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How Pet Insurance Can Make All the Difference

Pet insurance can make all the difference when you have a pet that needs medical care, surgery, and more.“Santino” is a 7 month old Cane Corso puppy who recently had a no good very bad day! “Santino” had not been feeling well for several weeks. He was losing weight, vomiting and had bloody diarrhea. His owners were very concerned, and after consultation with our doctors, decided to take him for an ultrasound at the Veterinary Specialty Center of Delaware. The ultrasound revealed the cause of his disturbing clinical signs, a small intestinal intussusception. An intussusception is a condition where one segment of the small intestine telescopes into adjacent segments, causing severe inflammation and ultimately leading to obstruction of the intestine. Common causes are numerous and often young puppies are affected. Due to the severity of his case, “Santino” had a guarded prognosis.

Our own, Dr. Laurie Strine and Dr. David Holt, from the University of Pennsylvania, performed an emergency exploratory surgery to remove the affected segment of intestine and save “Santino’s” life. The complicated surgery lasted nearly 3.5 hours and required the after hours assistance of several of our nurses. Thankfully, the hard work and dedication of everyone from “Santino’s” owners to the veterinary staff who came to his aid, paid off. “Santino” recovered exceptionally well. In fact, by two weeks post-op he had gained 15 lbs, and was full of the energy and enthusiasm you would expect from a 7 month old puppy!

Such a surgery, as you might guess, was very expensive. The price tag for his live saving procedure was well over $4500. “Santino’s” owners luckily had Pet Insurance. Without it, they admitted, they would not have been able to afford his care, and would have elected to euthanize him due to the poor prognosis. Pet Insurance saved his life. “Santino’s” story is just one among countless others and for that reason we strongly recommend pet insurance. We are happy to discuss pet insurance questions and recommendations with you at your next visit.

Written By: Tara Corridori, LVT