The $3500 Vet Visit

When we moved to Oshkosh, we picked a veterinarian clinic for our dogs based on convenience...the one literally a few blocks from the house. That clinic has been the bane of my existence. After complaining about the phone line which is perpetually busy, unfriendly staff, being asked to stand outside with my dog who was whining (not barking, mind you, whining), less than stellar pet care, etc; I finally decided that enough was enough. The dogs were due for an annual check up, and I picked another vet in town.

Let me say, when we walked out, we wondered why we had waited so long to switch. The staff was incredibly helpful and friendly. The vet stayed with us for an entire hour! It is quite a bit more expensive at this vet, but in this case, you get what you pay for.

While we were there, I mentioned that Ryan had been limping off and on, and holding his rear leg up. It had been going on for a few months, and I thought that perhaps he had pulled a muscle and it wasn't healing. Bless Dr. Lori! She examined him, and immediately diagnosed a nonlethal, but serious issue.

Ryan has a luxating patella in both of his knees (rear legs). What is a luxating patella you ask? Well, in essence his knee caps keep dislocating. The actual dislocation is painful for Ryan, although he has never cried out. She rated it a grade 3 on a scale between 1 and 4. This means he needs surgery. It has already caused him some arthritis, and he's only 3 years old. The longer we wait, the more damage being done.

We have an appointment for a consultation with an Orthopedic surgeon next Monday. The cost of surgery??? About $1500 a knee. Needless to say, we do not have $3000 laying around. Ryan needs the surgery, so we are weighing our options. Please say a prayer that our finances fall into place to cover this.

So, we went in for an annual check-up, and discovered one dog needs surgery. The vet visit cost $500. Derek said my face was priceless when we got the bill. Thank goodness we only go once a year!