Do you have pet insurance? (oh and did I mention I just got a puppy?)

[bcnewe2]

No prob southern. What is DM?

There are changing protocols everyday for vaccines. Dr. Jean Dodds has some outstanding research. It is her research that is changing the laws state by state.
http://www.weim.net/emberweims/Vaccine.html

I'm on my tablet and not to good at working it so you'll have to cut and paste the link but it gives you her recommendations on vaccine protocol. Do a Google on her name if you'd like to see her credentials, she is leading the research.

 

[babsbag]

degenerative myelopathy (I think)

 

[babsbag]

When I do my own puppy shots I don't do the lepto, but at the time we lived in the city and I bought a puppy plan for my BCs for thier first year so the vet did everything. The first shot was ok, the 2nd one was the allergic reaction, and the third one they skipped the lepto AND kept them at the vet's office all day for observation in case something happened while I was at work.

It was about 3 hours between the vaccine and the reaction. I took one pup to the emergency clinic, got home an hour later and turned around and went back with pup number 2. They are sisters. Of course the clinic charged my for another visit; but if I had taken them at the same time it would have only been one visit. I have that kind of luck at times.

 

[bethh]

Hey there.

Cute puppy. I'm new to LGD as I just got my first one today.

I have worked for years at Banfield. They offer wellness plans for dogs and cats. It includes all preventative care for a year and with puppies can include spay or neuter surgery. So for a puppy it would cover all vaccines depending upon what you want to give your puppy, 3 fecal checks, 4 preventative dewormings with pyrantel, heartworm test after 8 months old, all office visits, 2 comprehensive physicals. If your puppy were to get sick and needs to be seen, you don't pay an office visit and you'd get a discount on any meds or test needed. Banfield is across the country and you can use your plan at any location.

With that being said, people either love or hate Banfield. Research the hospital and see how their reviews are.

 

[mystang89]

I do not have insurance for my animals. I can barely afford insurance for myself, wife, and children.

Wonderful looking pup you have there!

 

[Girlies' Mum]

I think having pet insurance is in part to do with the type of person you are (not counting financial considerations which may preclude it of course). I know many people here (UK) put money in a bank account reserved for their animal vet bills and reckon it is earning interest for them, not the insurance company. .

For me, pet insurance is a real must as I know if there is a very big problem, at the time i am most worried I only have to think of the dog's welfare, not about whether I can afford it, which would break my heart as they are family to me. (Unfortunately with my track record over 3 animals, the insurance company is probably bitterly regretting even taking me on and I am so glad I got it.)

Even my new pup had to see a specialist neurologist aged 4 months and have tests costing about $2,500 for weird, abnormal movement attacks. She has an incredibly rare condition and they have stopped the attacks totally using a very specialist medication so now she is a beautiful, well little pup who I love dearly. The medication is not very expensive and she shouldn't need further expensive care for this. If I hadn't had insurance, I maybe wouldn't have been referred to the specialist centre and she would still be having these attacks (my own vets had never heard of the condition or the treatment). I wouldn't want to be without insurance for my peace of mind.

One thought - I belong to a FB group for dogs with cancer based in the US, and it seems that some of your insurance plans exclude some things like cancer whereas the UK companies are much more inclusive of the condition - I suggest reading the small print as a number of the members had a nasty shock.

 

[BrendaMNgri]

The working dog liability insurance program is an option.
I was contracted by the American Sheep Industry owned insurance companies to help create and implement it.
Those are some of my dogs, or dogs I bred, you see on the website.
Part of the package (which can be used for both LGDs and herding dogs) are loss prevention manuals that I wrote.
Check it out if you are concerned about liability issues revolving around the use of LGDs. If your dog bites someone,
what will you do? With WDLI you are covered. Their lawyers go to bat for you.
It is actually quite affordable.