“My complication had a complication.” That recurrent line in Terry Gilliam’s brilliant flick, Brazil, has been popping up a little too often over the past few days. Here’s my list:

1-A non-healing ear hematoma on a severely allergic, mixed breed dog who also suffers from chronic ehrlichiosis. The sutures are perpetually infected. The ear is horribly inflamed. I’d be at my wit’s end if it...

For the second time in as many weeks, I’ve been berated for the prices OTHER vets charge. 1-The emergency room visit for accidental snail bait ingestion that ended up costing $2,800 for less than 72 hours of care. 2-The specialist’s masterful treatment of a severe congenital heart defect that tapped his owner’s savings to the tune of $6,000.

Both cases demonstrate the extreme expenses many pet...