Insure or not?

cheepskate_2

Looking for a bit of advice.

We have never insured any of our animals, and have always been in the fortunate position of being able to pay for their treatment.

All our animals, apart from the moggie have been pedigree, The breeds, if bought from a good breeder are in general illness free.

We are due to get a little puggly(pug), as this is a breed prone to more health problems, than our other breeds. Is it wise to get insurance.

For those that have pugs, from good trusted breeders(Not just from the local down the road who decided to breed their girl to their pals one) Are you getting many vet trips for illnesses specific to this breed.

I understand that one cannot know what the future will hold for their health, such as being hit by a car, bitten by other dog etc.. These are not what i am interested in as they are relevant to every breed, but to only specifically illnesses related to the Pug.

Thanks

Person_one

Is there any such thing as responsible breeding of pugs?

krlyr

If you're interested in experiences specifically relating to Pugs, I would perhaps find a Pug forum to ask on. I imagine you'll get limited replies on here with such a specific question.

Fosterdog

What health tests has the breeder done to minimise the chances of common pug illnesses? By getting a pup with all the right test results on the parents you will lower the chances but not eliminate the chances of them developing the problems.

I've never had animals insured until my current two, same as you I've always been able to afford what they have needed and have been lucky there have been no illnesses or accidents going into the thousands.

If i were to get something like a pug I wouldn't even question it, the dog would be insured from the start unless I won the lotto and had a big fund to pay for them.

Every pug that has been through the rescues I work with has had to have some medical work done above what the average dog needs.

dandelionclock30

Perhaps instead think about why your getting a pug? is it for fashion reasons?, what can a pug do that other dogs cant.
Rescues are stuffed full of dogs that dont have health problems that need loving homes. They might not be as fashionable as a pug, but you wont most likely have all the health worries or the worry of it being stolen either.

Katiehound

My question is in a similar vein really- why would you get a breed of dog that you know has inherant health problems due to the breed standard which can cause breathing problems? There must be loads of small cute dogs which have a healthier score sheet!

My dogs have always been bitsas/ crossbreeds.. whatever. My old boy is now 15 and today I shelled out for a blood test. In his life he has had booster injections and teeth scaled twice. Those have been my vet bills (apart from a couple of minor playing injuries.) A healthy old boy not a pedigree with all the health risks which can come with them.

Person_one

Pedigrees can be healthy, if they are bred to a standard that allows them to be healthy and the breeder is responsible about inbreeding etc.

The pug standard is so extreme and unhealthy I'm not sure it's ethical to breed them at all anymore, unless it's part of a well organised out-crossing programme.

littlesnuggy

I have a pedigree pug, he's 3.5 and he came from one of the well-respected & well-known breeding lines.

He has no breathing problems whatsoever - we meet some pugs who obviously do, with very laboured wheezing when they're not even running around. Mine is very active and enjoys his agility classes with no issues (in his beginner class of 8 dogs, the rest all collies or collie Xs, he beat them all!)

In the 3years we have had him, he's been to the vets for the following:
Annual boosters/vaccinations
1 x Kennel cough treatment
1 x antibiotics for some other kind of flu-type bug
Twice in the last 3 months for a problem that we thought was some kind of pain in his back/back legs - (first time to an emergency vet who found nothing wrong once we got there) - second time our regular vet found his anal glands were very full and thinks that was the cause.

He is insured with John Lewis' top lifetime policy (£10k per year) but we've never had to make a claim.

On the other hand, my in-laws have three black labs - one of which has required multiple sessions of physio due to a front shoulder muscle problem and emergency vet stay after eating some slug poison all in the first year. They don't have insurance but are happy (& able) to pay for bills as and when they arise.

I'm not sure the breed of dog should dictate whether you get insurance or not; illness or injury can affect any dog regardless of breed.

Have the breeders been recommended to you? Are they members of the Pug Dog Club?

Whoop

I am a vet nurse who works at a specialists and I would not touch a pug with a barge pole. Lovely dogs but riddled with health problems and will probably end up costing you a fortune. Any breed that needs surgery on its airway to breath should not be encouraged. They are also prone to eye problems due to them being so bulgy. Get very good insurance or a dog which hasn't been bred for its extreme looks.

redrufus

Whoop wrote: »

I am a vet nurse who works at a specialists and I would not touch a pug with a barge pole. Lovely dogs but riddled with health problems and will probably end up costing you a fortune. Any breed that needs surgery on its airway to breath should not be encouraged. They are also prone to eye problems due to them being so bulgy. Get very good insurance or a dog which hasn't been bred for its extreme looks.

^^^^This^^^^^ I'm also a vet nurse and would say exactly the same as Whoop, even though they are lovely natured dogs, along some other breeds pugs are more a 'man made breed' now.