Hi Felicity. That looks like the ‘Off Colour Profile’ from IDEXX. I can’t comment on individual prices but you could ask other local vets for their price for the same test. They would need to add a consultation fee, but it will serve as a useful second opinion if so. Good luck.

Hi Nicky. Canine chronic hepatitis can be very frustrating when it doesn’t respond to simple treatment, and no one has good answers for these dogs. Liver biopsy is always best in those cases (I would’ve done it if my own dog did not respond to prednisolone). Otherwise it’s hard to give specific guidance. As for tick control, I would suggest the Seresto collar but in a high risk area the tablets are often still needed. As for vaccinations, that’s best to discuss with your vet.

Hi Steve. Fees will vary greatly, depending on the base cost plus optional extras, but you can get an idea of desexing prices here.

Hi Eva. It’s natural that your vet wants to do more tests as without them we are all having to make educated guesses at best. However, a few thoughts come to mind. Firstly, with those liver enzymes there’s something major going on. It could be as simple as a thyroid problem, but the blood profile that was done probably included a T4. It’s worth checking that this was done as hyperthyroidism is very common and easy to treat and control, and could explain his restlessness and skin reactivity. Otherwise, without investigation it’s hard to say. It is, however, fair to say that other problems are likely to have a poor prognosis and it’s reasonable to think of end of life decisions as one option if quality of life is being affected and there is no easy way out.

Hi Elisa. It’s hard to make sense of it all without more testing. Before a CT I would be doing plain xrays of his spine and abdomen. CT usually costs over $1000, whereas a set of xrays might be $400. Whichever you choose, it needs to be done urgently. Good luck.