When a 2-year-old Pit Bull named Jefferson was diagnosed with a rare condition, his owners were looking at an invasive surgery to correct his chylothorax (lymphatic fluid buildup in the space between the chest wall and the lungs). It would be expensive, too — about $10,000!

Luckily, their veterinarian, Ron Ben-Amotz, DVM, with Veterinary Specialty & Emergency Center (VSEC) in South Philadelphia, happens to be friends with a human radiologist at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Maxim Itkin, who does a similar but less-invasive procedure on humans. The two joined forces and performed surgery on Jefferson, cutting both his recovery time and the bill in half. Jefferson came through the surgery with flying colors.

Thumbnail: Photography ©CaptureTheWorld | Getty Images.

About the author

Pet expert Jackie Brown has spent 20 years following her passion for animals as a writer and editor in the pet publishing industry. She is contributing writer for National Geographic’s Complete Guide to Pet Health, Behavior, and Happiness: The Veterinarian’s Approach to At-Home Animal Care (April 2019) and author of the book It’s Raining Cats and Dogs: Making Sense of Animal Phrases (Lumina Press, 2006). Jackie is a regular contributor to pet and veterinary industry media and is the former editor of numerous pet magazines, including Dog World, Natural Dog, Puppies 101, Kittens 101 and the Popular Cats Series. Prior to starting her career in publishing, Jackie spent eight years working in veterinary hospitals where she assisted veterinarians as they treated dogs, cats, rabbits, pocket pets, reptiles, birds and one memorable lion cub. She lives in Southern California with her husband, two sons and miniature poodle Jäger. Reach her at jackiebrownwriter.wordpress.com.

Editor’s note: This article appeared in Dogster magazine. Have you seen the new Dogster print magazine in stores? Or in the waiting room of your vet’s office? Subscribe now to get Dogster magazine delivered straight to you! 

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