Pet Care Without Compromise
“I cried a lot,” recalls Maydah Paneca-Montes de Oca of her sweet pit bull mix Luna. “I was struck by a bus with the diagnosis,” she adds about the moment she found out her 7-year-old dog had cancer. It was nine months ago when Luna first developed a limp. “At first I tried a week of rest and medication, but it wasn’t getting better,” says Maydah, who works as an emergency nurse at Advanced Veterinary Care Center in Davie, FL.
Maydah made an appointment with AVCC board certified veterinary experts Dr. Arulpragasam (Surgeon) and Dr. Piscoya (Oncologist) after radiographs revealed there was a tumor in Luna’s hind leg. “She was diagnosed with osteosarcoma,” adds Maydah. “It turns out the bone where the tumor was growing was brittle and had a hairline fracture and was super painful.”
Luna’s leg would require amputation and she would need chemotherapy as a follow up “to make sure her cancer cells didn’t find another place to go,” says Maydah. But, just like in human medicine, access to that level of medical expertise, technology, hospitalization and 24/hour supportive care would be costly.
“I never thought about the cost for one minute, because I have pet insurance,” says Maydah. “Because of insurance I have never had to lean away from my primary focus being on her quality of life and comfort.” Luna’s surgery was successful and by the time she graduated from her chemotherapy treatments, Maydah’s insurance plan covered 90% of the costs and saved her $16,000.
Today, Luna is living her best life playing in the back yard with Maydah’s other dog Salchicha who just months prior, also required expensive medical care.
“I was out of town when my mom called me to tell me that Salchicha did not want to move.” Maydah took him to AVCC and spinal x-rays showed there was a narrowing of disc spaces in Salchicha’s back. Bloodwork also revealed he was very dehydrated. Salchicha’s medical plan included hospitalization for fluid therapy, pain medication, anti-inflammatories and six weeks of crate rest. Insurance again covered 90% of Maydah’s costs, her $1,200, for which she is so grateful. “Leaving your dog in the hospital for fluids and radiographs is not cheap, but I didn’t think twice about it. I was able to afford the gold standard of care because I have pet insurance.”
Learn More About Pet Insurance
We believe that medical insurance for pets is an important part of pet ownership. If your pet is not currently insured, we recommend researching coverage options that will offer security in cases of unexpected or complicated illnesses and injuries. There are a number of reputable providers of pet insurance policies.
You can find a variety of plans here! We recommend that you compare plans and find the one that meets the needs of your family. Many of our clients and AVCC staff members use Trupanion, Healthy Paws, Embrace, and Pets Best, but we recommend looking at several companies and plans to find one that works best for your household.
Click To Read More Patient Stories on How Pet Insurance Saves Lives:
Luca’s pet insurance policy saves her family more than $80,000
Pet Insurance Allows Ouzo to Get the Emergency Care He Needs
Gus Gus’s Lifesaving Elective Surgery is Covered by Pet Insurance
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.