The Price for getting Good news - Kobi

Denise - I'm so glad that Kobi is doing so well but I truly feel your pain regarding the cost. We just spent $200 for Sassy's annual derm check plus a needle biopsy of a growth in her ear. Now we need to schedule the surgery to have the growth removed and I'm sure that'll be way more. I'm going to have her teeth cleaned while she's out, so I might need 2 credit cards for this one . Good thing we love them so much, huh?

denise m

culture & sensitivity urine antech (was is this?) - $79 +  $64 (collection by catheter)

A culture & sensitivity is where they take a sample and "grow" whatever they can grow in a Petri dish (bacteria, etc.) -- then they *identify* what it is  and THEN they divide that culture up into a bunch of different cultures and expose it to many different types of antibiotics to see WHICH antibiotic will a) kill it, b) kill it quickest and most completely, c) kill it with the easiest drug/least side effects drug,  d) won't kill it at all.

so you get a laundry list of antibiotics to treat -- this is mega helpful when you're seeing re-curring infections, or a stubborn infection that doesn't want to clear.  So you don't waste time on an antibiotic that's just not gonna work, but in the case of auto-immune you also can choose the "least" antibiotic so it doesn't tick off the immune system.

Trust me, I feel your pain.  Three years ago when Billy was being treated for the IMHA just **ONE** of his drugs was more than my housepayment a month.  But a c&s can really help nail something so you can treat it with least damage to the dog.

All in all, VERY good news!! I was just thinking of Kobi again last night!!! RAH!!!

Wow, it adds up fast.  I agree that it's "priceless" to know he's doing well and I hope things continue this way.  :) 

 Thanks Callie. Can you explain why they would do this culture in Kobi's case? Are they checking to see if he has a bacterial infection or are they checking for an antibiotic they can use in case he develops one? Is this something that would be standard for a dog on steroids?

Denise, I'm glad that Kobi is doing so well.

When Bevo was on steroids, his doctors did a urinalysis, in house, while he was in for his rechecks.  If the small UA showed anything out of the ordinary, then they would collect more urine to have a culture & sensitivity ran.  Dogs on steroids are more prone to infections than normal dogs are.  At least that's how it was explained to me.

 I'm glad he's doing so well Denise and hope he keeps it up for a verrrry long time.

I say I have paid for at least 1/4 of my vet's modern hospital!   Yet his prices are very reasonable.  It was $302 to have that mast cell tumor removed form Honey's leg and that included a full blood panel before hand, the gas, benadryl injectionv vallium injection, tetnaus injection,  supplies, and I don't know what all else.

 Thanks everyone for your cheers!

With a morose sense of humor, the family reply to our friends who ask 'how Kobi is doing/' is "Well at this rate he will outlive our bank account!"

On a similar note the vet called back with all Kobi's test results. Before he gave me any details, he said he had not tested a dog who had been on steroids for 3 month with such clean tests results. He was really surprised. His blood and urine were all good except for a slight drop in his white cell. He said that was normal when on steroids and it was nothing to worry about for now. The urine he said was a little diluted but it was still 'well concentrated', plus the fact that they drink so much water. They did an additional test on his urine for bacteria. It was clean as well. So we've passed that 3 month mark (YAY!) and everything is a lot better than I had expected. Thank God! 

So, he may out live our bank account. I dropped another $90 bucks there today - Meds and Food. I'm subbing half his kibble for canned. He licked his empty bowl for 5 minutes LOL! 

denise m

With a morose sense of humor, the family reply to our friends who ask 'how Kobi is doing/' is "Well at this rate he will outlive our bank account!"

That's funny. I'll have to remember that cause I think we can use it with Sassy too. Having her ear surgery and all has exceeded the $1,000.00 mark

I'm so happy to hear that Kobi is doing so well - yay!!

 If it makes you any better, our gal is at $15,000 and counting

So glad that the testing came back normal!!

Don't feel alone, Chyna & Bevo are both "million dollar dogs" and Brutus is looking to put himself in their position very soon.  That being said...they are worth it!