You may have seen my comments in the last few weeks wherein I shamelessly begged for mojo and positive thoughts after I lost my job. Shortly thereafter my pooch was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. Cancer. So I went in search of mojo again and you came through. If there is a silver lining, it's a cancer with a low level of malignancy, and he should have some very good years ahead.
It was expensive, and more and more people are having to make heartbreaking decisions when their pets get sick. Mr. Piren has a good job at a great company, and we are miserly in our spending habits and have savings. We are blessed.
But it got me thinking. It was expensive, but what if he was a human in the same predicament? Jump down with me and let's follow the dollars.
My dog is older, so we try to combine as many procedures as possible when he's under anesthesia. Since last Wednesday he had the following:
Pre-surgery blood test
2# fatty tumor removed. Subsequent discovery of a tumor within a tumor. (Mind you, this was an almost a foot long incision - a lot of work to trim and close).
Teeth cleaned and scaled
Ears deep-cleaned and toe pads shaved (related to allergies)
Kennel cough vaccine
Nails cut
Sample sent to lab for analysis, plus lab charges
Sent home with 4 days worth of injectable pain meds
Follow-up phone call to see how he's doing
Return 2 days later when his bandages were coming undone
Office visit on Monday to remove drains
(Next) Office visit next week to remove stitches
Lots of free dog cookies and mojo with each visit.
Total price - a little over $1,000.00
Now, if this was me: Cobra, close to $1,000 per month. Office visit to evaluate tumor - $15.00 copay plus paying down my 20% deductible. I'm already under water in costs as compared to my dog, so I'm going to stop counting.
Referral to a specialist and another copay. $15.00. If he's on the approved doctor list. Now I have to get permission from my insurance company to remove my tumor. Is it pre-existing? Is it cosmetic? Stressful weeks later, I get the OK.
Pre-surgery labwork, another copay. Anesthesiology, copay. Hospitalization, copay. Oops, tumor doesn't look good. Send to the lab. Copay. Pain meds from the pharmacy. Copay.
Feeling better later, I go the dentist. Copay to get my teeth Xrayed. Cleaning is free on my insurance. Phew. But not the Xrays! Also, I need to take antibiotics before dental work. Whoops! Copay.
I don't usually need my toe pads shaved but, suppose I need help with cleaning my ears and trimming my toenails, as some of our older citizens do. Another office visit! Copay! Maybe, if I am lucky, I can get a flu vaccine in the same visit. If not I can go the pharmacy. Copay!
How come the veterinary business can get it right, and the healthcare industry can't? Perhaps because insurance is rarely involved when it comes to our pets, and there's fewer specialists in veterinary medicine? I don't know, but I invite your comments.
BTW, shoutout to Dr. Marsh, an awesome veterinary surgeon, a compassionate doctor, and a really funny guy.
Update: I edited the title. This diary is more about healthcare costs in general and the disparity in costs between the same procedures for pets vs. people. My dog is doing great, and I am grateful.