We like to share stories of our patients whenever we can, because sometimes their stories are also your stories. And if we see a miraculous outcome, all the more reason to share! Sharing gives hope to many others with pets suffering under similar circumstances and helps guide them on how to be proactive regarding pet care.
Cody’s story:
Cody is a young Golden Retriever who tore his ACL in his rear leg. After the injury, his leg was very painful – Cody could not bear full weight on his rear leg this past winter.
Cody’s mom brought him to us for examination, and we diagnosed his injury with X-rays. Because his injury required specialized treatment, we referred him to a board certified specialist at the University of Pennsylvania. Cody’s mom agreed to move forward with the surgery, knowing she had Pet Plan pet insurance to help defray the cost.
It’s important to note at this point that pets who have undergone surgery benefit from wearing e-collars provided by the veterinarian to ensure the pet cannot reach his/her incision that can be a temporary source of irritation to the pet.
In Cody’s case, his mom chose not to use the regular e-collar provided by the veterinary team at the University and purchased an inflatable type of e-collar on her own instead. Unfortunately, 2-3 nights after Cody’s $5K surgery, Cody got around his inflatable collar and managed to open his incision. Needless to say, Cody was taken back to the University of Pennsylvania where the incision had to be cleaned, debrided and fixed – at the cost of $1,6K! Again, thank goodness for pet insurance!
After surgery, Cody returned to Belle Mead Animal Hospital for rehabilitation. We began K-laser therapy treatments twice a week. The wonderful thing is that Pet Plan pet insurance paid 80% of all his surgery and rehabilitation costs!
Moral to the story:
Dogs tear ACL’s all the time. It can cost people thousands, or the dogs silently suffer. Pet insurance will help defray the cost so the animal can receive the treatment he/she needs.
Another situation is that pet parents tend not to use e-collars once they get their pet home after surgery, or they remove them too early. This is a problem we veterinarians encounter more often than we would like. Not using an e-collar properly or long enough greatly increases chances for complications like infection, seromas, pain, scarring, etc. Again, this is where pet insurance can help if a mishap occurs.
Pet insurance really saves people and pets from pain and suffering. Pet insurance protects families and pets by helping everyone make the best medical decisions without compromising patient care.
Cody is a much happier dog thanks to his owner proactively buying pet insurance!
If you would like to learn more about Pet Plan or Trupanion pet insurance, head over to our online shopping page where you can access the websites of each provider.
Recommended Reading:
Pet Health Insurance Update
Pet insurance saves pet lives
Joe Martins, DVM, Belle Mead Animal Hospital
Joe Martins, DVM, Belle Mead Animal Hospital