So if your pet needed a $5000 MRI, WWYD?UPDATE#38

[BWVDenise]

Denise, how old is he? Have they made any educated guesses as to what could be causing this or are they just shooting in the dark?

He's a smallish 7 1/2 y.o. Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier. They did an x-ray of his spine and they think that there might be a slipped disc but they aren't sure without doing a myelogram (don't know what they'll charge for that).

 

[alliecats]

He's a smallish 7 1/2 y.o. Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier. They did an x-ray of his spine and they think that there might be a slipped disc but they aren't sure without doing a myelogram (don't know what they'll charge for that).

There is a message board/listserv called PetVetCafe, I believe you sign up for it on Yahoo. (Do a google search). You have to be approved to get on (I think you just write an email to them saying why you want to join...it will tell you what to do when you sign up) but once you are, there are many other pet owners, PLUS vets and vet techs. I bet you can find out what others are paying for MRIs and maybe the pros can give you some feedback. Good luck.

ETA: Here is the link! petvetcafe

 

[buzzlady]

http://www.animalmr.com/pricing.html

The cost of a complete MRI study normally ranges from $1,150 to $1,350, depending on the facility. This cost includes:

focus on a single study area
anesthesia
hospitalization
intravenous catheter
customized interpretation by our specialists
Specialist office consultation, lab tests, radiographs and other recommended ancillary tests are subject to additional fees.


Our dog needed surgery and we went to Garden State Veterinary Specialists in Tinton Falls, NJ http://www.gsvs.org/ Very nice and very caring. For surgery I think it was around $1,500.

 

[clh2]

We wouldn't be able to swing $5K for a pet. We just don't have that kind of money laying around.

We had a $300 furnace repair done today, and that is freaking me out from a budget standpoint.

To they OP - good luck with your decision.

 

[Karel]

My Westie spent five nights at the U of Penn when he was six months old. He was admitted through the vet ER.

It is pricey but the whole visit was around $3500. That was all the tests, overnight care, etc.

We had to leave a downpayment of $800.
I'm sure at one point he had a MRI. He was a sick little baby.

Maybe that was an estimate on the whole thing?

I can highly recommend them but they are probably the top of the care scale.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I would suggest a visit to an orthopedic specialist first to see what they say. Your vet may just be guessing at what he thinks they'll do at U of P, whereas that might not be what they'll do in actuality. Do you have a way of finding an orthopedic specialist in your area not affiliated with U of P?

 

[BWVDenise]

I would suggest a visit to an orthopedic specialist first to see what they say. Your vet may just be guessing at what he thinks they'll do at U of P, whereas that might not be what they'll do in actuality. Do you have a way of finding an orthopedic specialist in your area not affiliated with U of P?

No, this wasn't a guess. Our vet called the U of P to discuss his case with them and this was the information passed on to me. I'll go tomorrow and just see what they say without making any fast decisions. Maybe my vet misunderstood them or I misunderstood her? I guess it's possible. Poor baby, he's really having trouble moving around. It seems like his rear legs are getting weaker, too. I just can't believe this is the same dog I had just before Christmas. He even looks so much older now.

 

[Debbie Jean]

My Westie spent five nights at the U of Penn when he was six months old. He was admitted through the vet ER.

It is pricey but the whole visit was around $3500. That was all the tests, overnight care, etc.

We had to leave a downpayment of $800.
I'm sure at one point he had a MRI. He was a sick little baby.

Maybe that was an estimate on the whole thing?

I can highly recommend them but they are probably the top of the care scale.

I would agree with this... even at the top of the scale, an MRI alone shouldn't cost $5,000. If that were correct, I would definitely get a second opinion.

When I first got my sweet little fur baby, Happy, we noticed she had a slight limp which became more pronounced as the day wore on. She was a pound puppy, picked up off the streets so we didn't have any history on her. The doctor couldn't tell whether it was congenital, an accident or due to abuse Well, to make a long story short, I spent $2700 to have her hip surgically repaired and I don't regret a penny of it even though I had to borrow the money to pay the bill. If you saw her today you would never guess that she ever had a problem. I decided to buy pet insurance so I wasn't in that position again... and it's come in handy since Happy has had a host of health problems including seizures.

I would do it again in a heartbeat because Happy is part of the family.

 

[skuttle]

I do agree that $5000 seems a bit high. Even so, after losing our Yorkie, Maggie, so tragically, I would pay $5000 in a heartbeat to have her back.

 

[hiwaygal]

I have been faced with that decision...

My vet wanted me to take my dear ^Zeke^ to have an MRI, they were going to charge about $1800 (typical for an MRI).

For ^Zeke^, I chose NOT to do the MRI. He was 14 years old and the vet suspected a brain tumor (he was having seizures and was starting to lose control of his limbs). The vet didn't think the tumor would be operable, and with ^Zeke^ being so old, the vet and I made that awful last decision.

I would strongly suggest calling around...my vet happens to be an orthopedic specialist here's the link to their website: http://www.boulevardvet.com/

maybe you can call them to see if they know of anyone close to you, or maybe offer some other advice or alternatives.

Also, if you want to travel a bit further, Virginia Tech's School of Veterinary medicine was where ^Zeke^ would have gone, an MRI there would probably be more reasonable.

In your case, your dog isn't that old, and surgery would probably be quite successful...

It's a very difficult decision...my thoughts are with you!!

 

[TigerBear]

I am so sorry you are facing this situation. to you and to your beloved furbaby.

 

[bettyann29]

Sorry you are having to come up against this..

Myself .. Yes I would.. I would try other options as far as a vet school, 2nd opinion, but in the long run Id find the money somehow if I had to.. even if it meant cancelling any vacations..

 

[macraven]

yes i would spend that type of money on my cat.
so far, i have spent $4000 almost.......

since she became diabetic, i have spent lots of money on her and will continue to do so. her monthly medicals run me $106 each month.

and, i would do the same for one of my kids.

 

[jenm2878]

My cats are my babies. I would do whatever is necessary. I have an extraordinary vet though, and he would be truely honest about the value of the test and the quality of life it could give my pets. We had a rabbit with cancer and he told us he could do an $2,000 surgery to remove the tumor, but it would only extend his life a few months and he would spend it in pain. We opted to spend his last couple of months showering him with love and attention. My vet is the exception unfortunately.

ETA - My vet allows payment plans because we are a long term client. This definitely makes the decision process easier. He says that he doesn't want people to sacrifice good health care for their pets over money so he's willing to work with people.

 

[Planogirl]

I think that $5000 is way too high. I would check into that before making any decision.

I'm sorry that your furbaby is having problems.

 

[janette]

I'd check around to see if you can get a better price. I know that I'd spend more for our 3yo Bichon than our other dogs. They are both rescues and older but we just aren't sure how old. If it came to a large investment without any assurances it would extend or better their lives I probably woudn't do it.

 

[noseybuddy]

I would do it, even if it meant taking a loan. My one dog Gidget got very sick last Christmas. The vet didn't know what was wrong after I spent $1000 for them trying to figure it out. I took Her to The University of Pennsylvania Pet hospital. They new within less than 2 days what was wrong. It cost me another $3000 but it was worth it. Wound up she has Inflamatory Bowel Disease. She is on a special diet now and is doing well. So yes, i would spend the money, my pets are like family to me.

 

[BWVDenise]

I took him over there this morning and he was admitted. It turns out that the $5000 figure my vet gave me included the MRI, surgery, other testing, etc. So I'm really glad that has been cleared up. The MRI itself is only $1500 (BIG difference). He's going to have an ultrasound today though, because they also found an abdominal mass when they examined him (in the area of his prostate). Once they determine that it is benign, they will do the MRI for his spine tomorrow. They think it is a disc problem but they said it could also be cancer of his vertebrae. So we still have a lot to learn, but at least we're on the road to finding out everything that is wrong with him.
Thanks everyone. It was good to hear about other dogs that have had MRI's for much less than $5000. It put me in a more receptive frame of mind.

 

[Debbie Jean]

I took him over there this morning and he was admitted. It turns out that the $5000 figure my vet gave me included the MRI, surgery, other testing, etc. So I'm really glad that has been cleared up. The MRI itself is only $1500 (BIG difference). He's going to have an ultrasound today though, because they also found an abdominal mass when they examined him (in the area of his prostate). Once they determine that it is benign, they will do the MRI for his spine tomorrow. They think it is a disc problem but they said it could also be cancer of his vertebrae. So we still have a lot to learn, but at least we're on the road to finding out everything that is wrong with him.
Thanks everyone. It was good to hear about other dogs that have had MRI's for much less than $5000. It put me in a more receptive frame of mind.

I'll say a prayer for your little fur baby
Please let us know how he is doing.

 

[luvwinnie]

Glad to hear the $5000 includes the surgery too. We have pet insurance for our Winne (bulldog), but even if we didn't, yes, we'd spend the money. She's our baby.
Hope your baby gets better soon!