Seen mention lately of high surgery costs and thought I would relate my
experience this summer with our Sam and insulinoma surgery.  Surgery costs
can vary greatly from region to region and from vet to vet.  I also think
that a vet that performs the surgery often will have lower prices.
 
My basic vet, who I like alot, does basic things and refers out more
"complicated" surgeries.  She contacted a veterinary specialist practice
(surgery, dermatology, allergy, eye clinic, etc.) in town for Sam.  Well,
insulinoma surgery would cost $700 and likely more.  It did not sound like
they performed this often, and they did not have high hopes of finding all
the tumors, and therefore were not optimistic about the possible results.
I'm very happy to have such a specialist practice in town, but didn't feel
like I should use them for Sam.  So I contacted our wonderful local
shelter/club run by Bobbi McCanse to see who they were using these days and
as luck would have it they had recently switched to a new vet a bit farther
away, but who had ferrets of his own (cuties who run around the clinic), and
was really getting good at ferret care.  He gives discounts for club
members, and his practice has grown dramatically as Bobbi mentioned here
recently.  The initial visit and surgery (including a needed dental since
Sam was under anyway) and removal of stitches together came in under $200!!!
And he saved the tumors to show me!  Cool!  (Well, not so cool for Sam.)
 
As with humans specialist care can often cost significantly more.  If clubs
can at all work out the above arrangement with a vet, I highly recommend it
as beneficial for all.  I'm happy to now have 2 vets to rely on.  My nearer
basic one with whom I have a comfortable, several year relationship (and who
accepts all the pages of info I hand her) and who also treats my cats, and
my newer, farther one for a backup and for more "specialist" care.
 
To Troy Lynn and anyone else who was interested in Sam's recovery (and who
I've neglected to update): He's doing fabulous!  No signs of relapse.  He
got his energy back immediately.  I still give him chicken baby food treats
with brewers yeast a couple of times a week just in case it starts to creep
back.
 
Shelly
with Jake, Buck & Sam
(SC Ellis-Blackwell)
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[Posted in FML issue 2153]