Vet costs for dog surgery?

Hoopylass

loulou123 wrote: »

I think im right in saying that most (maybe all) of this particular cancer occur in "entire" male dogs - think its something to do with the hormones.

I know when we found the one on my dog, the 1st thing the vets did was to book him in for the chop the next morning (as they hoped that this would slow down the spread), our vet wouldnt do the chemical version, not sure why as it was nerve wracking putting a 10 year old dog through a general.

Hope everything goes well with your doggie, let us know how he gets on

Yep your right, this type of tumour (anal adenoma) feeds off testosterone and thats what makes it grow.
I had benji at the vets on friday and myself and the vet came to blows a bit. Ive been doing alot of research online and found that everyone reccomends surgery and full castration and when I mentioned this to the vet he was a bit annoyed and said that I had been reading up on it too much and he would reccomend giving him another chemical castration (at £60)...now these injections only last 4-6 weeks so I would have to keep getting him done for the rest of his life, plus apparently the benign and cancerous tumours look the same so how am I to know that this isnt spreading!!!
I have an appointment with another vet on wednesday for a 2nd opinion as my vet reconns that benji is too old for an anaesthetic (he is 10/11). So I am at my wits end just now...:mad:

david39

If you are asking people how much the operation cost when they had it done to their dog, you also need to ask them if they were covered by pet insurance.

Vets seem to have two prices for treatments to animals - standard price for non-insured, inflated price for insured animals.

We found that out by shopping round various vets, asking each of them for their prices for a standard op - one of us asking as an insured owner and one uninsured.

loulou123

Hoopylass wrote: »

Yep your right, this type of tumour (anal adenoma) feeds off testosterone and thats what makes it grow.
I had benji at the vets on friday and myself and the vet came to blows a bit. Ive been doing alot of research online and found that everyone reccomends surgery and full castration and when I mentioned this to the vet he was a bit annoyed and said that I had been reading up on it too much and he would reccomend giving him another chemical castration (at £60)...now these injections only last 4-6 weeks so I would have to keep getting him done for the rest of his life, plus apparently the benign and cancerous tumours look the same so how am I to know that this isnt spreading!!!
I have an appointment with another vet on wednesday for a 2nd opinion as my vet reconns that benji is too old for an anaesthetic (he is 10/11). So I am at my wits end just now...:mad:

As i put above, my vets wouldnt even consider a chemical castration. In fact we took our dog in late one evening (well about 6pm) and they booked him in for an emergency castration for 8.30 am the following morning. It was very nerve wracking putting him through a GA at his age (he was 10 and not in the best of health) but he made a remarkable recovery. When the vets called to say he had come through the op well, we could hear him barking in the background and they even let us take him home early as he was kicking up such a fuss, about being shut up in a kennel, not the op! Has your dog got heart/lung problems etc as know this can out them off doing a general.

A 2nd opinion sounds like a good idea to me, hope you get a successful outcome. xx

Hoopylass

loulou123 wrote: »

As i put above, my vets wouldnt even consider a chemical castration. In fact we took our dog in late one evening (well about 6pm) and they booked him in for an emergency castration for 8.30 am the following morning. It was very nerve wracking putting him through a GA at his age (he was 10 and not in the best of health) but he made a remarkable recovery. When the vets called to say he had come through the op well, we could hear him barking in the background and they even let us take him home early as he was kicking up such a fuss, about being shut up in a kennel, not the op! Has your dog got heart/lung problems etc as know this can out them off doing a general.

A 2nd opinion sounds like a good idea to me, hope you get a successful outcome. xx

Im really glad to hear that your boy was ok with the anesthetic being 10. Benji doesnt have any heart or lung problems that I know of...the vet said I would have to get pre-op bloods which I have no issue with and if it does flag anything up well maybe something could be done before he is symptomatic!
Will keep you updated!

jd87

david39 wrote: »

If you are asking people how much the operation cost when they had it done to their dog, you also need to ask them if they were covered by pet insurance.

Vets seem to have two prices for treatments to animals - standard price for non-insured, inflated price for insured animals.

We found that out by shopping round various vets, asking each of them for their prices for a standard op - one of us asking as an insured owner and one uninsured.

It's probably more the case that for an insured animal they will include all the extras (extra tests and drugs) that do help but that can safely be left out to reduce the cost for an uninsured animal.

The insurance companies would have something to say if there were actually different prices being charged for the same procedures/drugs/etc.

Shoshannah

david39 wrote: »

If you are asking people how much the operation cost when they had it done to their dog, you also need to ask them if they were covered by pet insurance.

Vets seem to have two prices for treatments to animals - standard price for non-insured, inflated price for insured animals.

We found that out by shopping round various vets, asking each of them for their prices for a standard op - one of us asking as an insured owner and one uninsured.

Well that certainly isn't true at our practice.

Silveralice

Shoshannah wrote: »

Well that certainly isn't true at our practice.

Not true at ours either.

tankgirl1

Silveralice wrote: »

Not true at ours either.

Not true at ours either!

Hoopylass

Just updating you all on benjis progress...
He had his tumour removed last tuesday and the op went well....he had his pre-op bloods done and it showed he was slightly dehydrated prob due to me fasting him too long but nothing else sinister
He was netured at the same time and all went well. He was back at the vets on the sat for a post op check and despite him having a buster coller he still managed to lick his back area and it was inflammed so we got some more anti-inflammetry tabs and some cream to put on. 2nd post op check was yesterday and all is good! He had his stiches taken out and has been officially discharged.
To say I am relived is an understatement...I am so glad that I sought a 2nd opinion and he is back to normal health.
Insurance form has been sent away so I am guessing this will be the next hurdle! Total cost of treatment is £443 and of that I need to pay the 1st £200 so im a bit !!!!ed off about that but nothing I can do about it. Fingers crossed sainsburys pay out!

hethmar

Thank you for updating us and Im so pleased to hear that he has done so well.