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Tom Dock, pet health reporter for Pet Pals TV, recently was the subject of a story about emergency pet care plans at GoodRx.com:
Thomas Dock, the 59-year-old director of communications for Noah's Animal Hospitals in Indianapolis, has been working in and around veterinary hospitals, shelters, and rescues since he was 16.
He’s also the owner of four mischievous dogs — Nike, Orion, Andi, and Lord Kratos.
When Orion (his 7-year-old English mastiff) was acting sluggish and lost his appetite, Thomas and his wife were concerned.
“We took his temperature, and [Orion] was running a slight fever,” Thomas says. “He was reluctant to move and regurgitated the small piece of cheese we tried to give him.”
Thomas knew it was bad. He took Orion to the emergency vet. “Despite working in the veterinary field, I was not certain what caused this at that moment, and I was worried for him,” Thomas says. He was also concerned for the health of his other dogs because he thought they might be at risk.
Thomas later discovered that Orion had gotten into his brother pup’s bottle of carprofen, which had been left out. Carprofen — commonly known by the brand name Rimadyl — is a pain medication for dogs. It’s a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID).
“Unfortunately, the pill vial was left unattended, and [Orion] was able to ingest thirty
to forty-five 100 mg tablets,” Thomas says. Orion’s size (200 lbs) helped decrease the effects of the overdose, but the medication was enough to injure his gastrointestinal tract. Thomas says he found out that overconsumption of NSAIDs can cause major health issues for dogs.
Orion was diagnosed with a perforated abdomen, and his belly was filling with fluid. He needed to have emergency surgery.
With thousands of dollars in medical bills to pay for, Thomas had to come up with a plan.
He decided to use a medical credit card with a deferred payment plan. CareCredit is a health and wellness credit card that offers promotional financing options, allowing him to pay off the purchase over time. With deferred interest, he could avoid paying interest if he paid the full balance within a specified promotional period. This kind of card is often used for healthcare expenses.
“I paid the entire amount out of pocket but used my CareCredit card to defer payments,” Thomas says. “All told, it was about $8,500.”
Thomas says this credit card was helpful because it offered different options to pay off the balance. “By using the CareCredit card, I was able to pay off this bill over a 6-month period of time,” he says.
Illness or injury are real possibilities, and you need to think about how you’ll pay for it, he says. Prevention can also be costly.
“Whether it’s a pet insurance policy, a separate credit card, a pet savings account, or a combination of all of the above, it’s vital to know what your financial capabilities are before an emergency strikes,” he says.
For more about this and other helpful stories about pet care, visit: How I Used a Medical Credit Card for My Vet Bill - GoodRx