# Biggest Vet bill?



## DobbyDad (Jan 28, 2014)

After reading one of the other threads on here I started wondering what is the largest Vet bill anyone has had. I lost my boy over the summer at 5 years old to post gastric volvulus. He was in the hospital for 4 days had surgery then came home and went back for one day. The total bill came to about $12,500. As a puppy he also had major intestinal issues for about $5000 for the first 6 months of his life. This is why you should not go to a BYB. Anyway just curious on size of Vet bills. 

The OP of the other thread got a great deal.


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## N Smith (Aug 25, 2011)

I have been very lucky *knock on wood* to not have had very many vet bills at all.

The only vet bill I have had with the dogs not related to teeth cleaning and neutering is a $600 vet bill after a VERY severe vaccine reaction my male Shepherd had. The vaccine company paid it though.


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

The highest vet bill I had at 1 time, was around 3000 . Thank god my vet takes payments


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## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

Over $600 to treat Demodex Mange, it was 2 Vet appointments though.

$491 for a stray cat that I brought in.

Over $300 for a puppy I once had.


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## Carriesue (Aug 13, 2012)

I don't really recall the highest vet bill ever, when our female GSD(RIP) was getting chemo total it came to around $8000 but she'd also had cancer before and received radiation treatments so that would add to that cost.

My senior cat Jack has had tons and tons of testing done, last I stopped counting was around $5000... He has IBD, renal failure and a heart condition so he is still in the process of getting treatment. We spent about $1000 last week alone on blood work for him and getting one of our other dogs blood work and xrays(he was vomiting every day and couldn't keep food down).

I think a lot of people when they get pets don't really consider these costs, for me personally I would never be able to forgive myself if I had to put a pet down just because I couldn't afford treatment.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

I think the biggest bill I have had at one time was getting three dogs health screened for hips, elbows, cardiac, thyroid, vWd and microchipped -- $1600.


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## misslesleedavis1 (Dec 5, 2013)

2000.00 for stitches.

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## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

Russell's whole crazy episode with the telescoping intestine (intussusception) ended up costing about $1600.


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## Loneforce (Feb 12, 2012)

Biggest one I had was $1500.00. If Taz was not totally full of cancer and there would of been hope, it would of been $6000.00+ Which I would of paid gladly. It was the worse day of my life


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## AugustGSD (Mar 29, 2013)

So far my largest has been $200, but my dog is just 1 so I am fearful of something happening and having an enormous bill. I'm actually going to open up an account just for him so should something happen, I will be semi-prepared.


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## stmcfred (Aug 13, 2013)

I had gotten a puppy from the pound that had parvo when I brought it home. the vet bill was just under a thousand for 5 days. The puppy didn't make it. I was however reimbursed the money because I got the puppy on Tuesday just before they closed and had it at the vet Wednesday morning knowing it had parvo. 

thankfully thats the largest at one time however I've had several $400 visits with my current 9 year old dog. And a $500 visit for my sisters lab puppy because my daughter (4 years old) accidentally sat on it and fractured it leg.


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## mego (Jan 27, 2013)

so far here about $150 is the max. She scratched her eye or something and it got inflammed and they did send me home with some ointment for it. when she's older and I spay her that will probably be the expensive one, as long as no emergencies happen


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

$1500 for Robyn when she came down with something that never got diagnosed . A couple thousand when my older golden was attacked by a Rott( that bill was eventually paid by the owner of the Rott. $700 on same golden for undiagnosed stomach issue. $1000 for my oldest to have anal sacs removed but was never done because they realized once she was on the table they were infected. So far zero on the cats, but they are getting older. A couple hundred on Midnite and less on on golden puppy.


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## DobbyDad (Jan 28, 2014)

With this puppy I definitely bought the insurance.


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## ColleenB (Oct 21, 2013)

Mine was about $13,000. My pug was hit by car. I didn't have the money at the time so about $10,000 was raised from all over the world for his vet care. I paid a bit over $3000 after all the donations came in. This story was written days 2 days after the accident and once the associated press got a hold of the story a ton more donation came in.

Pug lovers unite online to save injured dog - Health - Pet health | NBC News

Oh and he made it through 3 broken legs and lived happily until just a couple months ago. (9 years old) Super special dog you know the kind that steals your heart and after they are gone it will never be the same.


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## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

$2000 for a total hip replacement. That was 20 years ago. Today it would be four times that much!


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## Scout's Mama (Oct 30, 2013)

stmcfred said:


> And a $500 visit for my sisters lab puppy because my daughter (4 years old) accidentally sat on it and fractured it leg.


YIKES!!!! daughters are scary 8-O


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## Germanshepherdlova (Apr 16, 2011)

Had to rush my dog to the Emergency after he was neutered because his scrotum sac swelled up to the size of a grape fruit and he was running a fever and couldn't walk. They said he needed an emergency scrotal ablation-price- $9,000. Unbelievable.


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## Daisy&Lucky's Mom (Apr 24, 2011)

Daisy's total bill for 5 days of puppy ICU and all the plasma when she had parvo was about 3200.00 . I would have done anything to save her . When we found the tumor on the heart would have given anything but that was not the case. Still miss you baby and you were worth it.


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## Loneforce (Feb 12, 2012)

Germanshepherdlova said:


> Had to rush my dog to the Emergency after he was neutered because his scrotum sac swelled up to the size of a grape fruit and he was running a fever and couldn't walk. They said he needed an emergency scrotal ablation-price- $9,000. Unbelievable.


Wow! I did not think this happened to anyone else's dog. The same thing happened to Taz, but medicine and antibiotics helped him. The poor dog could not sit or anything.


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## readaboutdogs (Jul 8, 2001)

For one incident, knee surgery, probably around $1000 or so, if you want to add in the ruined carpet replacement from prednisone, another $2500! At that time I didn't know the side effects of pred!


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## Germanshepherdlova (Apr 16, 2011)

Loneforce said:


> Wow! I did not think this happened to anyone else's dog. The same thing happened to Taz, but medicine and antibiotics helped him. The poor dog could not sit or anything.


How old was your dog when he was neutered? My boy had just turned 2. And I had never met anyone who had it happen to their dog either. It was awful. The Vet had started him on antibiotics earlier that day but after her office closed he took a turn for the worse and the swelling had increased, I sorta panicked and didn't know if I should just keep with the antibiotic or rush him in. I was lying next to him on the floor crying and he wouldn't move so I got my husband and kids up and was like BRUTUS IS DYING! So thats how we ended up at the Emergency with him and a few days after the ablation he was a lot better.


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## Germanshepherdlova (Apr 16, 2011)

readaboutdogs said:


> For one incident, knee surgery, probably around $1000 or so, if you want to add in the ruined carpet replacement from prednisone, another $2500! At that time I didn't know the side effects of pred!


My dog has been on prednisone for about a year now he takes 5 mg twice a day….how did your carpet get ruined? We haven't had an incident….yet.


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## Loneforce (Feb 12, 2012)

Germanshepherdlova said:


> How old was your dog when he was neutered? My boy had just turned 2. And I had never met anyone who had it happen to their dog either. It was awful. The Vet had started him on antibiotics earlier that day but after her office closed he took a turn for the worse and the swelling had increased, I sorta panicked and didn't know if I should just keep with the antibiotic or rush him in. I was lying next to him on the floor crying and he wouldn't move so I got my husband and kids up and was like BRUTUS IS DYING! So thats how we ended up at the Emergency with him and a few days after the ablation he was a lot better.


 Taz was 6 years old when I had him neutered. I did not want to get him done at all, he was a great dog and no problems in that dept. I stupidly let the vet talk me into doing it; because they told me he would live longer. I felt so bad when this happened to him.


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## gsdsar (May 21, 2002)

Germanshepherdlova said:


> My dog has been on prednisone for about a year now he takes 5 mg twice a day….how did your carpet get ruined? We haven't had an incident….yet.


Prednisone can cause increased thirst and hence, increased urination. For a full grown GSD 5 mg every 12 hours is a small amount, so you may not see that side effect. But it is the most common side effect for that drug. 


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## Germanshepherdlova (Apr 16, 2011)

gsdsar said:


> Prednisone can cause increased thirst and hence, increased urination. For a full grown GSD 5 mg every 12 hours is a small amount, so you may not see that side effect. But it is the most common side effect for that drug.
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Oh-yeah my dog does drink tons since he's been on the med. Also his appetite is through the roof. Probably we haven't had any incidents because my husband lets him out on his way to work at three am and throughout the day there is always someone home to let him out every couple hours.


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## readaboutdogs (Jul 8, 2001)

I have read that people had their dogs on pred for long periods of time! I don't remember the mg, but I do know every time Cody was on it it made him pee like a race horse! Not long before he died, years later, he was on the pred, and even taking him out 3 or 4 times before I went to work, come home at lunch to take him out, he would have accidents on the pred! He was very well housebroke otherwise!


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## Loneforce (Feb 12, 2012)

My second highest bill was when Ginger ate the stuffing out of stuffed animals. She was lethargic, would not eat, or drink and was crying. I checked her stomach and she cried when I touched it. It was definitely an emergency visit for her. $800.00 later and luckily she made it through it. It was a valuable lesson learned.


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## firestorm (Feb 3, 2014)

Just regular vet visits for the dog till now but the cat cost us about $1200 dollars. The dog is one year and the cat is three rears. Babies still.


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## harmony (May 30, 2002)

twelve hundred maybe to three thousand but nothing like yours, so sorry for you.


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## gsdlover91 (Jul 21, 2012)

My biggest vet bill at one time was the neuro bill for Akira. 600 bucks plus another couple hundred to euthanize her and cremate her.

In her two months of life, I spent close to 3 grand on her.


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## OriginalWacky (Dec 21, 2011)

firestorm said:


> Just regular vet visits for the dog till now but the cat cost us about $1200 dollars. The dog is one year and *the cat is three rears*. Babies still.


Best typo ever!

If you're asking about the highest one time vet bill, then I think the biggest one I can think of would be about $6,000ish. If you're asking about the biggest total spent on one issue, but spread over a period of time, I don't even want to admit that one.


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## DobbyDad (Jan 28, 2014)

How is that a typo?


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

stmcfred said:


> I had gotten a puppy from the pound that had parvo when I brought it home. the vet bill was just under a thousand for 5 days. The puppy didn't make it. I was however reimbursed the money because I got the puppy on Tuesday just before they closed and had it at the vet Wednesday morning knowing it had parvo.
> 
> thankfully thats the largest at one time however I've had several $400 visits with my current 9 year old dog. And a $500 visit for my sisters lab puppy because my daughter (4 years old) accidentally sat on it and fractured it leg.


They let you take or should I say...they placed a sick Parvo puppy in a new home?


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## SummerGSDLover (Oct 20, 2013)

My biggest vet bill was for $920.00 for an emergency vet appointment when I took in a dog we found roaming around. My husband was in the backyard chopping wood and my toddler opened the door, dog went tearing outside and jumped right into the path of my husband mid-swing. Hit the dog with an axe blade. We immediately took him in and it turns out the only damage was a small crack in a vertebrae. Dog was fully recovered in two weeks and we found his owners who had been looking for him for a month and given up hope. He was half cattledog half staffordshire terrier. 
The second highest bill was $675 for our female lab mix to get spayed, microchipped, and dew claws removed. 

*-*Summer*-*


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## SummerGSDLover (Oct 20, 2013)

Germanshepherdlova said:


> Had to rush my dog to the Emergency after he was neutered because his scrotum sac swelled up to the size of a grape fruit and he was running a fever and couldn't walk. They said he needed an emergency scrotal ablation-price- $9,000. Unbelievable.


 Did you do it?! Did your dog recover?! I am so scared to get my boy cut. I'm thinking I won't even do it. 

*-*Summer*-*


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## SummerGSDLover (Oct 20, 2013)

One of my friends is currently going through something terrible with her dog. He's a husky/wolf hybrid. He ate a pair of socks. Had to go in and have a $3,000 surgery. Two days later he ripped his stitches out so she took him back in where they did staples and gave him a cone. Then the skin around the incision got infected and necrotized-sp? and there went another $1400 for another surgery. Its been a month of horror for her because he seems to recover but then gets deathly ill. She's taken him in EIGHT times in five weeks. Vet now thinks he's got some type of intestinal disease (she didn't tell me what it was called) but apparently to check for that, they'd have to scope his entire gi track and do biopsies which, according to her husband, would cost an additional $4,000. They are putting him on a raw diet to see if that helps and just going to let him pass away in his own time. The vet is keeping him highly drugged up for pain.  They are wealthy but her husband doesn't want to pay for a surgery that'll be more painful just to diagnose something that will eventually kill him anyway. That is the most I've seen anyone spend that I know personally. I don't know how you all do it. I've read about peoples dogs needing several thousand dollars and I know my family couldn't afford that. We would have to borrow money from family and pay them back or something. 

*-*Summer*-*


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## DobbyDad (Jan 28, 2014)

I remember not ever hearing about a Vet bill like ours. I also know that their is no way I could have lived with myself if I didn't give my best friend every chance possible. I remember when all the bills were stacking up looking at my wife and saying " We might hav to sell the house" and her response was " I know, whatever it takes". She is super awesome.


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## juliejujubean (May 4, 2011)

I have been very blessed to have had only a couple $300 vet visits. Most of those we preventative ones too (xrays for ofa, spay) so nothing medically serious either 


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## blackshep (Aug 3, 2012)

Wasn't from my dog, but my cat had cancer at the same time my horse strained his check ligament and was getting shockwave therapy. I was running all over the place, to hand walk my horse every day and also visit my cat, it was super stressful. I think my bill was close to $3000 for the two of them.

I just pray to never need a colic surgery on one of the horses, I don't even like saying it out loud. Those can set you back $25K


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## shepherdmom (Dec 24, 2011)

I had an emergency-vet visit come up to about $1000 for a few hours then over the course of the next 7-8 months about a total of about $5000.00 in vet bills. We lost her anyway.


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## hunterisgreat (Jan 30, 2011)

I dunno... all in all I've got over $7,000 on Katya's canine


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## Bridget (Apr 5, 2004)

Just paid my biggest...$350 for surgery on my lab's ear for a hemitoma. My vet is very good about keeping costs down. He doesn't ask to do things that are not really necessary and doesn't charge us an arm and a leg for what is.


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## stmcfred (Aug 13, 2013)

They didn't know. This was over 9 years ago too. Now they are all vet checked and spayed/neutered. He seemed fine when I was there. Not as playful as I thought a puppy should have been, but thought it was just mellow. He was also pretty skinny, but just figured he needed more food. Not long after having him I knew something wasn't right so I made a vet appt and got him in asap. 





Chip18 said:


> They let you take or should I say...they placed a sick Parvo puppy in a new home?


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## stmcfred (Aug 13, 2013)

She was absolutely heartbroken!! 
Her, my other daughter and my sisters two kids were playing duck, duck, goose. My daughter went to sit down and the puppy got underneath her. 



Scout's Mama said:


> YIKES!!!! daughters are scary 8-O


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## Okin (Feb 27, 2013)

My last dog I estimate her total vet bills in the 12,000 range over the years. The biggest single shot was probably her ACL surgery that was in the 1500 range many years ago. She got chronic ear infections spent about a grand at a specialist trying to figure out what the issue was. She was treated for that more times than I can count. Pancreatitis hit me for a descent chunk of cash. Before she passed there was another grand in MRI's and tests that found a huge tumor. She made it to 14.5 and it was all worth it. 

My current dog has insurance


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

Canine - $1,200 for eye surgery on six month old Aussie. The evening he came home he was showing signs of distress and depression. Took him back to the clinic the next morning and he tested positive for Parvo. I didn't realize that the clinic he had eye surgery at was treating a litter of Parvo puppies. $3,800 and a week later I pulled him from the clinic when I found out how he got Parvo from a vet tech who felt bad out it (he was fully vaccinated). Had to pay my bill in full in order to get him released. Finished his treatment at home with the help of my equine vet. He died of Kidney failure at the age of 10. 

I never stepped foot back into that clinic and over 15 years later, still tell everyone I know not to use that clinic.


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## GSDolch (May 15, 2006)

For an emergency the highest has only been 500 dollars. I tend to not count routine stuff that is needed as pups or yearly.


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

Highest equine was over 12K in three months, and lost her anyway. Trailer accident. That was when I learned a valuable lesson that just because you want them to live, it may not always be what's best for the animal. I maxed out three credit cards, so no telling what the total bill was once I paid all the interest.


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## misslesleedavis1 (Dec 5, 2013)

My 2000 dollar stitches incident occured at the e vet on a weekend. I believe that it should not have been that much, like seriously it was 6 stitches, a cleaning, antibiotics, and a cone.


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