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Pet Tails

A Puppy, A Stick, And Trupanion Pet Insurance

By Dr. Jessica Jones February 1, 2016 No Comments

A New Puppy Is So Much Joy!

Because there is so much information with adopting a new puppy, we dedicate a full 1 hour appointment. You will hear our technicians stress the importance of:

Toys being appropriately sized
Not to allow chewing on rocks or sticks
Vaccine schedules
Parasites, fleas and ticks
Proper feeding amounts and habits
And MUCH more!

Upon checkout, you feel confident you’re on the road to a long, healthy life with your new best friend. You will now receive a FREE 30 day trial certificate for pet insurance through Trupanion.

Joy Becomes Worry

Over the weekend, Myles had a great time chewing on sticks with a buddy. Within days, owners Julie and Randy Redman noticed Myles was drooling, coughing, acting like he wanted to vomit and had no interest in food.

The Exam

Upon hearing his story, Dr. Jones immediately recommended an X-ray which revealed a blockage in the stomach. Myles was admitted for an emergency surgery where a large amount of wood chips were removed. These chips were blocking the entrance to his intestines.

Recovery

After surgery, Myles was noticeably more energetic and even wagging his tail. When walking outside, Myles was defecating more wood chips.

He stayed overnight for observation and was released the following day. However, Myles came back in for a few days of observation while his owners were working, because dogs will be dogs!

The Bill

We always give estimates to clients to insure there is no confusion regarding cost and the ability to pay. When presented with an emergency surgery exceeding $2,100, there was no hesitation to move forward.

Because Julie and Randy Redman decided to activate their Trupanion Insurance, the cost to the owners was just over $500.

The Lesson

I love Myles’ story, first, because it has a happy ending and also because it teaches us many things. Many people allow their dogs to chew on and eat sticks, but in reality this is very dangerous. Not only can the wood cause intestinal obstruction, as in Myles’s case, but I see many dogs come in with very painful abscesses in their mouths from puncture wounds caused by chewing sticks.

Myles’ case also demonstrates the tremendous benefit of having pet insurance. In my profession, cost often prohibits me from being able to practice the best medicine possible.

After reviewing Myles’ x-ray, I knew he needed to go into surgery right away, but many people do not jump right to this option when faced with expense of such a procedure. The longer you wait, the worse the prognosis.

Since Myles’ owners had pet insurance for him, it minimized the cost factor in their decision to take him to surgery and allowed for the best possible outcome.

We are very happy that today Myles is healthy and back to is old happy Lab self!