Craig Hitzelberger was uncertain his dear basset hound, Stub, would make it to his eleventh birthday this past summer considering the health problems he had been facing the last few months. When his elderly pooch was diagnosed with disc disease in the spring and faced an invasive surgery, Hitzelberger prepared for the worst.

Hitzelberger was worried that the surgery would be especially difficult on a dog of Stub’s age. With such a valid concern in mind, it was no wonder he was reluctant to put Stubs through the procedure. Fortunately, Stub was covered by pet insurance, which provided Hitzelberger a variety of options to help rehabilitate Stub after the procedure.

"The insurance covered the diagnostics, the medications and even Stub’s wheelchair," said Hitzelberger.

That’s right, Stubs even got a wheelchair to aid him in his recovery. Hitzelberger’s pet insurer, PetFirst Healthcare, reimbursed 90% of Stub’s veterinary expenses after a $50 deductible, and included a custom wheelchair to help Stub re-learn how to support his hind end.

"Stub was reluctant to use the chair initially, but after he tried it three or four times, he was a natural," said Hitzelberger. "Now he doesn’t even need it. Thanks to pet insurance, Stub is happy and healthy and acts like a dog of eight or nine," Hitzelberger added.

Hitzelberger has been a long-time believer in pet insurance. He has insured all of his basset hounds since the early 1990s.

"Even when my veterinarian ‘ho-hummed’ about whether or not pet insurance was a good value for pet owners, I carried it on my dogs," Hitzelberger said. "I’d much rather pay $30 or $40 per month to have the peace of mind knowing I won’t have to put my dogs down for financial reasons."