Beardie has cancer, needs surgery, cost?

[DemangelDog]

My little girl Leati and I discovered that she has cancer in her abdomen and has had it for quite some time, according to the vet we saw. The vet said that surgery could be done but that I would have to take Leati to the city in order for the surgery to be done.

I have no problem driving an hour to get the surgery done, but what I do have a problem with is not knowing what the cost of surgery would be.

 

[EmeraldDragon]

Really sorry to hear your girl Leati has cancer, I hope things turn out as well as possible for her!

Our Diamond had a minor surgery for mouth rot (about $200). What was more expensive was the medications (another $200-300 for antibiotics, pain-killers, anti-bacterial rinse and Benebac).
So be sure to ask about the medication costs and the follow-up visits.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

The costs of surgery greatly vary, depending on the intricacy & involvement of them. They can
range from a few hundred dollars to $1000 or so. Are they going to have to remove tumors?
How is she doing, overall right now, is her appetite good & does she bask normally too?
I am so sorry you are going through all of this. Let us know if you do decide on the surgery.

Tracie

 

[Drache613]

Moved by Moderator from General to Health

 

[DemangelDog]

Most likely, they’ll have to remove tumors and from what the vet said, there were large masses in her abdomen. I saw them too, and they didn’t look good.

Overall, she’s not doing well. She hides under the liner in her cage and sleeps all day. I have to force her to eat which she hates. This was why I took her to the vet. She’s always been a little lazy and not a big eater, but after her brothers passed on, it’s gotten worse.

And now, whenever I pick her up, her tail and hind legs twitch every so often and she doesn’t seem to like them being touched. Could that mean the problem is getting worse?

I don’t know how important this is when questioning about surgery or cancer in beardies, but her parents were brother and sister (something I didn’t find out until recently).

 

[kingofnobbys]

My little girl Leati and I discovered that she has cancer in her abdomen and has had it for quite some time, according to the vet we saw. The vet said that surgery could be done but that I would have to take Leati to the city in order for the surgery to be done.

I have no problem driving an hour to get the surgery done, but what I do have a problem with is not knowing what the cost of surgery would be.

The vet should have provided you with a full quote UPFRONT , he can just easily as picking up a phone contact the big city specialist vet surgeon (he'll know one who he refers to very frequently) and get the quote for everything in writing for you.

Pressumeably he has xrays, catscans, ultrasounds and all the bloodwork used to diagnose cancer which he can send to the surgeon for you. Makes no sense to have you and your dragon go through all that again …. just to line the vets' pockets ...

 

[BeerdedBiped]

^^^^^^^ This is on point.

Unfortunately, there are vets who aren’t immune to capitalizing on human grief/stress. Grew up w a herp vet as a family friend and she always told us the industry is very prone to price gouging and praying on human emotion over practical medical advice—here in CA anyway. There’s no reason at all they shouldn’t be able to produce a general estimate and it’s not unreasonable to request one.

 

[LindseyStar]

Most likely, they’ll have to remove tumors and from what the vet said, there were large masses in her abdomen. I saw them too, and they didn’t look good.

Overall, she’s not doing well. She hides under the liner in her cage and sleeps all day. I have to force her to eat which she hates. This was why I took her to the vet. She’s always been a little lazy and not a big eater, but after her brothers passed on, it’s gotten worse.

And now, whenever I pick her up, her tail and hind legs twitch every so often and she doesn’t seem to like them being touched. Could that mean the problem is getting worse?

I don’t know how important this is when questioning about surgery or cancer in beardies, but her parents were brother and sister (something I didn’t find out until recently).

Animal inbreeding drives me bananas! Ugh. This is how we end up with so many health issues that can seriously be avoided easily! Breeders could trade reptiles to ensure this doesn’t happen, it wouldn’t cost them anything but a shipping charge. I just can’t understand how the money and greed overpower the want for a healthy animal. It’s sickening.

 

[DemangelDog]

I’ll see if I can’t get a quote today from the vet.

Animal inbreeding drives me bananas! Ugh. This is how we end up with so many health issues that can seriously be avoided easily! Breeders could trade reptiles to ensure this doesn’t happen, it wouldn’t cost them anything but a shipping charge. I just can’t understand how the money and greed overpower the want for a healthy animal. It’s sickening.

Inbreeding drives me crazy too. It’s not that hard to trade out one critter for another, I should know. I’ve been breeding mice and rats for a while now for the store I work at and it’s relatively easy to keep them from inbreeding. I don’t know why reptile breeders can’t be more careful and kind to their animals.

The money can be nice, but it doesn’t beat having a happy, healthy animal that trusts you to care for it like they mean the world to you. And for my rats and mice, they do mean the world to me (second only to my lizards, dog, and birds) and their health and happiness is number one on my list when it comes to breeding.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

I hope you are able to get some type of quote, I agree it should easily be able to be given.
The twitching could indicate just some general pain in the area, or a mass pressing on a nerve,
etc when picking her up.
There is no benefit at all, in inbreeding. Breeders do it all of the time & that's why so many of
the bearded dragons have health issues.
Let us know how she is doing.

Tracie