get a rabies shot plus other shots plus be checked for heartworms and fleas before examination. Needs x-rays. An hour later, vet says he can't find anything wrong that I need to go to a specialist that he recommends. Bill $400 and he says his teeth must be cleaned for an extra $300.

Go to specialist, get a cortisone shot in shoulder. Says this should cure it in a day, if not bring him back for another examination, bill $350. Go home, next day still limping, so much for specialist. We make sure he takes it real easy for next few weeks. A month later the limp is gone. Vets are still practicing.

 

[MickeyDBC]

Our female weimaraner lost a fight with something big and ended up with a bad skull fracture, broken jaw, and other head trauma. I then discovered that my F350 dually goes 96 before the governor kicks in. She spent a week in the doggie ICU and then we had to feed her through a tube in her neck for another month. Her head was still very swollen when she came home and they still were not sure of all the damage and if she had brain damage (still sedated and on pain meds) and after the swelling finally went down we found out that her left eyeball was gone (still have to get it sewed closed). Her head came out a little lopsided but she does not seem to have any brain damage. She stays much closer to the ranch house now and has given up on exploring, and when she is sleeping hard you cannot wake her up even if you shake or yell (the first time I found that new trick I thought she died on the couch). So far I am a little over 3K into this adventure but she is still a very sweet dog.

 

[kenmac]

What's funny is. The next day after my dog had surgery. My cow had a foot issue. Took her to the vet . He put her in the squeeze chute, checks her out, Gives her a shot, helps load her back on my trailer. The charge ???........ A whopping $20.00 bill !
Sad part is. He doesn't do orthopedic surgery, or I would have taken my dog to him

 

[Citydude]

The next time that I"m there I am going to ask about the Flexadin… Thank you, CityDude for pointing that out.[/QUOTE]

Your welcome. They are certainly worth a try.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

You just reminded me of our second Boston, "Frosty". He was getting up in years, and got down in his hind quarters; he had to be helped up and got around very tentatively. I was taking biology at the time, and I told Mom that maybe some vitamin E and/or K might help. Instead, she gave him Cod Liver Oil and before you know it, he was up and motivating again...not like he was a puppy or anything, but well enough to be his old independent self.

 

[Citydude]

You just reminded me of our second Boston, "Frosty". He was getting up in years, and got down in his hind quarters; he had to be helped up and got around very tentatively. I was taking biology at the time, and I told Mom that maybe some vitamin E and/or K might help. Instead, she gave him Cod Liver Oil and before you know it, he was up and motivating again...not like he was a puppy or anything, but well enough to be his old independent self.

Dottie our current 10 year old Boston has spent her last few years running up and down the fence line with a neighbor dog. In the evening, at times we would have to pack her up stairs she was so sore.

She’s no speed demon now but after a week of the joint meds, she’s back to normal. Boston normal, which is not normal dog normal

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

Well if we're talking all in one single "illness", then just short of $4K for our last black lab. Still have no idea what he got into. Came back home after being gone a week, adult daughter was watching our dogs (4 rescue labs) at our place for the week. Noticed Coal (black lab) was acting "off" a day or two after we're home. He was a "counter surfer" and would snatch things off of anywhere and eat them. Only thing we can think of was he took or got into something that daughter brought with her. Daughter was devastated by the whole thing, so I never did fully "interrogate" her over it.

Part of the issue was we didn't know what we were fighting with him. Started with regular vet visit, then local animal hospital, ended up days later at the ER animal hospital in Fargo. Only reason the cost stopped at $4K was he died while we were still trying to figure out what was wrong with him. Kidneys, liver shutdown, and he just wouldn't respond to any treatments, nothing came back as smoking gun in any of the lab tests or x-rays. That was 3-4 years ago. Still have no idea what happened, but the other 3 dogs never "got it", so he must have ingested something. Still miss him, would spend it all again if had to, and we were prepared to spend whatever it took to save him, he just didn't last long enough.

Our other "problem child" is a little yellow lab mix, he's not topped the single bill total (so far, lol), but he's been to the vet and local animal hospital several times over the years. I think he's up to $6K total, but usually not more than a grand or so at a time, and only one multi-day stay in the hospital so far (knock on wood).

 

[Citydude]

Well if we're talking all in one single "illness", then just short of $4K for our last black lab. Still have no idea what he got into. Came back home after being gone a week, adult daughter was watching our dogs (4 rescue labs) at our place for the week. Noticed Coal (black lab) was acting "off" a day or two after we're home. He was a "counter surfer" and would snatch things off of anywhere and eat them. Only thing we can think of was he took or got into something that daughter brought with her. Daughter was devastated by the whole thing, so I never did fully "interrogate" her over it.

Part of the issue was we didn't know what we were fighting with him. Started with regular vet visit, then local animal hospital, ended up days later at the ER animal hospital in Fargo. Only reason the cost stopped at $4K was he died while we were still trying to figure out what was wrong with him. Kidneys, liver shutdown, and he just wouldn't respond to any treatments, nothing came back as smoking gun in any of the lab tests or x-rays. That was 3-4 years ago. Still have no idea what happened, but the other 3 dogs never "got it", so he must have ingested something. Still miss him, would spend it all again if had to, and we were prepared to spend whatever it took to save him, he just didn't last long enough.

Our other "problem child" is a little yellow lab mix, he's not topped the single bill total (so far, lol), but he's been to the vet and local animal hospital several times over the years. I think he's up to $6K total, but usually not more than a grand or so at a time, and only one multi-day stay in the hospital so far (knock on wood).

Sorry that he died. That had to be awful not knowing what was killing him.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

Sorry that he died. That had to be awful not knowing what was killing him.

Yes, hit us pretty hard. Also we were really worried that whatever it was, that our other dogs were in danger too.

 

[Citydude]

Yes, hit us pretty hard. Also we were really worried that whatever it was, that our other dogs were in danger too.

No doubt, a rough road to go down. Glad the others were OK.

 

[Ken45101]

Our biggest vet bills aren't "at" the vet but the emergency late at night farm calls for the horses. Emergency farm call, plus $50 mileage charge.... a bit over $200 just to get the vet here. We were over $700 the night we found my best horse tore up. Ultimately put him down.

If you include meds, $800 each for two horses for EPM medicine. The bad thing there, three vets missed the problem and by the time the forth one suspected EPM, both had permanent damage and had to be retired. The one required a second 30 day round of the meds too.

The one vet I had been using for 16 years suddenly quit doing horses. There is one outfit nearby that does emergency calls but the one vet is really incompetent and we won't call them. Then next choice is a good vet but he is 50 miles away.

 

[Molalla1]

Our biggest vet bills aren't "at" the vet but the emergency late at night farm calls for the horses. Emergency farm call, plus $50 mileage charge.... a bit over $200 just to get the vet here. We were over $700 the night we found my best horse tore up. Ultimately put him down.

If you include meds, $800 each for two horses for EPM medicine. The bad thing there, three vets missed the problem and by the time the forth one suspected EPM, both had permanent damage and had to be retired. The one required a second 30 day round of the meds too.

The one vet I had been using for 16 years suddenly quit doing horses. There is one outfit nearby that does emergency calls but the one vet is really incompetent and we won't call them. Then next choice is a good vet but he is 50 miles away.

Ken horses are expensive for sure when my kids were growing up they just had to have horses . . . very expensive hobby. Now I do not have one horse.

 

[Jstpssng]

I've never had much of an interest in horses but have known people who do. It seems that they get even more attached than some of us do to our dogs.

 

[Molalla1]

I've never had much of an interest in horses but have known people who do. It seems that they get even more attached than some of us do to our dogs.

Oh boy I do not know why . . .