Please insure your dogs

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Having just received the news that one of our dachshund puppies from 6 years ago was pts because the surgery to fix his slipped disc was too expensive for the owners, please let this serve as a reminder that anything can happen at any moment to our best friends. It doesn't wait for payday or when your bank balance is healthy. Please insure your pets :(
 
Or self insure - put the money away on a regular basis so if you need it it is there, if not you still have it. But it's a condition of most horse loans that insurance is in place for just that reason, treatment is never denied on the grounds of cost.
 
I never insure my dogs - I have 4 greyhounds/lurchers, it is never cost effective. My dogs are NEVER EVER refused treatment because it is "too expensive" - they mean the world to me and I will do everything to ensure that they are happy and healthy :)
 
It depends really, even insurance has limits. I don't really have an issue with people having animals PTS if they cannot afford the surgery. Best laid plans/intentions don't always work out in real life so I wouldn't judge anyone for it.

Having said that I would be more likely to insure a daschund than many other breeds :p, well I just wouldn't have one, but you know what I mean :p.
 
Can't believe the premiums for small animal insurance, they're ridiculous. We've never insured any of ours.

ETA what's the prognosis for full recovery after disc surgery for a daxi? They are a breed renowned for back problems.
 
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ester said:
It depends really, even insurance has limits. I don't really have an issue with people having animals PTS if they cannot afford the surgery. Best laid plans/intentions don't always work out in real life so I wouldn't judge anyone for it.

Having said that I would be more likely to insure a daschund than many other breeds :p, well I just wouldn't have one, but you know what I mean :p.
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I agree entirely Ester :D I would never have considered a dachshund until a forum friend got an absolutely gorgeous puppy - now I could be persuaded :)
 
I haven't insured the guinea pigs :eek3: ;).

Lev, you just get dog broody easily, I think it would be funny though given the general length of your pack legs. One of the Defra vets I worked with had a herd of wires, he was very keen on them (though it always seemed an odd match) very much working bred though.
 
Oh God that's awful. I can't even imagine not having the dogs insured to be honest it's the first thing I've sorted with all of them before they even arrived. Got an online quote and took out cover before even buying food bowls or bedding.

Why would anyone not bother to get just basic no frills cover? Must be so difficult for the vets as well especially if they're putting a dog to sleep that would / could have been treated and back to normal with surgery :(
 
When I took my relatives dog on a permanent basis last year a check up at the vets was months overdue but my relative didn't think she needed and kept fobbing me off so when she arrived looking worse than I'd seen her for a while I made an appointment. Two days later she collapsed in a heap and was admitted for emergency treatment and it was then I learned in his infinite wisdom my relative had cancelled the insurance policy the same day she came to us for good.

Our policy hadn't fully kicked with it only being two days so we weren't covered for any of the treatment arising from that illness. I don't think he had insurance for her at all to be honest but in two weeks we spent £780 on vet bills to try and kick a mystery illness she couldn't shake and caused her to collapse and we didn't know how to treat. Fortunately we had the cash and could find means of paying whatever was needed on top of that but after the second collapse and seeing how she'd given up and had enough I called it and asked the vet to let her go.

For us it wasn't about the money but many people aren't as fortunate and just wouldn't be able to raise that amount of cash. I can't even begin to imagine what they must go through :(
 
Tiddlypom said:
Can't believe the premiums for small animal insurance, they're ridiculous. We've never insured any of ours.

ETA what's the prognosis for full recovery after disc surgery for a daxi? They are a breed renowned for back problems.
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The prognosis is very good post surgery.

Most are up and walking again within a few days post surgery and need to be forcably rested to recover as they bounce back so quickly.Thats why its so tragic when people take on this breed without a willingness to fix this issue if it happens..theres around 25 percent chance of ivdd with the dachies.
Other sections of the spine obviously can later cause an issue but spinal surgery on the affected area can bring then from total hindlimb patalysis to walking quickly.
Money is the main reason its not used more commonly as a treatment for this specific issue(ivdd)...as spinal surgery is a specialist procedure and cost is in low thousands(depending on where its done)
 
Mine aren't insured but that's because I'd be able to raise funds if I needed to. Having a lot of animals makes Insurance very expensive and I'd rather deal with things as they come rather than spending over £100 each month just in case. My Springer cost me £800 in the first month I got her because of lameness and bad teeth. She's getting on now so any treatment would have to consider that, before I'd worry about how much it cost. It must be awful If you cant afford it, but then you'd be silly not to insure in that case.

My sisters dog gets very distressed at the vet. He's not insured either and she did think long and hard about it. We came to the conclusion that any treatment that involved a stay as an impatient would be a no, even if it only cost £1. so there'd be little point in insuring him.
 
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Aru said:
The prognosis is very good post surgery.

Most are up and walking again within a few days post surgery and need to be forcably rested to recover as they bounce back so quickly.Thats why its so tragic when people take on this breed without a willingness to fix this issue if it happens..theres around 25 percent chance of ivdd with the dachies.
Other sections of the spine obviously can later cause an issue but spinal surgery on the affected area can bring then from total hindlimb patalysis to walking quickly.
Money is the main reason its not used more commonly as a treatment for this specific issue(ivdd)...as spinal surgery is a specialist procedure and cost is in low thousands(depending on where its done)
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I'm really sorry this is going to sound harsh. But I am more concerned about people breeding dogs which have a 25% chance of getting a spine condition that left my OH weeping with pain, than I am about anyone who choose to put a dog to sleep rather than operate on it. That's a shockingly high figure and I'm pretty sure most people with back issues are never 100% pain free even after surgery :(
 
Aru said:
The prognosis is very good post surgery.

Most are up and walking again within a few days post surgery and need to be forcably rested to recover as they bounce back so quickly.Thats why its so tragic when people take on this breed without a willingness to fix this issue if it happens..theres around 25 percent chance of ivdd with the dachies.
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It's good to know that the results of surgery are so favourable. Why anyone would breed or purchase a dog with such a high risk of serious problems is another issue altogether.

I don't think it's 'tragic' if an owner can't afford expensive surgery, as long as the animal is seen by a vet promptly and its condition managed properly within the confines of their budget, with PTS if the animal can't be kept comfortable long term.

As evidenced on the recent equine insurance thread, many of us now self insure to be free of the ridiculous terms and exclusions of insurance companies. We are able to finance decent vets fees from savings, so any animal of ours, large or small, still gets the treatment it needs.
 
Teckels (working bred wires) are a million times healthier than the modern daxi, who looks every generation more like the draught excluder that used to be based on it.
We insure young dogs - until about 3 - after that we would make individual decisions.
 
ycbm said:
I'm really sorry this is going to sound harsh. But I am more concerned about people breeding dogs which have a 25% chance of getting a spine condition that left my OH weeping with pain, than I am about anyone who choose to put a dog to sleep rather than operate on it. That's a shockingly high figure and I'm pretty sure most people with back issues are never 100% pain free even after surgery :(
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I've got to agree with you on this! How can people breed such dogs knowing what a high percentage go on to experience such a debilitating condition? Seems a bit ironic to then blame the owner for not taking out insurance! Even with insurance, they will only pay out for the first surgery, and if the condition occurs again in another part of the spine, then the insurance won't cover it.
 
My oldest is no longer insured, as I got fed up of premium going up each year despite never having claimed. She would however have any treatment she required as long as we felt it would have a good outcome.
I do wonder if insurers would try and wriggle out of paying up for spinal surgery on a dachsund given that they often try and find an excuse not to pay. I rather like them too Levrier but don't think I would risk having one.
 
ycbm said:
I'm really sorry this is going to sound harsh. But I am more concerned about people breeding dogs which have a 25% chance of getting a spine condition that left my OH weeping with pain, than I am about anyone who choose to put a dog to sleep rather than operate on it. That's a shockingly high figure and I'm pretty sure most people with back issues are never 100% pain free even after surgery :(
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Choose any breed with extreme features and you will see the consequences of the features....from the wrinkled skin of the sharpeis to the shortened noses of the bulldogs to the long back and bandy legs of the dachies.
There are massive consequences in the health to breeding for a look. Choose any breed with a extreme look or even just a certain stance and look up the health issues.....theres always a catch.

Ivdd is relatively common in all breeds with a long back- corgis dachies etc...and there crosses.Though any dog can have a disc problem confirmation and genetics definitely do play a significant role.
There is research going on regards doing imaging etc prior to breeding but the risk is basically inherent to the desired "look".
The risk isn't 100 percent prevented by fitness but it is most common in overweight middle aged dogs- so wear and tear plus extra pressure on the back from lack of fitness and carrying extra weight....but Ive seen this issues in fit healthy young wire haired dachies as well.

You cannot play,via breeding, with the structure of a dog without consequences.
 
Regards insurance it entirely depends on the owners choice...in a multi animal household it is often prohibitively expensive....but that wont stop any dog getting sick or injured so thinking about preparing for an emergency is always a good idea.

Generally in a puppy consult Il run through the potential genetic risks associated with the breed...ie gently while doing the exam- checking the patellas and talking about luxation in the small breeds, recommend handling skin folds and checking for infection in brachy and affected breeds,getting dogs used to ear checks in the spaniels ....discuss ivdd with dachies when checking the back etc and recommend insurances in some cases...or recommend a savings account or a credit card solely for the dog....because being prepared always is a good idea...and best case scenario they will never need it.
Some breeds are health train wrecks though and spend a lot of time at the vets to keep them comfortable.

You would be amazed at how little people research the dog breeds they buy.....or fail consider the possibility that they might have to deal with an emergency at some point.
 
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I always think that Dachshunds would be lovely dogs aesthetically if they didn't have chondrodysplasia.

It's interesting that you mention Corgis as also being prone to IVDD as they also have chondrodysplasia, do the other breeds that commonly suffer from it also have that type of Dwarfism?

I am not a fan of the extreme 'look' that some dog breeds have, I don't find it beautiful and the poor dogs themselves suffer because of it.
 
Im actually not sure Faracat,but off the top of my head bassets also fit in that long back group and they are chondro as well... but so are many Jrt's and they don't seem to have the same level of back issues as they tend to be quite compact in the spine.

I really like Dachie's as Breed for the record, they are massive characters!Brilliant little dogs sooo full of attitude so I can see why people love the breed....but the health issues are off putting.

There are lots of theories regarding chondro and backs though....its proving the link is the issue.... the main suspicion is that the hereditary dwarfism causing the chondro legs is also causing issues with the cartilage.
 
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I only know hunting bassetts (like griffon vendeens - sorry if spelling is wrong), they are fit as can be and as far as I know I have never encountered one with a back problem. They are, as in all breeds, not exaggerated like the show type.
 
Tiddlypom said:
Can't believe the premiums for small animal insurance, they're ridiculous. We've never insured any of ours.

ETA what's the prognosis for full recovery after disc surgery for a daxi? They are a breed renowned for back problems.
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Depending on how soon they are operated on and what the initial extent of damage was. Our girl was totally paralyzed, got her to Liverpool within 3 hours, had to teach her to walk again but she is now 13 and fitter than the 5 and 6 year old boys. 6 year old boy we noticed he wasn't right so had x-ray, straight back up to Liverpool and he was home within 24 hours, didn't lose control of legs so was much easier to rehab. His full sister was totally paralyzed and is now 100% after surgery, again in Liverpool.
 
I think there are a lot of breeds that are great characters that are sadly limited by their physicalities.
The research that shows how many brachy dogs are struggling even when apparently asymptomatic when so many are symptomatic leads to some really worrying numbers. The numbers of them suggest people really don't think about it when purchasing either.

I imagine in this case the insurance premiums would be increased to account for the risk too.
 
TGM said:
I've got to agree with you on this! How can people breed such dogs knowing what a high percentage go on to experience such a debilitating condition? Seems a bit ironic to then blame the owner for not taking out insurance! Even with insurance, they will only pay out for the first surgery, and if the condition occurs again in another part of the spine, then the insurance won't cover it.
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Take a look at Tesco insurance - once that section of spine is claimed on they have a year of it being excluded, then its added on again. Other sections are still insured too :)
 
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