Dog Insurance Advice please?

cuddles_123

Hi, i got a labrador retriever shes just over 7 years old, recently after sitting for a while and getting up she would limp for a couple of minutes (rear left side) then be okay and can run about after a few minutes no problem, so i took her to the vets and they felt around feet, hips and leg and with no pain.

So the vet gave two options:
1 - Either putting her on anti flammatory tabs which are not long term and are just to manage the issue she also mentioned this can be harsh on the liver

2 - Xray to find out the issue

So with her advice it seems an xray is best option costing £125, my dog isnt insured but now she seems to be encountering health problems im thinking insurance is needed asap as down the line costs could be a hell of alot.

Im not sure what insurance to go for anything and what ways it work, i assume if i sign up for insurance now i wouldnt be able to get the xray costs covered for? If not could i get costs covered for treatment she may require based on what the xray shows? This is her first issue she has had.

gettingready

If the dog's symptoms are already recorded with the vet - no insurance company will cover now as all will be classed as pre existing condition.

You need to have insurance in place before any symptoms present themselves for the insurance to cover those. At minimum 2 weeks before as 2 weeks is the time every insurer does not cover from taking the policy.

cuddles_123

gettingready wrote: »

If the dog's symptoms are already recorded with the vet - no insurance company will cover now as all will be classed as pre existing condition.

You need to have insurance in place before any symptoms present themselves for the insurance to cover those. At minimum 2 weeks before as 2 weeks is the time every insurer does not cover from taking the policy.

Thanks, that makes sense. Is there anyway around this or do you have any advice?

gettingready

No really - you would not wait for your car to break down to take a car insurance and it is the same with pet insurance. Needs to be in place before any symptoms come about - not after I am afraid.

cuddles_123

gettingready wrote: »

No really - you would not wait for your car to break down to take a car insurance and it is the same with pet insurance. Needs to be in place before any symptoms come about - not after I am afraid.

Alot of people dont have it and i just never thought i should have it for my dog i guess you take it for granted until a problem appears i wouldnt be the first and not the last, but yes i do care for my dog alot and love her to bits and want her to live as long as she can.

Ive looked on gocompare and it ask if there are 'pre existing medical conditions' i clicked yes and options for insurance do appear, i would assume they would only cover other issues and not the issue at hand or might they actually cover the pre existing issue?

cuddles_123

Alot of people dont have it and i just never thought i should have it for my dog i guess you take it for granted until a problem appears i wouldnt be the first and not the last, but yes i do care for my dog alot and love her to bits and want her to live as long as she can.

gettingready

Yes they would cover any other issues but nothing that can be linked to whatever the dog may have already seen the vet for previously.

I am sure other people will comment too on here to give you a better idea but some dogs that had upset stomach will not be covered for ANYTHING stomach related for example..

Also keep in mind that with older dogs the excess will always be higher.

Stay away from any "per condition" policies as those are generally not good at all, look for a "for life" cover where the cover is renewed every year

krlyr

Most insurance policies won't cover pre-existing conditions - and that includes conditions that are symptomatic, even if they haven't been diagnosed in full or treated yet. It is very, very likely that any insurer would deem this a pre-existing condition and exclude it from the policy - some may go as far to exclude any issue with that leg, or even both rear legs (some conditions, e.g. cruciate disease or hip/knee/elbow dysplasia, is considered 'bilateral' - i.e. if it occurs in one it's very likely to occur in the other). They might consider waiving this if a vet was happy to state that it was a one-off injury, e.g. a sprain, but that's not guaranteed and you'd need to speak to the insurers to confirm.

There are a couple of companies who will cover a pre-existing condition providing it meets certain conditions - e.g. the dog has been symptom/treatment free for 2 years. Not that it will particularly help you in your situation, but could be a way to potentially get cover on that rear leg/both rear legs in future.


In regards to your current situation, I would imagine you're going to have to pay for the treatment in full. Given the dog's breed, I would hazard a guess at it potentially being the cruciate ligament starting to fail - vet could get a rough idea from the 'drawer test' though x-rays often needed to confirm. Vet could possibly sedate the dog instead of fully anaesthetic which would lower costs, but it's not always possible - they tried but couldn't manage with my girl, who's fairly happy with handling etc. at the vet as she has to have regular blood tests. £175 really isn't a bad quote though - I paid about £500 for my girl to have her x-rays with her cruciate ligament, though they did decide to x-ray her other joints while she was under so we could check for issues like hip dysplasia (her breeds are prone to it)

If it is her cruciate ligament, then you're looking at surgery to repair. Conservative management can work but is less likely to be successful in a dog of her size. Also, the longer the condition goes untreated, the more damage that can be caused in terms of arthritis. But if she's weight-bearing then it's unlikely to be a full rupture, and management may be an option. A good vet should discuss all options (and all aspects, e.g. not just cost but likelihood of success, recovery rates, complications of surgery, etc.) but you may also want to get the opinion of a canine physiotherapist too.

Are you on Facebook? If so, I would recommend joining the group "Orthodogs" to get some opinions on options - obviously once you've had a diagnosis. Good group for any joint-related issues so even if it's not her cruciate, it may be worth posting - there are certainly options aside from prescription anti-inflammatories, which as your vet said aren't great for the internal organs long-term. For example, my girl has been on turmeric/golden paste for a few years now and it has been fantastic for her arthritis, and helped with her recovery from her cruciate ligament surgery too. She's also on a green lipped mussel based supplement called Yumove. Supplements, changes to diet, modified exercise etc. can all help reduce/eliminate the need for prescription meds, short-term or long-term.