Sample vet bill - vulva inversion surgery

Our friend Jamie's dog, Mazzy, went in for surgery to have a girlie problem fixed for once and for all - a recessed vulva leads to all sorts of nasty infections that are no fun for anyone.

Here are the costs that were quoted for the surgery, which was done in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania yesterday (Monday Feb 13, 2006).

IV Catheter placement – $35

Fluids IV – $40

Pre-Op Injectable – $20

Anesthesia IV – $40

Anesthesia Isoflurane First ½ hour – $50

Hospitalization per day – $30

10 simplicef 200mg tablets – $30.10

5 Rimadyl 100mg Caplet/Tablet – $13.70

Surgical Procedure; vulva inversion – $175

Sub Total: $433.80

This is quite a simple and non-invasive surgery that is done on an outpatient basis and it still adds up to over $400. You can imagine what surgery for a serious broken leg could cost - somewhere in the range of $800-$1,000. That's a lot of unexpected cost all at once.

Do you have any vet bills you'd like to share with our readers? Broken leg or otherwise?

PS. I suppose this is rather an ironic post for Valentine's Day. I apologize for the rather unromantic nature of my topic today!

Update: I asked Jamie how Mazzy was getting on and he said "She is doing fine. She actually jumped right into the car when I picked her up! Here's a picture of her wearing the collar, she hates it. I only put it on her when I am not around." So it looks like she's mending well, even if not fond of her head gear.