Who? Watson, a Wirehaired Pointing Griffon
How old? 1 year old
What happened? Acute gastritis
Cost of treatment: $2,366
Pumpkin plan paid back*: $1,679
Watson or “Watts” as his parents love to call him, takes the term ‘puppy energy’ to a whole new level. A healthy young Wirehaired Pointing Griffon, Watson radiates “boundless energy” and has “a heart full of adventure” according to his dad Nate.
Watson approaches family hikes with zeal and is always the most popular boy at the dog park. When Watson takes up his occasional pastime of digging, he dons the persona of Dr. John Watson, a canine investigative genius!
So, when Watson wasn’t his usual enthusiastic self one evening, his parents knew something was off.
“He wasn’t eating his food like usual. Instead of eagerly scarfing down his supper, he picked at it then, an hour later, he threw it all up. He hardly ate the next day. Also, although he was still eager to go on walks, he was much less playful.”
Another worrying symptom popped up: Watson started to have sporadic diarrhea. An isolated incident of diarrhea may not be anything to worry about, but can be concerning in tandem with other symptoms. Watson continued to refuse to eat, and after another day of these persisting symptoms, Nate noticed Watson seemed sad and uncharacteristically lethargic.
Deeply concerned, Watson’s parents took him to the vet. Watson’s symptoms could have been caused by various conditions, so his care team inserted an IV and ran some diagnostic tests. One of these tests was a radiograph, which revealed that Watson had something abnormal in his stomach.
“They found a blockage though it wasn’t entirely solid. At first, we thought he had gotten into something he shouldn’t, or chewed up something without us knowing and it had gotten stuck in his stomach.”
Watson’s care team investigated further with another round of diagnostic tests. After eliminating other possible causes, they diagnosed acute gastritis. Acute gastritis is a condition in dogs that causes painful inflammation in the lining of the stomach which disrupts the entire gastrointestinal system. This results in vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, and a variety of other symptoms.
Gastritis in dogs can be an ongoing condition that requires consistent management through diet and Rx medication. Watson’s care team advised Nate on what he could do to avoid any future flare-ups and keep the gastritis at bay.
“The vet kept him for two nights and suggested we modify his diet to alleviate flare-ups. With rest, the IV drip, and a mild kibble, he was feeling much better. When we picked him up, he was his playful, happy self again! It was such a relief! We have been mindful of what he eats to avoid the gastritis flaring up and have not seen any signs or symptoms that it’s come back.”
The care Watson needed for his bout of gastritis included an emergency veterinary visit, several nights’ stay at the clinic, a variety of diagnostic tests, plus IV fluids and Rx medication. Nate admits he was slightly taken aback when he received the final vet bill.
“When we got the invoice for his overnight stay and all the tests they ran, it was a shock. We knew it wouldn’t have been a small fee, but it was still more than we had expected. Luckily, with our Pumpkin insurance plan, we had the peace of mind that we would get the support we needed to cover the fees.”
The costs for Watson’s care came to a total of $2,366. Nate submitted his claim, which was quickly approved. After his deductible was applied, Nate’s Pumpkin plan paid him back $1,679.
“Submitting the claim was incredibly simple. And we received confirmation within a couple of weeks that our Pumpkin plan would cover 90% of the invoice. We had been so worried about the health of our little Watts that it was a relief not to have to worry about the cost of his care, too.”
Nate is doubly grateful for his Pumpkin plan because Watson had another emergency just a few short months later when he decided to chew up the couch – another $1,500+ emergency!
Thankfully, if Watson does get into something crazy again, his parents feel reassured knowing that their Pumpkin plan could help him get the best care possible. As a pet parents, having that peace of mind for our pups is priceless!
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