Pet Owner Saves Her Pets and Tens of Thousands of Dollars in Veterinary Costs
It was quite a year for veterinary visits for Dr. Carol White. Not only is Dr. White an emergency veterinarian at Advanced Veterinary Care Center in South Florida, but her own family of dogs and cats each had emergencies, within the past 12 months.
Thankfully, Dr. White has pet insurance.
“My oldest cat Moe, a Sphynx, started chronically vomiting and was losing weight,” says Dr. White. After a full screening, chest x-rays, abdominal ultrasound and biopsies under anesthesia, Moe was diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease.
Her other cat Frankie starting vomiting on Christmas Day. “He wasn’t getting better with supportive care,” she adds. And, no firm diagnosis could be made with ultrasound. “In the process of getting a biopsy, we saw small pieces of plastic in his stomach, that were removed with endoscopy,” explains Dr. White.
But the veterinary emergencies did not stop there. Hans, her young German Shepherd grew a mass on his lip. “I was worried it was cancer,” she adds. A full staging was performed by AVCC’s board certified veterinary oncologist, Dr. Sindy Piscoya, including ultrasound and chest x-rays. The mass was surgically removed. Thankfully, Hans’ tumor was benign. But then, just three to four weeks later, Hans developed a urinary infection. More trips to the hospital for medical care revealed Hans had inflammation in his prostate causing difficulty urinating.
The same year, Elke, another German Shepherd started limping after playing ball. “We did x-rays and took her to see a rehabilitation specialist and she had a muscle strain,” says Dr. White. “It took a really long time to heal. She had to do laser therapy and rehab for about six weeks. She lost muscle, so we also had to do underwater treadmill therapy to get her back to where she was.”
Today, all of Dr. White’s pets are back to great health. But, in one year alone, her veterinary bills climbed to more than $28,000. In fact, it’s estimated that pet owners in the United States will spend more than $41 Billion at veterinary clinics in 2025.*
That’s why pet insurance is so important.
Dr. White’s pet insurance plan saved her more than $20,000 of the $28,000 bill, in one year alone. “Having pet insurance gives me peace of mind and I don’t have to worry if I have enough money. If there is a veterinary concern, I just take my pets in for the care they need and the insurance covers most of it.”
Why is pet insurance necessary?
The quality of veterinary medicine today is easily comparable to human medicine. The cost for veterinary expertise and experience of the doctors, nurses and staff, along with state-of-the-art diagnostics and technology can add up. The same holds true for human medical care. So, for a pet owner without insurance, it could mean having to make a devastating choice. “Having pet insurance is a very real necessity,” says Dr. Jon Rappaport, Co-Medical Director of Advanced Veterinary Care Center in Davie. “For many pet owners, having proper insurance with a plan that covers 80-90% or more, can all too often make the difference between life and death when a serious illness or accident arrives,” adds Dr. Rappaport.
To learn more about pet insurance plans, you can explore a variety of options here!
*source: American Pet Products Association
About Advanced Veterinary Care Center
South Florida’s Premier Veterinary Emergency Hospital
We Have a Fully Staffed Veterinary Emergency Hospital
We have the largest team of veterinary emergency doctors and nurses in South Florida. Our emergency doctors are internship trained and have years of experience in emergency medicine. Every person on our ER team is RECOVER certified (basic and advanced life support/CPR training).
A Collaborative Approach to Veterinary Care
Our emergency doctors are supported 24/7 by our team of board-certified veterinary specialists. We work as a team to provide the best possible outcomes for pets and their people. Great veterinary medical care is a team sport – our collaborative approach and the quality of our team give patients the best chances for the best possible outcomes. We have earned a reputation for handling the most challenging cases because of our team and our approach.
Board Certification. It Matters!
Board certification in an accredited veterinary specialty is the only accepted standard for expertise in veterinary medicine. Our experts are all board certified in their specialties and they have collectively published over 30 peer-reviewed publications in veterinary medical journals.
We Have a State-Of-The-Art Facility
Including a full in-house lab, canine and feline blood products, a brand new 32-slice Fuji CT unit, surgical suites, minimally invasive surgical equipment, flexible and rigid endoscopy, mechanical ventilator, blood products and all equipment and services necessary for state-of-the-art care.
Centrally Located, Easily Accessible, and Worth the Drive.
We are 20 minutes from most of Broward County and 45-60 minutes from much of Miami-Dade and Palm Beach Counties.
We are Privately Owned and Operated.
The owners of AVCC are full-time veterinarians and active members of our community.
Advanced Veterinary Care Center in Davie (Broward County) is open 24 hours a day, 7 days per week. If you have any questions regarding our services, please feel free to call us anytime at 954-500-8387 or visit us online here.