Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
Tripawds is your home to learn how to care for a three legged dog or cat, with answers about dog leg amputation, and cat amputation recovery from many years of member experiences.
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I have a pup born with a front leg deformity and will have surgery soon. Does anyone have insurance on their pups and has it helped with amputation cost? If so...what companies are best?
Hi Trinity's Mom, welcome back!
Pet insurance is a complicated decision. We've done a few blog posts and interviews about pet insurance here in our Downloads blog . I recommend really doing your research (listen to Dr. Doug Kenney's interview) and calling around before you buy. All companies offer different benefits and have different ratings by users.
The good news is that your pup is young and easy to insure. The not so good news is that some companies will see her leg deformity as a pre-existing condition and may not cover it. But all you can do is find out by calling around.
One lesson we learned when choosing insurance for Wyatt Ray : we purchased a high deductible ($200) policy that covers 80 percent of any given incident, because it was so inexpensive. However it only covers up to around 80 percent of $3,000, leaving us with the balance. It added up. Next time we might not go with such a cheap policy.
Good luck! Let us know what you decide on.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Healthy Paws, Healthy Paws, Healthy Paws!!!! We signed up about 7 months before Lily was diagnosed-she was 8 at the time--about $45 a month. They pay 90% of covered expenses-not the vet's visit and there's no limit. The deductible is $250.00 yearly. They cover physical therapy and accupunture, etc.They call to see how Lily is doing, and the check is in the mail within 2-3 days. I can't rave enough about them!!
Joan and Lily
Don't know about pre-existing conditions, but most insurances don't cover-worth a call.
Our beautiful Lily was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in her front leg on 12/14/11 at age 8 and had amp on 12/16/11. She completed 5 rounds of carbo. She was so brave and kicked cancer's butt daily! She lived life fully for 4 years, 3 months, and 15 days after her amp. My angel is a warrior princess. I miss her so much.
Joan that is great info, thank you!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
This is second hand information, as I can only tell you what clients have told me. From what I have heard, some insurance companies are not going to help you with the cost of amputation because the leg is already deformed (a preexisting condition). Another issue I have seen is the some of the insurances will not cover certain things if your breed is predisposed to them. We had a pug that the insurance company refused to cover the cost of corrective surgery for stenotic nares. Another thing that might be helpful is that all of the companies are different in what they cover and how much they pay. Call around and get quotes from all of them before you get discouraged! Some names: Embrace, VPI, Healthy Paws, Pets Best, ASPCA, Trupanion. Also, pet insurance does not work like human insurance, there are no co-pays, etc. You pay 100% of your vet bill up front, and then send a claim form and receipt to the insurance company, who then sends you a refund check. So, if you are having trouble with paying expenses up front, insurance is not going to help you, and you may need to look into something like Care Credit.
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