We all hate being landed with vet bills, but imagine receiving one totalling over £12,500!
That’s what happened to Mrs Gillespie when her beloved Lurcher, Ruby, was involved in a life-threatening Road Traffic Accident earlier this year.
Emergency investigations revealed Ruby had suffered two shattered front legs, a broken sternum and serious internal bleeding. Her vet was anything but optimistic and immediately referred her to Queen’s Veterinary School in Cambridge … where the prognosis was equally as grim.
Mrs Gillespie takes up the story. ‘Coming back from holiday to find my baby Ruby at death’s door was traumatic enough, let alone the thought of how we going to pay for the mounting treatment costs.’
Slowly, Ruby’s condition stabilised. Her legs needed complicated reconstructive surgery that required 4 metal plates and countless pins. She also needed a skin graft and one hind leg required ligament damage repairing. In total over 40 vets and nurses were been involved in the Lurcher’s recovery.
‘Thankfully the Kennel Club Healthcare Plan team paid the costs direct’, continues Ruby’s owner, ‘which helped take the added stress away from the whole horrendous episode!’
Simon Wheeler from Agria Pet Insurance, the providers of the Kennel Club Healthcare Plan said, ‘luckily Mrs Gillespie had the foresight to plan for the unexpected and insure Ruby, so we were able to help and she was able to concentrate on her pet’s recover rather than worry about the final bill. Many owners sadly never quite get around to insurance which can leave heart-breaking decisions in situations like this.’
The Kennel Club Healthcare Plan was re-launched at DFS Crufts 2010. As well as lifetime protection, the plan now offers a choice of veterinary fees cover and a range of optional benefits so, unlike many other policies, owners only pay for the cover they need.