I love Aussies like crazy. If they are in New England and need a recommendation for a vet, let me know.

Financially, tell them to see if their vet takes Care Credit (most do around here, anyway), and then they can apply online. A regular credit card would probably be a lower interest rate (and get them points or summat), but this is less of a max-out-at-Best-Buy risk, and can be easier to get depending on credit history.

Have they asked the vet what financial options there are? Some vets have credit lines they can extend.

Pet insurance is a good idea, for future reference.

Okay, I'm putting myself out there for this one, but be certain the surgery is the best thing for the dog before giving them any financial options. My good friends had a young cat with something seriously wrong (the best specialists in the area were unclear as to what it was). Their options were an exploratory surgery, in which the cat's pelvis would have to be cracked to reach the affected area, requiring months of immobility, and only a 20% chance of a normal life. Add to that the expense of the surgery (approx. $3000.00) which they couldn't afford. They chose to put the cat down rather than see him suffer. Even if they were rich, the odds just weren't good. I'm just saying, maybe giving them payment options for a surgery that might not "fix" the problem could just add to their guilt and stress. I hope not. I hope like heck that they can mend that sweet little dog. I just remember the agonies my friends went through, and the guilt they felt about either of the directions they could have taken. I also had another friend who had the money to go the extensive route on her cat-to the extent of a radioactive seed implanted in the center of a tumor. The cat was 18 years old, had an abcess under it's chin (not the source of the tumor) that wouldn't heal and constantly leaked, and frankly, the cat looked like it had died three weeks before and no one thought to tell it. She did whatever she could to keep it alive even though it had no quality of life anymore. Luckily, she went on vacation and gave "power of attorney" to her best friend. The cat stopped eating, and was mercifully helped to pass on. There's just so many things to consider in cases like these. Nothing is cut and dried. Surgery isn't always the answer, even if it's possible.

redvixen makes a very good point. My wife is a vet tech and she is constantly bemoaning the clients who insist on prolonging their pets' agony or going through with risky surgery that will leave their pet will abysmal quality of life or grueling recovery.