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Have you ever had medical treatment in Mexico? I know many people that go to Mexico for dental work and I have a few friends that went there to get medical help because they could not afford treatment in the United States. Being in the medical field myself, I have heard good and bad stories.
What about your dog? Would you ever take Fido to Mexico for Veterinary Care? What if it was a life or death situation and you could not afford Veterinary care in the U.S. ? Cancer is on the rise in people AND dogs and there is a very high probability that your dog will be diagnosed. That is exactly what happened to two of my friends and they turned to Mexico for help.
They both had amazing results and are very happy that they went because now their pups are doing great. Veterinary care can be very expensive depending on what is going on with Fido. We recommend that you get pet insurance so you are ready for any emergency but just in case you don’t, I thought that I would get some information from them just in case this ever happens to you.
1/ What was wrong with your dog that made you seek treatment?
Suzanne:
She had a lump appear suddenly. I took her to our vet and they insisted upon a biopsy because of different treatment options based on the diagnosis. The Biopsy indicated Sarcoma. When we got the cancer diagnosis, our pet insurance denied all the claims due to a “pre-existing condition.” This was due to a vet making a notation of thickened mammaries vs aspiration pneumonia. Even though she had the aspiration proved by chest X-rays, the vet never closed the loop by documenting she didn’t have a chest mass. .
Kelley: My dog, Kita, was diagnosed with a Level 1 Sarcoma tumor on her neck.
2/ What medical treatment did she need?
Suzanne: We needed to do biopsy, mass removal based on diagnosis and then if cancerous, potentially chemo and radiation.
Kelley: It needed to be removed with wide margins to make sure that they got it all. With the removal, there was less than a 20% chance that it would return. Kita is 15 years old but acts much younger so I wanted it gone.
3/ What was the cost at your vet?
Suzanne: We spent approximately $ 2,000. for biopsy and meds. Referral visit at specialty clinic was 140.00 with surgical/cancer estimate of $5,000.00- $7,000.00.
Kelley: Approximately $4,000. which I did not have. I tried to raise the money and in the meantime, the tumor kept growing. It had potential to block her breathing & eating.
4/ What made your explore taking her to Mexico and did you feel frightened or hesitant to go there?
Suzanne: I had a friend that was living in Rosarito, Mexico that had posted on social media about her dog having a lump and having the surgery down in Mexico with good results. Since I had never been to Mexico, I had to expedite my passport. I was nervous about driving so my friend picked me and Abby up at the border!
Kelley: I was getting nervous because the tumor was growing. I am very familiar with Mexico as I have spent a lot of time there and have no fear of the country. I have a couple of friends who live down there refer a vet to me, and I did reach out to her, but she didn’t want to do or couldn’t do this type of procedure, so she referred me to the surgeon that I ended up using.
5/ Where did you go?
Suzanne: Dr. Paola at Clinica Veterinaria Albeitar Rosarito
Kelley: Peña Jasso Veterinary Hosptial
6/ What was the experience like?
Suzanne: They spoke English very well and I talked to them via phone and email before going down. I was able to send all the lab work, X-rays and pathology reports to them attached to emails.
Kelley: It was not fancy at all. Sheer basics where the explanation of procedure was drawn on a whiteboard, using the same terminology that the American vets did. He spoke English well, but I had to sign an agreement in Spanish, which I actually can read, but they offered to help if I didn’t understand it. As soon as I signed the waiver, the doctor was talking about how he had one surgery in a few minutes, but she could be done in about an hour. What? I was only going to meet him. It was a whirlwind decision which I made with my friend’s help. We are here now, we wouldn’t have to come back, it would be done, she’s with us so let’s just do it! The tumor was growing so large and I wanted it out.
7/ What was the outcome?
Suzanne: She had a radical mastectomy with clean margins so we do not need radiation or chemo.
Kelley: One of the assistants carried Kita to my friend’s car. The incision was huge, but I was happy that she didn’t need a drain. She was groggy but you could tell she recognized all of us, particularly me. By the time we got back to my friend’s house, she walked up the stairs! Within a few hours of surgery, she was eating and drinking and back to her normal self but with a large scar! She recovered well and they got the entire tumor out!
8/ How much did it cost?
Suzanne: Under $200.00 for surgery, overnight care, all meds, and pathology.
Kelley: The entire surgery was $500 with an extra $42 for the pathology testing and $16 for the antibiotic. I didn’t get traditional aftercare instructions, all I got was the instructions for her prescription written in English. They did call with the pathology results and it had grown to a Type 2 Sarcoma so I am glad that I made the split decision to have it removed when he could do it.
What is interesting is that Suzanne’s vet trained under Kelley’s vet! Dr. Jasso is a very well known surgeon in Mexico and that is why he took Kita’s difficult case when others told her that they could not do it.
I am sure not EVERYONE has great results but these gals did and the doctors in Mexico saved their pups lives as neither one of them could afford the surgery in the United States. Suzanne had this to add:
“I have been so impressed with the care we received down there. If I hadn’t found out about her, I probably would have had to put Abby to sleep because of this. We have been financially devastated over the past 5 years due to two ACL reconstructions and a bloat surgery and I spent what savings I had on her biopsy. Dr Paola also seemed more up to date on current best practices, which I felt my vet in the states was not. Since then I have returned multiple times as Abby also had another aspiration pneumonia. It was over $800.00 at our vet and $70 in Mexico for exam, digital chest x-rays and prescriptions.”
We would LOVE to hear from you. Have you had any experiences with Doctors or Veterinarians in Mexico? Please share any information in the comments below.
