To kick off Accident Month, I thought I'd share with you the first pet story I heard after starting my path into pet insurance.
I often repeat this story as an example of awful unexpected surprise you surely wouldn't have thought of. It always brings home to me that no matter how hard you try, you cannot protect your pets from every possibility.
Peter was one of my classmates at Wharton and here is his story in his words:
Caregiver: Peter and Jennifer
Who: Stanley, 5 years old, black and white cat we got from the pound as a kitten.
When: October 2002
Where: Philadelphia, PA
What: Linear obstruction of the intestines
How much: $2,100 (about $3,170 in today's dollars using the US Bureau of Labor Statistics stats)
Details:
Stanley threw up a couple of times one evening. No big deal, since cats do so occasionally. But when I came home the next evening, he had continued to throw up, ultimately just small amounts of clear fluid since he hadn't been able to eat much.
That night I continued to keep an eye on him. The throwing up continued and he became increasingly lethargic. So around midnight, we were off to the University of Pennsylvania pet hospital. After a $500 x-ray and some injected fluids for dehydration, we were sent home around 3:30 am, when the Resident couldn't see much in the Xrays. Further tests would have cost significantly more, so we decided to take Stanley to his regular Vet the next day.
Our Vet, more experienced, immediately noticed that Stanley's small intestines were starting to 'accordion' and if untreated would likely perforate, killing him within days. She said he likely had a linear obstruction. Stanley was in surgery within hours.
Another $1,600 dollars and number of hours later, we were notified that Stanley was doing fine and were asked if wanted to keep the two-foot piece of minty dental floss that had lodged itself in his intestines. We opted for the cat only. Stanley has fully recovered and we now flush our used floss down the toilet instead of throwing it into the garbage can.
I think every pet parent has a story about a pet accident in their lives or someone they know. Feel free to share your experiences in the comment - for every one that shared, there are many more in mind when they are read.
* Embraced 'Spotty Cat' is standing in for Stanley for the picture
