Pet Insurance???

[NAUTIQUE]

Hi DoxieLovers!
Haven't been on here in awhile, hope all is well with everyone!
My little guy Sonny is doing great - 3yrs old now!

He has his own website: https://sonnysdoggoneworld.wordpress.com/
And FB page: https://www.facebook.com/ScottyGaaDoStuff/


I do have a couple of questions...
My brother-in-law has Sonny's dad (who's only about a year older then him) and is now having bad back problems!
Vet quoted him big $$'s first for MRI & then operation. Of course he doesn't have that type of money & is trying some holistic options.
Now my wife is petrified that this may be genetic!
So I was wondering...
* Does anyone have any suggestions/comments that I can pass along to him?
* Does anyone use, or have recommendations on, pet insurance? (My wife thinks we should look into it.)
Thanks in advance for any info you can send my way!

[Lisa]

Realistically, doxies are horribly designed dogs. They have short legs. Long backs. And lots of energy. It IS GENETIC. They can be in phenomenal shape and still have back issues that can range from needing steroids and crate rest to full surgery (leaking disc vs. blown disc. and you will know the difference, and both require immediate care). I have had 3 x 100% dachshunds and all 3 have had some sort of back issue, from minor to major, the most major was Pogo who need $7K worth of back surgery and care.

I had the insurance debate with a co-worker this week, so it is neat that it came up again. If you are not a good saver, you need insurance.

Realistically, you need to put away $250 per month until you reach $5K and then you can taper it down or not until you reach $10K. The money needs to be 100% for dog emergencies, nothing else. If he makes it through his life and you still have $10K at the end, it is yours not an insurance companies, then if you want to add another dog to your family, you already have the money aside. If you are not a saver, pet insurance is a very, VERY good idea. If I could go back, I would put insurance on my dogs. Basically you don't want to be in a position that you have to choose between your dog and financial distress. You will either resent your dogs, or your heart will never be the same if you decide to put him down because you couldn't afford to treat his condition.

[LexieLuvr]

Terrific response, Lisa. Beware of pet insurance.. many do not cover issues that are inherent with certain breeds, such as back issues with dachsies!

[NAUTIQUE]

Terrific response, Lisa. Beware of pet insurance.. many do not cover issues that are inherent with certain breeds, such as back issues with dachsies!

Thanks for your comments Lisa!
LexieLuvr - This is exactly what I'm worried about in trying to choose one!

[LexieLuvr]

Thanks for your comments Lisa!
LexieLuvr - This is exactly what I'm worried about in trying to choose one!

Read the fine print very, very carefully!

[Alex's Mom]

I totally echo Lisa's comments. When Maxe first went down, and again when I got Alex, I investigated pet insurance really thoroughly. What I found was that if you were lucky enough to have a dog who never needed any serious vet care (what a concept LOL...totally foreign to me ), it was probably worth it, but not otherwise. like most insurances, it's the companies gambling with your money that you'll never need to make a claim and then doing everything they can to avoid paying out. Plus very few of them cover any animal after the age of 8, which is just about the time things start to go wrong. My advice is to take the same amount of money you'd be paying in premiums and sock it away in an account, or else do like Patrice says and get a credit card specifically for that. You might even make sure it has a credit balance if possible then when something big does happen, it won't be so painful.

and yes, IVDD is genetic. And I sure hope that "holistic" treatment includes steroids and crate rest....

[lotsadox]

Terrific response, Lisa. Beware of pet insurance.. many do not cover issues that are inherent with certain breeds, such as back issues with dachsies!

I agree. Lisa's response was right on. I've gone thru many dogs with back problems. Only one had surgery. I looked into pet insurance years ago, but the ones I looked at didn't cover back surgeries so I passed.

I have a credit card that lives in my desk drawer. I used it once every 6 months or so to keep it active but no other times. If I have a dog that needs surgery, I use that card and pay it off as I can.

Whatever method you decide to use, you do need to have fund available for emergencies. Not only back problems. I also had one that had cancer surgery. It was not as expensive as the back surgery but it was in the thousands. Gotta take care of our little buddies.