YEEEPS! $299 Canadian for the tail op for Mr. Higgins

[Louise]

Thanks to everyone who has replied to my earlier post, everything you are saying makes sense.  It really does help to hear other peoples thoughts as well.

My big shock just came when I was quoted $299.60 Canadaian to do the tail lump!  I was expecting maybe $150, I was so taken back I didn't even think to ask if that included tax!  Neutering will increase the bill even more, I'm almost scared to think what the total for the two will be

Does this sound expensive?  Or am I living in cloud
cuckoo land?

[Ali]

mmm, not sure how that translates in £s - I expect that's expensive compared to some people's vets, but if it makes you feel better I paid £250 for a biopsy and tumour removal (which must be the best part of US$400?) yet I know other UK folks who have paid £50.

So - have you decided to go for it?

p.s. I didn't know you were Canadian!  We were (for some obscure reason) talking about Canadian accents last night and decided you sounded more English than the Americans. Is that right??!!

[Louise]

LOL!!  Actually I'm originally from Bristol
Transplanted here several years ago, so I definitely sound more English than the Americans!

I don't know about the surgery, I'm waiting to see how much more it will be with a neuter included.  My problem is that my hubby is trying to immigrate into Canada from the States - he's one of those Americans who don't sound at all English.  He's just had his physical and has to go for further tests with a cardiologist.  He's wondering where the money for all that is coming from and I'm thinking $299 for Mr. Higgins??  agh - life!

Hee hee, I have a confession to make...  I was joking with my daughter when we first saw your name on the board.....

It's Ali H - I said to Jess - hey do you reckon that's Bono's wife (incase you are not into U2 his wife's name is Ali and his last name is Hewson), it was funny because one of your ratties is Fly, which is a U2 song

Then I realised you were in London and your last name was not Hewson.... the bubble burst.....

[rogermerriman]

So do you still have any thing of the Britol accent left? I live in the hills Abergavenny way, And go to Bristol every so often to see friends and punish my liver, for it is evil.
I guess the high price is to do with the op being on the tail? Tom my old rat had a abscess removed from his tum for £30

[Louise]

well Roger, everyone in Canada says I have a funny accent, but when I have gone back to England they say the same thing there as well!  
I guess it must be some wierd hybrid by now.

singing...
Taking a trip up to Abergavenny, hoping the weather is fine,....

[Sam]

All the decent vets I've been to here in toronto that would be resonable.  The folks in the US seem to have it easy with vet bills!

[Ali]

Bristol eh!! An old haunt of mine! I come from Wiltshire, near Bath!! Small world eh! My family still all live down there. Oooh ahh.

Ali H !! Didn't know all that U2 stuff - I feel quite cool now!  I can pretend that's where the name Fly came from - it's better than the real story!

Has 'Ali G' not come your way yet!! So do you ever come back to the sticks? You must come and visit your ratty pals!

p.s. you just need to explain to your hubby that you have priorities in life - and much as you love him, well, you know, Mr Higgins is a very special ratty! I know it's not quite true, but you could make up some life and death story about the lump on his tail... not that I'm devious.... at all....

[Suebee]

well Roger, everyone in Canada says I have a funny accent, but when I have gone back to England they say the same thing there as well!  
I guess it must be some wierd hybrid by now.

I know exactly what you mean! I grew up in New Jersey, so I always had a sort-of New York (New Yawk) accent. Then I moved to Rochester, NY, which is upstate, and started to develop a "Great Lakes" accent. But in both places, people can tell I talk different. Of course, now, after years of listening to Barenaked Ladies and watching Red Green, I've started to pick up an Ontario accent, too -- no one knows where the hell I am from now.  

[rogermerriman]

In wales people say I have a English accent yet in england people can detect the Welsh way I say things. My accent is standard english but I use welsh colloquialisms.

[Ali]

Suebee

I don't know about your accent, but I have a confession - I was being nosy and lurking on the Rat Palace forum. Well, I found those mugshots.......

And you know you have that mental image of the people  you're 'talking' to? Well, I just see you as a big rat!!

Know what I mean??!!! A very pretty rat! LOL But how can I take my moderator seriously when all I can picture is a big rat!!!

Anyway, I've figured it out. Rats really ARE taking over the world. Even this forum isn't safe.............

If anyone else is confused, I'm sorry, but I'll let Suebee talk her way out of this one.......

[Ali]

Actually, I kind of picture Roger (Merriman) as a rat too, but that's easily explained....!!

[jp]

Woo hoo!  Another U2 fan!  I actually don't have any of my ratties named after anything U2 though...hmmmm...I'll save it for future ratties!

I'm in the states but what you were quoted sounds about right.  My vet gives me a quote that broken down.  Usually included is the surgeon's time, anesthesia, surgery room, pathology of the lump, possible medications and pain shots.  I get a low to high end quote.  The pathology doesn't have to be done if you don't suspect cancer.  Sometimes better safe than sorry though.  Ask your vet if they have a payment plan.  Good luck!

[Ali]

I trusted the vet I was using at the time of Lupin's lump removal 100% and to me that was worth any amount of £££ (or $$$$), though I find it confusing that some can do it for £50 and others do it for £250.

When I think of the amount I've spent on my rats over the past 3 or 4 years..... well it doesn't bear thinking about. It must be well over £1,000. Ok, that's probably an underestimate. My rats were rescues, and didn't cost a penny apart from a donation.

I seriously think that rats should be treated as real exotics and sold for a far higher price - realistically, those of us who spend time on forums such as this are those ratty-owners who are interested enough in their rats and love/respect them enough to make sacrifices for their care, and I'm sure there's not one of us who hasn't had to go without (or wouldn't got without) to pay for treatment. I shudder to think how many people (and we know what happens to them on this forum....!) buy a rat for diddly-squat and then aren't prepared to pay for their care.

I try to promote rats as wonderful pets, but I'm  very very careful who I encourage..........

[Louise]

Wiltshire eh Ali!  What a small world!  You do know though don't you that Somerset is 'God's Country'  

I was back for the first time in about 20 years um 3 years ago.  Some things had changed totally but there was a lot that has remained the same.  I remember feeling so sad when we caught the coach back up to London, I really didn't want to leave.  England will always be my 'home'.


Ps.  I'm going to give Higgins tail a real good soaking this weekend and see if we can't get his nasty scab to drop off, hubby said to go for the surgery if I want to, but I know he will lie awake nights worrying about that amount of money.

You are right about rats, a lot of people who do have them probably shouldn't.  I had no idea when we got our first two that health was such an issue with them.  Mind I am completely obsessed with them now and could never give them up!

[Ali]

know what you mean about England always being home. I lived in France for 8 years and loved it, but it's never the same as being in your 'own' country. Mind you, I got to come home much more often too, so I guess it wasn't quite the same.

I agree - I had no idea about the health issues associated with rats. To be honest, if I HAD I might have thought twice.... (but thinking twice seems to be something rat-lovers aren't good at!). When my girls got old I seriously didn't think I'd get more rats, it's just so much expense/hard work. After Lupin was pts I had a week of no worrying, no cleaning out, no checking on them every 5 minutes, etc etc  - then I gave in and got 3 more! Life just felt empty without them.

Re Mr Higgins - is there any benefit in trying to get the scab to come off? Surely it'll fall off when the skin underneath is healed? I feel for you - it's disconcerting when even the vet isn't sure what's up. To be honest though, it doesn't sound like an abcess to me. They tend to start weeping and smelling after a bit if not treated and aren't normally as hard as I'm imagining Mr Higgins' to be.

What a great hubby you've got - I know the money's a worry, but at least he's not trying to stop you going ahead if you feel you need to.

[Marybelle]

Sometimes and abcess will harden under the skin.  I had one do that on my hairless.  We  had noticed a lump on his back above hit tail. I hadn't ever seen it open, and it was hard, but didn't seem to bother him, so we left it alone.  One day I looked in, and he had apparently ripped it open!  It must have been a small wound that got some shavings in it and healed over.  There was hardened pus in there along with shavings.  We cleaned it out real good (which he didn't enjoy) and it healed up really nice.  So it's possibly Mr. Higgins just has one of those.  I certainly hope so, they're a lot less expensive to treat.  

[Louise]

Mary, thanks, I had convinced myself it couldn't be an abcess, but you saying that, and someone else mentioning their rat had a blood clot, leaves me with some hope.  Maybe this thing will heal itself yet.

We have TCP - Ali and Roger will know what that stuff is - the great healer!  Cures everything!  I have been dabbing his tail with it, I think he quite likes the smell!

[Ms. Jingles]

Rattie kisses from Mr. Jingles to Mr. Higgins - I hope everything goes well!