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Post by Mike & Riley on Sept 20, 2015 16:16:12 GMT -7
Happy to share information with anyone considering a surgical treatment for their IVDD companion. We live in Pittsburgh PA and took Riley to PVSEV (Pittsburgh Veterinary Specialty & Emergency Clinic. Look them up at pvs-ec.com I can't say enough good things about them. They helped with another Doxie we had and eventually lost to pneumonia. They also did cataract removal and corneal implants for our Jack Russell. My confidence in them, the whole staff, weighed heavily in our decision to go with the surgical solution.
Riley went in to the emergency clinic on 8/31 with notable back pain and leg imparement. Overnight his condition deteriorated and the recommendation and decision to proceed was made. He had surgery on 9/1 and came home on 9/5. He is recovering well and makes daily progress.
He didn't have an MRI as the technician had left for the day when his disc exploded. He did have a CT Scan and it was pretty revealing. Overall, the cost has been $5400. That was the price quoted and it included: CT Scan, surgery, all the operative meds and procedures, post operative care for 24x7 monitoring in the hospital for 4 days, 4 follow-up visits with the surgeon, all the take-home medications, a Helpmeup harness, PT instructions, and demonstration, and as many calls to the vet techs as we needed to make. We also had a bill for $150 for the initial emergency room visit and overnight.
Riley had a 90% compression as a result of the IVDD episode. Surgeon gave him a 50/50 chance of a full recovery, mostly because they got to him quickly and the cord was compressed but not physically damaged. After two days he was upgraded to 80/20. Today, it seems as though he'll be back on his feet again, literally, in a few months. We made the right decision and never looked back at the costs. It's just part of the commitment we all make to our pets on day one. Thank goodness for the Discover Card.
Because we all have different circumstances with the nature of the injury, our ability to care for these guys properly after surgery, and our financial resources, all I can recommend is to find a specialty vet you trust and weigh her/his advice. Go with what feels right to you even though it may not be easy or convenient. What ever decision you make, don't second guess yourself later. Praying helps too.
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Post by jerigt on Sept 30, 2015 19:50:53 GMT -7
I have been there and saw Dr Finn for my boston's eye ulcer. Wonderful place and my dog enjoys going.
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