the Cost of Non-Routine Pet Care

The dog had a strange growth on his foot. The vet wasn't sure what it was, so we had to get it biopsied. Since he was going under anesthesia anyway for his dental cleaning, I didn't have to pay extra for the anesthetic. I'm not sure how the $350 broke down, but there were three visits - one when he went in to get his teeth cleaned and I pointed out the growth, one when he got the staples out, and one follow-up visits - as well as topical medication, antibiotics, pain medication, and an e-collar (those funny lampshade collars).

He had the growth removed and sent to a lab where it was biopsied. His foot was stapled up and he was sent home, where he was not very happy for a few days. He took antibiotics and pain medication. He went back two weeks later to get the staples out and receive topical medication. It had turned out to be an unusual fungal infection, so he got an anti-fungal cream and came back two weeks later, when he was pronounced cured.

The vet was very gentle with him and explained things carefully to me. She was confused about the fungal infection, but apparently it was highly unusual and she had to do research about it. (It probably came from digging). The whole thing was expensive, but worth it as we were afraid it was a tumor.

It is important that you feel comfortable with your vet. Both how she treats your pet and how she explains things to you is very important!