Barney's Story - the Value of Vet's Choice Pet Insurance

While we want every claim to have a happy ending, unfortunately not all of them do. For Barney’s owners, Tammi and Tom, Barney’s terminal diagnosis was made easier via a village of vets, and of course, the help of Vet’s Choice.

Barney, an eight-and-a-half-year-old Doberman x Blue Heeler, entered his kitchen one morning with lameness that was barely noticeable at first. Throughout the day, his lameness continued to worsen. That’s when a mass was found behind his right shoulder.

24 hours later, Barney’s biopsy results came back with no cause for alarm. However, over the following week, Barney’s limp persisted. The decision was made to remove the lump, costing $1,500.

Barney’s recovery seemed positive at first, however Barney began bleeding from his wound. Owners Tammi and Tom rushed Barney to a 24-hour vet hospital; his blood levels had dropped from 55 to 24%. Barney stayed in hospital overnight and eventually stabilised, his bill costing $2,500.

Barney needed diagnostic testing to find the cause of his haemorrhage. Registered Specialist Dr. Lucia Yu spoke with Tammi and Tom, outlining the tests Barney needed:
• A full body ultrasound
• CT scans
• Multiple organ biopsies.

The estimated price for these tests was $6,500. Usually, conversations with patients around pricing can be difficult, but in this case, Tammi and Tom said yes without hesitation. It was okay, they said, because they had pet insurance.

Barney’s tests came back with the worst-case scenario: Metastatic hemangiosarcoma was found in multiple organs. At best, he had one month.

While this outcome is something no pet owner wants to hear, Dr. Yu was able to provide Barney the best care through his cover with Vet’s Choice. Tammi and Tom were given peace of mind knowing there was nothing they could have done to prevent it and they gave Barney the best palliative care possible.

Altogether, the total cost of Barney’s care was $11,600. With their Vet’s Choice cover, Tammi and Tom’s bill was only $1,100.

With pet insurance in place, the burden of cost can be alleviated, allowing vets to do everything possible for pets in their care.

At Vet’s Choice, part of our mission is to help vets like you ensure pets and their owners have all the support they can get through the hardest of times – and you can join us in achieving this. To find out how you can become a referral partner with Vet’s Choice, visit https://vetschoice.guildinsurance.com.au/ today.