Total claims: $34,830  | Healthy Paws reimbursed: $30,847
Policy option: $500 yearly deductible |  90 percent coverage

Hugo, a mellow 10-year-old Russian blue cat from Laguna Niguel, Calif., has had quite a year of medical issues but he is ending on an up note, having recovered from back surgery and a range of other conditions.

Hugo was rushed to the vet in August 2019 when he first stopped jumping and then couldn’t walk. He was diagnosed with at least two severe disc herniations affecting the nerves to his back legs.  He would be paralyzed without surgery, so pet parent Ron scheduled it for the next day.

The surgery was successful, but other issues soon emerged. While still in recovery, he was found to have congestive heart failure with fluid buildup in the lungs as well as out-of-control glucose levels in his blood.

Hugo’s lung fluid had to be drained multiple times, and he was placed on heart medications, diuretics and high doses of insulin for diabetes. He also developed pancreatitis and had to have a tube placed in his nose for feeding.

Because of a very low oxygen level, Hugo was placed in an oxygen-supplemented space.  He then developed a wound infection at the recent surgical site which in turn needed a second minor surgery to remove the dead and infected tissue.

Finally, two weeks after the surgery, Hugo had recovered enough to come home.  He was confined for a few weeks and had to be weaned off all of his medications, but today, Hugo is back to his old, loving self and is walking, running, and playing like before, said pet parent Ron.

“Thankfully, he has recovered amazingly well and is off all medications. We are so thankful to Healthy Paws.  This is a perfect example of why we have pet insurance.  Hugo had a lot of complications from surgery, but they were all temporary with the right treatment.  So glad he's returned to us and back to his loving self!” Ron wrote.