If your dog (or other pet) needs an amputation and you live within a couple hundred miles of Richmond VA – and if money is an issue – call Helping Hands Affordable Veterinary Surgery and Dental Care.

The founding vet, Dr. Lori Pasternak, saw too many cases of euthanasia for economic reasons, so she decided to do something about it and open her own specialty surgery practice. She offers incredibly reasonable rates – about $700 for leg amputation plus a bit more if you need pathology/post-op labs, etc (list of procedures and prices here).   

If you need amputation due to cancer let them know; the diagnosis can help you get priority for scheduling. It’s a good idea to have a scanned copy of your vet’s cancer diagnosis and referral for the amputation handy so you can fax or email it to Helping Hands, but you can make an appointment by phone and follow with the paperwork.

I can’t say enough about how wonderful the staff was when I called to ask about amputation. Turns out that due to lung mets already being present we didn’t move forward on the surgery, but if we could have we would have gone with Helping Hands in a heartbeat. 

All they do is surgery, so you'll need to take your pet home in the afternoon (they’ll be sleepy and drugged up anyway), and then follow up with your own local vet for post-op care.

If you look at their Yelp reviews, you’ll see that lots of people from adjacent states feel that the drive to Richmond is worth it. I wish there were more vets like Dr. Pasternak!

Tags for search purposes: Affordable vet amputation, affordable veterinary surgery, Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, Washington, D.C., West Virginia, affordable amputation for dogs, affordable amputation for cats.