What is Hospitalization?
Hospitalization is the act or process of an animal staying in a hospital to be treated and monitored for an emergency medical condition. In most cases, an emergency vet will assess the pet and identify health complications with diagnostic tests such as MRI scans, blood work, urinalysis, or stool culture. They will then stabilize and treat the condition, possibly by means drug injection, IV fluids, and critical surgery, if necessary. Pets that are hospitalized for an illness or injury will stay at least one night in the animal hospital where a professional veterinary team will monitor the situation under close supervision, so they can quickly intervene if the condition worsens.
How Hospitalization Works
Hospitalization can quickly become expensive due to the panel of tests and advanced treatments often involved with gold-standard care. These unexpected costs related to accidents and illnesses can amount to thousands of dollars depending on the length of the hospitalization, but pet insurance can provide reimbursement for up to 100% of the bill (once your deductible is met). Accident-only pet insurance plans will cover medical costs related exclusively to physical injuries, but accident-illness plans provide greater protection against financial risk with comprehensive coverage.
Key Takeaways
- Hospitalization is the act of admitting your pet into an animal hospital to be for emergency treatment and continued monitoring.
- Accidently-only pet insurance plans cover hospitalization for physical injuries such as a burn or broken bone.
- An accident-and-illness pet insurance plan offers more comprehensive coverage should your pet require hospitalization for internal medicine related to illnesses like pyometra, heart failure, anaphylactic shock.
