Brea, Calif. (Nov 8, 2010) – Howie the toy poodle is a regular at his veterinarian’s office. The energetic pup hasn’t reached his first birthday yet, but owner Heather Skinner of Monroe, N.Y., estimates that she’s taken Howie to see the veterinarian at least 15 times for various scrapes and illnesses. “He’s a real devil,” Heather said.
Howie’s latest trip to the doctor came courtesy of one of the thousands of acorns that have fallen from the large oak tree in Heather’s backyard. Heather’s husband Bill was playing with Howie when Howie scooped up an acorn, tilted his head back, and let the acorn slide down his throat, obstructing his airway. “My husband is a police officer and knows the Heimlich maneuver. He tried it on Howie, but it didn’t work.”
The Skinners called their veterinarian to tell him about the situation and that they were on their way. Because Howie had turned blue and passed out, the veterinarian put Howie on oxygen and induced vomiting in an effort to dislodge the acorn. Howie, however, swallowed the acorn, and it passed four days later.
True to form, Howie was undaunted by the experience. “When we brought him home,” Heather said, “we figured he’d be exhausted and go to sleep immediately. Nope. First thing he did was go out back and try to grab an acorn.”
Heather’s claim for Howie’s acorn incident was one of more than 80,000 claims received in the month of October by Veterinary Pet Insurance Co. (VPI), the nation’s oldest and largest provider of pet health insurance. Heather’s claim was considered along with other uncommon medical claims submitted in October and selected by VPI as the most unusual of the bunch.
As the most unusual claim submitted in October, Heather’s claim will be placed in the running for the 2011 VPI Hambone AwardSM. Each month, VPI employees nominate the most interesting claim submitted, and in September 2011, the company will ask the public to vote for the most unusual claim of the year. The VPI Hambone Award is named in honor of a VPI-insured dog that got stuck in a refrigerator and ate an entire Thanksgiving ham while waiting for someone to find him. The dog was eventually found with a licked-clean ham bone and a mild case of hypothermia.
Honorable mentions in October included a Boston terrier that ate magnetic purse clasps, a miniature schnauzer that collided with a jogger, an Australian shepherd with a craving for glue, a mixed-breed dog that gobbled up an appetizing combination of butter and sand, and a domestic shorthair cat that fell out a window. All pets considered for the award made full recoveries and received insurance reimbursements for eligible expenses. Stories and pictures of the Hambone Award nominees are at www.VPIHamboneAward.com.
Note to editors: Digital images of Howie are available upon request. Send requests to dshannon@petinsurance.com.
About Veterinary Pet Insurance
With more than 485,000 pets insured nationwide, Veterinary Pet Insurance Co./DVM Insurance Agency is the No. 1 veterinarian-recommended pet health insurance company and is a member of the Nationwide Insurance family of companies. Providing pet owners with peace of mind since 1982, the company is committed to being the trusted choice of America’s pet lovers and an advocate of pet health education.
VPI Pet Insurance plans cover dogs, cats, birds and exotic pets for multiple medical problems and conditions relating to accidents, illnesses and injuries. Optional Pet CareGuard® for routine care is also available.
Medical plans are available in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. More than 2,000 companies nationwide offer VPI Pet Insurance as an employee benefit. Policies are underwritten by Veterinary Pet Insurance Company in California and in all other states by National Casualty Company, an A+15 rated company in Madison, Wisconsin. Pet owners can find VPI Pet Insurance on Facebook or follow @VPI on Twitter. For more information about VPI Pet Insurance, call 800-USA-PETS (800-872-7387) or visit petinsurance.com.