---
title: Claim Story - Labrador Retriever Suffers Heat Stroke
description: ON a warm August day, Labrador Retriever Willow went on a hike with her pet parents. About 5 miles in she started showing signs of heat stroke.
lastUpdated: 2025-10-02T19:06:22.000Z
sources:
  html: https://www.embracepetinsurance.com/coverage/labrador-retriever-suffers-heat-stroke
  md: https://www.embracepetinsurance.com/coverage/labrador-retriever-suffers-heat-stroke.md
---

# Willow's Story

![Willow, a black labrador retriever whose body can only be seen in this image suffered from a heat stroke.](//images.ctfassets.net/cy68knbg9g5b/4rAwBo6TdjAAa6FFzwJLPj/6886124b4f855bfd1737eb8a36a72e4a/willow-labrador-retriever.webp?)

### Vet Bill: $2,649

Charles and Erica J. love to hike with their Labrador Retriever, Willow. And Willow loves going with them! Despite keeping hydrated, Willow collapsed before they made it back to the car. Charles and Erica's quick action saved her life.

"We rescued Willow when she was 6 months old in Charlotte, [North Carolina](https://www.embracepetinsurance.com/state/pet-insurance-north-carolina-nc) and she has grown very near and dear to our entire family. My husband and I are a dual military couple stationed in Hawaii. One day, we decided to take our Labrador Retriever, Willow, out with us. We have taken Willow on several hikes since we have been in Hawaii and she has thoroughly enjoyed each and every one of them, until this day.

About 5 miles into our hike, Willow's condition began declining. She started slowing down and was stopping to rest more often than normal. We had plenty of water for her, but after a while she didn't want anything but to rest in the shade. We rested until she felt ready to continue since we were about 1.5 miles away from the car. When Willow got up and continued walking, we noticed something different about her condition. She was panting more heavily, and her back legs became extremely wobblily. The next thing we know, she fell to the ground. We were in shock and afraid for her health.

My husband picked her up and began carrying her (85lbs), rushing to the car. As I ran behind them, I noticed that there was blood on my husband's shirt. I looked down at Willow's paws and saw that not only were all 4 of her paws full of blood, but her paw pads were torn off her feet. A couple were completely off, and the other ones were dangling off her paws. I ran up ahead to get the car and meet them at the end of the hike so that we could get her to an emergency vet as soon as possible."

After taking her to the vet, they informed us that Willow had suffered from [heat stroke](https://www.embracepetinsurance.com/waterbowl/article/overheating-in-dogs). They explained to us the causes, risk factors, treatment plan, and the cost. They also explained that Willow would need to be hospitalized until her temperature was stabilized and to monitor her for organ failure. Our bill for Willow was adding up quickly. Thankfully, Embrace was there to ease our minds of the financial stress so that we were able to focus on saving our Willow. Due to us getting Willow to the vet immediately, she has fully recovered with no long-term damage.

Embrace made filing a claim simple and they constantly updated us on the progress of our claim forms. Every time we called Embrace, they expressed such genuine empathy, comfort, and compassion for our situation. It was truly impeccable. We have had Embrace Pet Insurance since 2014 and we couldn't be happier with their services! To say we are grateful would be a complete understatement. Embrace Pet Insurance is a safety net that protected our Willow in her time of need and gave us peace of mind. We are forever thankful and will always use their services. Thank you Embrace, for being there when we needed you."

## Willow's Claim Refund

| **Claim Details** | **Amount** |
| --- | --- |
| Actual Vet Bill | $2,648.64 |
| Covered Charges | $2,648.64 |
| Annual Deductible | $350.00 |
| Copay | $459.73 |
| Total Embrace Reimbursement | $1,838.91 |