Case Study: Ralph and the Importance of Pet Health Insurance
Ralph, a gorgeous 3-year-old Ragdoll, came to find his new home through what is affectionately known as a “foster fail.” His owner, a longtime cat advocate and feline foster parent, took Ralph in when he was failing to adapt to a shelter environment; too shy, extremely scared and shut down and not willing to interact with people. In a few short weeks at her home, he not only came out of his shell but wormed his way into his foster parent’s heart.
Finally at his now forever home, his owner started to weigh his healthcare options. Ralph was young, vibrant and healthy; was there really a need to invest in pet insurance? Having lost another beloved pet to cancer, Ralph’s owner decided that investing now in health insurance might be the best approach even though she felt there was a longtime before Ralph would even need it. How quickly that changed; in fact in just six short months.
One evening Ralph started exhibiting signs of discomfort. He was vomiting uncontrollably and was very lethargic. His owner didn’t want to take any chances, so she took him straight to the emergency veterinary clinic.
Good thing she did! Early diagnostics showed that Ralph had in fact developed a condition known as intussusception*. In short, it is a condition in which one segment of the intestine “telescopes” inside of another causing intestinal obstruction (blockage). This was a life-threatening situation for Ralph that would require immediate surgery to remove the affected area.
“I couldn’t believe what I was hearing,” said Ralph’s owner Sarah. “I had just lost my beloved cat and now I was facing the potential loss of Ralph. On top of that, we were looking at a medical bill in the thousands. I was completely shocked, but of course I said to do whatever was needed to save his life.”
Luckily, it was soon discovered that Ralph’s insurance policy was fully in effect (past the insurance company’s 30-day waiting period), and his surgery would be covered. His owner still had to face the daunting wait to see how Ralph would do with surgery, but at least there was not the added burden of worrying about the financial costs.
Ralph pulled through surgery very well and was soon home and on his road to recovery. He would need to be watched carefully over the next few weeks, but all signs pointed to great outcome. What a relief!
Continued Sarah, “Ralph’s surgery ended up costing over $5,000 of which only about $100 wasn’t covered by his insurance. Not only am I incredibly grateful to the amazing medical team that helped save Ralph’s life, but also so appreciative of the insurance recommendations I received early on. You just never know when a seemingly healthy pet may need emergency medical care.”
Ralph is not alone. We see pets every day at Rainier Veterinary Hospital who have ingested something they shouldn’t have, been exposed to an illness or involved in an accident. Often, financial considerations weigh heavily in the owner’s emergency veterinary care decisions. As part of National Pet Health Insurance Month, our team wanted to take a moment to share Ralph’s tale and encourage pet owner’s to take a look at the potential benefits of pet health insurance for their pets.
Need some recommendations to get started? Like human health insurance, pet health insurance comes in many different forms including the size of the deductible and what expenses will be covered. It is important to do your research to ensure a health plan is the best for you and your pet. Here are a selection of our top five (5) recommendations:
As always, the team at Rainier Veterinary Hospital strives to remain an invaluable resource for you and your pet. If you have any questions about your pet’s health or potential tools and resources, please do not hesitate to give us a call at 206.324.4144.
(*The causes of intussusception are varied and include excessive motion in the intestine which can be overstimulated by a foreign body such as string, intestinal parasites, a tumor or irritation of the intestine or viral infection. If your pet is exhibiting any signs of distress such as abdominal pain, vomiting or diarrhea, please call your family veterinarian.)
