In October 2015, I had a client in town for business for a few days. After-work drinks. Dinner. A baseball game. The usual semi-annual work entertainment duties. This also translated to more time away from home. And Stella, my miniature dachshund.

On the second day of the client visit, I put Stella’s breakfast in her bowl as I do every morning. Except she didn’t run over as usual. She just laid in bed. She’d done that before, and I didn’t think much of it; she was energetic when we went out for her walk. But then she threw up a clear liquid-ish gunk. Hmm OK.

The next morning, the same thing – Stella didn’t want to eat but seemed happy to go outside. We walked out, and then I saw it: diarrhea and blood in her urine. Shit… (in more ways than one). She needed to see the vet.

I called into work to say I’d be an hour or so late. Fortunately, Stella’s vet is only about a 10 minute walk, and they weren’t booked solid that morning. I took Stella to the vet’s office in her carrier, and, after a few seemingly very long, tense minutes of waiting, we were seen.

The vet wanted to hold Stella for the day to do some tests, get her hydrated, and just monitor her. I felt better; she’d be in good hands. I said goodbye to Stella and rushed my way to work. I had client meetings all day and dinner again that night, so my friend would pick Stella up later.

An Abrupt Realization

The rest of the day was a blur. A whirlwind of uneventful events talking about past and upcoming events followed by more of the same on different events. Lots of work events.

And then my friend called from the vet’s office. Stella’s blood work and other tests came back; she needed to get to an advanced 24-hour animal hospital ASAP. I was thinking, “what the hell? She was perfectly fine, what, 36 hours ago?” My friend and Stella then made their way to the animal hospital.

I went to see Stella the next day after work. I was still optimistic, but then got smacked across the face. Stella was lethargic and yellow. She trembled and could barely move. The doctor explained Stella’s kidneys appeared to be failing. She wasn’t eating and hadn’t urinated in over 36 hours. I really couldn’t do anything but wait.

Related: 3 Lessons Why “Assumption Is The Mother of All F*ck Ups”

The Low Point of the Low

I visited Stella again the next couple days. She seemed even worse. The doctor advised we might have to consider putting her down if she didn’t get better; he also mentioned the potential for dialysis at a special pet treatment center in the suburbs (WTH, doggie dialysis? I didn’t even know it existed).

I felt overwhelmed and devastated at the news. The next couple of days would reveal what we needed to decide. My friend posted the following:

“I am not one to do this, but it has been an emotional few days. Stella has been in the doggie ER/ICU since Thursday morning after not being able to keep down anything for over 48 hours. They are not exactly sure what she has but most signs are pointing towards Leptospirosis, which affects her kidneys and liver. As a dachshund, she is not vaccinated for this since the vaccination tends to have bad reaction on the breed. She has finally started to pee, but has no interest in food, these next 24-48 hours are crucial. Please help Mike and I continue to send happy and healthy vibes to her! She is part of our family, and we know that she has stolen many of your hearts, too.”

I wanted to cry. And I did. A lot. I understand Stella is not a human; she is a dog. But she has been part of our family since 2008 when we lived in New York.

A Turning Point

Over the next two days, Stella seemed to respond to the one key action that the doctors said she needed to take. She wasn’t eating, but then she got her appetite back. She wasn’t moving, but then she started to stand up. She kept getting stronger. And we visited her every day; that tail barely moved when we first visited, but it moved a little further each day.

A few days later, we finally got to take Stella home the night before I had a trip scheduled to visit family in Florida. Fortunately, the grandparents’ were gracious enough and able to administer medications, fluids, and other treatments while we were gone for a few days.

The Gift of Choice – Reasons To Consider Pet Insurance

At the beginning of Stella’s stay in the emergency clinic (in addition to her regular vet visits), we were required to pay for services rendered. Additionally, a deposit was required for anticipated cost of care and/or for an expected number of days in the hospital.

After a couple of grand here, a few grand there, numerous tests, medicines, etc., things added up quickly. Overall, we paid around $10,000 over the course of 10 days. We wouldn’t have even been able to consider sending Stella to the pet hospital without her pet insurance from Trupanion. Without the insurance, we might not have been able to make the choice that we did.

A few reasons why we previously got Stella pet insurance after having her for a couple of years:

*Peace of Mind – as with any type of insurance, you’re playing defense to protect your financial well-being and – more importantly – the actual underlying asset you’re insuring.

*Hedge Against Inflation / Rising Costs of Care – while premiums can and do increase, the costs of pet health care (let alone health care for humans) are increasing.

Related: Conducting You Own Risk Control Self-Assessment (RCSA) – Part 1

*Optionality and the Chance to Fight – a large or unexpected expense might not be able to be covered; you might not be given the chance to exercise an option that might be available to you.

*Your Pet is Family – as mentioned, we understand dogs (or cats, etc.) aren’t humans. And I’m not trying to suggest that a pet’s life is more valuable than a human’s. But we consider our pet to be part of our family (others might disagree, and that’s fine).

Overview – Doggie “Doomsday” vs. Doggie Basic Insurance

Perhaps gloomy, I called Stella’s Trupanion policy doggie “doomsday” coverage after learning what it covered and didn’t cover. In general, it’s easier to explain what’s not covered: exam fees and wellness & preventative care. A number of “unexpected” items are covered (some general details are below).

We’ve been extremely happy with Trupanion for over seven years now. They provide 90% coverage for all approved accidents and illnesses, while offering a number of other benefits and services. Other provider options certainly do exist and are worth checking out. It depends on what type of service, coverage, and other options that are important to you. As with any type of insurance, cost is also factor.

Looking Back And – More Importantly – Ahead

It’s been over two years now since Stella has been home from critical care. She almost didn’t make it. The talented and dedicated staff of the formerly named Chicago Veterinary Emergency & Specialty Center saved her life. Trupanion made it a possibility. Stella is now nine years old and still going strong.

Overall, life’s unexpected milestones will keep occurring. We can just try to enjoy the ride while preparing as much as possible for the unknowns. We continue to find our balance.

Readers, do you have any pets? Do you have pet insurance? What are your thoughts – regardless of if you have of a pet or not?

Related:

5 Ways to Balance Account Types To Balance Life’s (Un)known Milestones

FTW! Is it Possible to Invest for Today AND Tomorrow?

Conducting You Own Risk Control Self-Assessment (RCSA) – Part 1

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