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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Do you have health insurance for your dogs and cats?
On more than one occasion, we have been very glad we have Pet's Best health insurance for Wyatt. Please consider these providers below when shopping for pet insurance to defray the costs of veterinary health care.
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Recommended Pet Insurance & Vet Health Care Plans
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
I agree! I have Pets Best and they have been wonderful! I enrolled both Goldens at the suggestion of my breeder when my little guy was just over 1 year old. Blaze was 9. Six months later Blaze was facing an osteosarcoma diagnosis. He had nearly 8 months of pamindronate treatments, amputation, and now chemo. Pets Best paid 80 percent of every bill within 7 days!
This past year has been a medical nightmare for my Goldens. While Blaze was battling bone cancer my young golden developed a life threatening menningitis. MRI spinal tap 3 days in the emergency hospital adds up! Together both dogs had about $15000 in medical bills. My guys will always be insured!
mary
We have healthy paws. Each one of the girls (both Rotties so high breed risk for cancer) started out at 64.04 a piece. I just got their renewel and it only went up 67.91 a piece ( I had a lot of claims too) so starting out it was 128.08 and went to 135.82 for both of them. I am pretty pleased. They do not cover preventative (I figure my responsibility anyway and would have to pay that if I didn't have pet insurance). I feel it is a good insurance.
I know a few others who have Healthy Paws on here.
Hugs
Michelle & Angel Sassy
Sassy is a proud member of the Winter Warriors. Live long, & strong Winter Warriors.
sassysugarbear.tripawds.com
07/26/2006 - Sassy earned her wings 08/20/2013
05/04/2006 - Bosch, Sassy's pal, earned his wings 03/29/19 fought cancer for 4 months.
"You aren't doing it TO her, you are doing it FOR her. Give her a chance at life."
After all the medical bills we experienced with Leland I decided to get pet insurance for Lucian. I went with Petplan pet insurance. I have Lucian signed up for their Silver plan (they go Bronze, Silver, and Gold) which is the middle plan. They will cover up to $14,000 in veterinary fees within a plan year. I chose a $200 deductible with 80% reimbursement level. You can alter the deductible amount and reimbursement level to change the cost of the premium. So Lucian's monthly premium is $39.16 but since I'm set up to pay in quarterly installments it's a little cheaper. Also, when I signed up through the internet I received a 5% discount.
Fortunately, Lucian hasn't had any major medical issues...aside from 2 ear infections...so I've not needed to use the insurance yet. Hopefully, I won't have to for a long time since Lucian's only 9 months old but one can never be too careful now a days.
Sahana and her Angel Leland
November 17, 2009 - June 30, 2014
May you finally be healthy and running free at the Rainbow Bridge. Until we meet again my sweet boy!
We just switched to Pet's Best insurance as well after reading several reviews and hearing stories. We had another one but weren't happy with it and felt that anything I reported as a 'claim' would be determined a pre-existing condition since I didn't get Jasper Lily as a baby.
Pet's Best was happy to take us - knowing Jasper is a rescue so a lot of her past is unknown. So far happy with it. No claims (thankfully) but feels good to have her insured.
After what I went through w/Shelby (who was not insured) I will always have pet insurance on my pets.
Shelby Lynne; Jack Russell/Shiba Inu mix. Proud member of the April Angels of 2014.
October 15, 2000 to April 8, 2014
Our story: Broke rear leg in June 2013 - non-conclusive results for cancer so leg was plated and pinned. Enlarged spleen in September 2013 and had it removed and was diagnosed with Hemangiosarcoma and started chemotherapy. Became a Tripawd January 8th, 2014 and definitive Hemangiosarcoma diagnosis. Three major surgeries in 7 months and Shelby took them all like a champ only to lose her battle to cancer in her brain. We had 8 amazing extra months together and no regrets. #shelbystrong #loveofmylife
Love love love all this feedback, it's so valuable, thanks!
Mary I had no idea dogs could get meningitis. Wow. So glad your pup pulled through. How scary!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Yes they can! There are three types viral, bacterial and immune mediated. Jag had steroid responsive menningitis arteritis, smra. It is sometimes called beagle pain syndrome. All young dogs can get it but often seen in tollers berners and beagles. The lining of the spinal column, meneges, becomes inflamed possibly due to ticks or vaccines. Jag had excellent tick control, never saw a tick on him! But tested positive for all tick diseases. He was in extreme pain! A litter mate and half sib, all with the sane dam, developed it around 18 months to two years old. High risk of relapse. Treated with high doses of prednisone tapered very slowly over a years time. If they relapse it can be difficult to control and require very expensive chemo, cyclosporin or atopica. Pred must be tapered painfully slow!
i am very fortunate jag is doing great! His littermate relapsed twice!
this story is about a golden of mine and why I will always have pet insurance.
http://www.mark.....2884111206
mary
I asked my vet about insurance and she recommended against it. She suggested to keep an account for any vet bills. Other than Maggie having cancer I only had one other dog, a Malamute who got salmon poisoning and got me in a lawsuit(that's a whole nother story) that cost me money. All others have just been preventative care and spay and neutering. Although Hank is so crazy I should reconsider
Penny and the Gang
Hi Penny - in theory I agree being self insured is a good option, that's why I never buy extended warranties on appliances. Medical bills are so unpredictable and extremely expensive. MRI cost $2500 in 2007, I recently paid $1200 for the same test. I was quoted costs for chemo therapy in 2007 @ about $1200 a pop. Today I paid $300 for Blaze. If you read my post above and click on the link about my dog Logan's story you will see what I mean. I was self insured for Logan's care, meaning I had to cash in stock investments to pay for it. 8 years worth of monthly stock purchases. We were fortunate to have that for Logan's first cancer surgery and radiation treatment. The second time he became ill, just 3 years later he needed major surgery to remove a couple lung lobes, we paid for that from our savings. That was $5k (his cancer care was about $14k). So two major illness in a very short time. I prayed Blaze and my four cats would stay healthy.
I am very thankful I purchased it for Blaze and Jag. I never expected them to be critically ill at the same time. Just something to think about.
mary
We did not have pet insurance when Murphy was hit by the car. The people who hit him did not stop, and I am not really sure if they even realized they hit a dog. Murphy was chasing a fox at the time, and they could have thought they got the fox. Neither here nor there at this point. Murphy's surgeries and physical therapy have cost over $15,000 to date. We are trying to get some answers on whether he is insurable for any ongoing problems he might have that are related to his previous injuries, but you can be sure that we will be having insurance for him.
Kathi and Murphy
Murphy is a five year old Lab/Chessie cross. He was hit by a car on 10/29/12 and became a Tripawd on 11/24/12. On 2/5/13, he had a total hip replacement on his remaining back leg. He has absolutely no idea that he has only three legs!
UPDATE: Murphy lived his life to the fullest, right up until an aggressive bone lesion took him across the Rainbow Bridge on April 9, 2015 and he gained his membership in the April Angels. Run free, my love. You deserve it!
I know I struggled to do Sassy's amputation & treatment. The girl's have already had some bills that I wouldn't have been able to afford a lot of it so I am glad I had the pet insurance. Ours is a 90% reimbursement I could lower it to lower the premium but I don't mind as long as I get it back or most of it when I get a claim.
Hugs
Michelle & Angel Sassy
Sassy is a proud member of the Winter Warriors. Live long, & strong Winter Warriors.
sassysugarbear.tripawds.com
07/26/2006 - Sassy earned her wings 08/20/2013
05/04/2006 - Bosch, Sassy's pal, earned his wings 03/29/19 fought cancer for 4 months.
"You aren't doing it TO her, you are doing it FOR her. Give her a chance at life."
murphsmom said
...you can be sure that we will be having insurance for him
Consider checking out the companies above. Pet's Best did not disallow any pre-existing conditions when we signed him up a few years ago.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
When I talked to their rep, she told me that anything that could be traced back to his accident would most likely be excluded. That even included physical therapy should he develop arthritis as a result of his accident. Still checking with others.
Kathi
Murphy is a five year old Lab/Chessie cross. He was hit by a car on 10/29/12 and became a Tripawd on 11/24/12. On 2/5/13, he had a total hip replacement on his remaining back leg. He has absolutely no idea that he has only three legs!
UPDATE: Murphy lived his life to the fullest, right up until an aggressive bone lesion took him across the Rainbow Bridge on April 9, 2015 and he gained his membership in the April Angels. Run free, my love. You deserve it!
Bumping this up. We'd love to hear about more recent pet insurance experiences with members. Thanks!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
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