14 years of checkups, vaccinations, flea meds, etc: $2000 (figuring, conservatively, on $100 per year + about 4 years of flea meds -- I'm pretty sure G wasn't giving her regular treatments before I came along)
Several major surgeries, including once when she jumped 15ft out of a window to follow G out of the apartment and at least a couple of falls from the truck: $2000 (approximately? -- I know G's brother and sister-in-law paid one also)
Incidentals - foxtail removals, dog fight drama (that all of course happened on weekends when the vet was closed so that we could pay the extra emergency costs): $600?
Rounds and rounds of tests before diagnosing her with Cushing's Disease: $500?
Continued testing and treatment now that we know she has Cushing's (including meds that cost $100/month and an every-so-often test that runs $300 a pop): $1500
Schlepping around to/from Santa Cruz to see her specialist: who the heck knows, definitely lots of time and gas $
The most recent vet bill from Wednesday (for an extremely gross skin infection and possibly a bladder infection, which apparently Cushing's dogs are prone to): $432
This lovely cone, compliments of the vet (though NOT complimentary, I realized, when I saw the bill), to keep her from chewing her fur off (as she already has done all over her butt): $24
Mia
Two rounds of stem cell treatment for her hip: $4000
Need I say more? Figure in some of the same costs as above for 4 years of ownership (minus the foxtails, but possibly a few more stitiches), several x-rays for the hips, and schlepping to/from Santa Cruz to a DIFFERENT specialist, and she's already probably surpassed Bandit (though Bandit's recent expenses are adding up) with plenty of good years left in her to take us to the poor house.
Our only consolation seems to be Tucker, who gets the short end of the stick:
Adoption fee from the shelter: $30
General costs ownership for 4 years: $400 (using same #'s as above, though I think he's somehow been cheaper than this)
Stitches: None, he does all the biting
Foxtails: None, we wait for him to sneeze them out (though he did get some drops for his ears last year when it seemed like he might have gotten one in there - so maybe $100)
Tumor removal: $200 (we first tried to pull at it with some tweezers at home, no luck)
Despite Tucker taking it for the team, the joy of pet ownership: most definitely NOT priceless. Thank god for Visa/Mastercard.
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