Who? Monte, a mixed-breed cat
How old? 1 year old
What happened? Intestinal obstruction
Cost of treatment: $7,103
Pumpkin plan paid back*: $5,942
When the magical word ‘treat’ is spoken, Monte knows exactly what to do. He raises up on his hind legs, holds your face in his paws, and plants a kiss on your face! Monte is a brave cat – at just 1 year old he’s a Feline Infectious Peritonitus (FIP) survivor. FIP is a respiratory disease caused by a strain of feline coronavirus. Despite his health troubles, Monte is as active as can be! He has a ton of recreational interests including birdwatching and sunbathing. His mom Katy describes Monte as a running, jumping, floofy ball of love.
Having coped with his difficult health struggles as a young cat, Katy decided to insure Monte with a Pumpkin Pet Insurance plan early on. It’s fortunate she did, because in February 2023 a scary ordeal took them by surprise.
Monte suddenly started vomiting one night for hours on end. Alarmed, Katy took Monte to an emergency animal hospital to be examined. Monte’s care team began the difficult task of deciphering what was wrong, as vomiting can be a symptom of many conditions.
“We spent the entire night at three separate emergency vet clinics in NYC. We were shocked things escalated so quickly and were terrified that our little guy wasn’t going to make it. It was stressful and exhausting.”
Monte’s care team needed to perform an ultrasound, so they referred him to a second clinic with the equipment to perform the test. This type of diagnostic test is specialized and can be expensive, but is crucial in helping veterinary teams diagnose and treat pet health conditions. As Monte had a Pumpkin insurance plan, his ultrasound was covered along with several other key diagnostic tests.
The ultrasound revealed Monte had an intussusception, which is a blockage of the intestines that happens when the intestines fold in on themselves. It’s incredibly dangerous and immediate surgery is often the only option – which was the case for poor Monte.
“We tried to distract ourselves during his surgery by watching a happy, feel-good movie. That resulted in us sobbing our way through Grease 1 and 2.”
Thankfully, Monte’s surgery went well and he was able to return home to recover. The overall cost for his veterinary care was over $7,000, but his Pumpkin plan paid back $5,942! Monte’s ordeal was extremely distressing for Katy, but knowing his Pumpkin plan could help with the mounting vet bills was a huge help along the way. With his plan’s support, Monte’s care team was able to act fast and get to the bottom of what ended up being a life-threatening incident.
Above all, Katy was relieved to know that Monte’s intestinal blockage was not something ongoing that could come back in the future. She’s over the moon to have her little guy back home where he belongs!
“The surgery was successful, and his labs showed it was not a result of any systemic illness, so hopefully this will never happen again! He is recovering well.”
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