What Is Included in the MRI Quote?
Sometimes, when a facility quotes the price of MRI for your dog, they are not including the “all in” price. They may only quote the price of the MRI and not the additional items that are needed to perform the MRI, such as:
Additionally, the type of anesthesia and quality of anesthetic monitoring can vary widely. At Southeast Veterinary Neurology, we use specialized, MRI-safe anesthetic monitoring equipment that allows us to monitor multiple parameters, such as heart rate, oxygen levels, CO2 levels, blood pressure, temperature, etc.
In general, places with a higher cost of living, such as California, New York City, and South Florida tend to be more expensive. At the same time, these places also tend to attract the best talent.
How much does dog back surgery cost?
The cost for dog back surgery is a bit hard to estimate since there are a few variables such as the type of back surgery, your location, the pre-op tests, post-op costs and the vet helping your dog. Really, it’s going to come down to your vet’s treatment plan and the best course of action to heal your pup. Most people, who have paid for a back surgery, said it will likely cost around $2,000 to $6,000+, depending on the severity of the back injury. This is just the cost for the surgery alone and won’t include any additional tests required before or after the surgery has been performed. For example, before the test, many vets will perform a basic physical exam, neurological exam, blood work, x-rays, MRI, CT scan, spinal tap and/or myelogram. When all of these additional tests are added to the total, it could bring the grand total to $4,000 to more than $8,500.
The surgical procedure, according to Embrace Pet Insurance, is said to be inside the $1,500 to $4,000 range.
On Reddit.com a member said they found out their dog needed spinal surgery, and the cost would be about $3,500.
On another forum thread at HandicappedPet.net, a member asked if a $3,600 to $4,500 estimate would be fair, and many who replied said this is a fair estimate.
So What Does a Dog MRI Cost?
Other than the need for anesthesia, the only downside to MRI is that it is not cheap. Around the country, a dog MRI can range from $2,500 to $5,000, depending on the complexity of the required s, the size of your dog, whether any other tests are needed, and several other factors like those mentioned earlier. The good news is that most pet insurance plans cover imaging.
At Southeast Veterinary Neurology, your “all in” cost will likely end up somewhere in the middle of this range. However, when someone calls us about the fees associated with imaging, we always provide the high end of an estimate so there are no surprises later.