Embrace Pet Insurance Blog

Breed focus: German Shepherd Dog

A few months back, I was researching genetic conditions in various dog breeds and was shocked to find that the German Shepherd Dog had 146 hereditary conditions listed. Partly that includes all the one-off conditions that someone noticed in one dog but still, that's a lot of conditions. I had no idea.

Thank goodness then for the write up of the German Shepherd Dog over at the Embrace Pet Health Center that helps pull together all the features of the breed.

Rin Tin Tin, a pup found in a World War I battle zone, became the world’s first canine movie star, forever marking the German Shepherd Dog as one of the most recognized breeds. From his imposing size to his erect ears and dark, intelligent eyes, he has achieved legendary status as the ideal canine. A versatile, athletic and fearless working dog, the Shepherd has done just about every job a dog can do, from leading the blind and detecting drugs to dragging down fleeing criminals and serving in the armed forces. An energetic, loyal and devoted companion, the German Shepherd isn’t a breed but a lifestyle.

Apart from learning that a German Shepherd Dog is not for my household (2 energetic young children and a growing business is more than enough for us right now), there is a very informative table on the breed specific conditions a GSD can get:

As you can see, out of the top 10 listed conditions a German Shepher Dog can get, 5 are orthopedic and 3 of the 5 are listed as having high risk. That's a lot of expensive health care if you aren't careful.

The article also has 9 tips on how to get a healthy German Shepherd Dog:

1. Do not buy a puppy from a magazine ad or on the internet
2. Try to find someone local with a Shepherd of the kind you like (there are several variations ranging from show, obedience and working dogs to companions)
3. Ask to see written, independent documentation of tests of the breeder's dogs for the main health issues GSDs can get.
4. Ask about the new test for degenerative myelopathy
5. Don't fall for a breeder who tells you it's not necessary to do any of those tests
6. Ask about independent temperament testing of her dogs
7. Talk to local dog trainers to find the origins of any particularly nice German Shepherd dogs they've worked with
8. Make sure you have a good contract with the seller of your new dog
9. Take your new dog to your veterinarian soon after adoption.

More details can be found on the Embrace Pet Health Center webpage for German Shepherd Dogs

Guest Post: Four Most Common Orthopedic Problems in Dogs

Today, we have a guest post from Dr. Rex Riggs, owner of Best Friends Veterinary Hospital in Powell, Ohio. He is a veterinarian, and an Advisory Board member of Embrace Pet Insurance. Dr. Riggs writes about orthopedic issues from a small animal practioner's perspective.
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Orthopedic problems in dogs are commonly seen in a busy small animal veterinary practice. We are becoming a more active society and often include our dog friends in our athletic pursuits. Running, chasing a ball or catching a Frisbee are all great exercise for dogs but can also result in injuries. We are also seeing more purebred dogs with all their great attributes but we also see the less desirable traits that come with that breeding. Many breeds are genetically predisposed to muscular skeletal problems.

The four most common orthopedic problems seen in dogs are hip dysplasia, torn cruciate ligaments, patellar luxations, and disc problems.

1. Hip dysplasia:
   A genetic disease, hip dysplasia is influenced by a number of factors. It is a much more common in large breed dogs such as German Shepherd Dogs, Labrador and Golden Retrievers. Treatment often involves lifetime anti-inflammatory medications which can run $2 to $3 dollars a day. If the hips develop extensive arthritis, often titanium joint replacements need to be used costing between $2,000 to $3,000 per hip. Preventative measures are the key and weight plays a huge role in the expression of hip dysplasia. It has been shown keeping your dog lean can decrease dysplasia by up to 30%. Weight reduction is the number one pain reliever in dogs and people.
2. Cruciate Ligament Tears:
   How many times do you read in the paper about your favorite football player out for the season with an ACL tear? ACL stands for anterior cranial cruciate and it is the ligament that keeps the knee in working order. Well, instead of a big linebacker taking out your dog’s knee it is more likely a squirrel or rabbit that your dog took chase (which he never catches!). The squirrel zigs, the dog zags and there goes the knee! Torn cruciate ligaments, just like in people need to be surgically repaired to prevent crippling arthritis. There are many different types of surgical procedures and the type used depends on the size of the dog, and can range from $1,500 to $2,500.
3. Luxating Patellas:
   Knee cap problems are also commonly seen in many breeds of dogs. The kneecap, or patella, rests in a groove. Smaller dog’s patella’s tend to slip out of the groove to the inside or medially, and is known as medial patellar luxation. Medial patellar luxation in small dogs can often be repaired for $1,000 to $1,200. Larger dogs patellas, generally slips to the outside or laterally. These dogs often have other more involved problems with the bones of the leg as well and thus repair can be more complicated, costing as much as $3,500.
4. Disc Disease:
   Just as with many of us, our dogs also can have disc problems in their neck and backs. Cocker Spaniels, Poodles, Dachshunds and Lhasa Apsos are all breeds that can suffer from neck disc issues, whereas large breed dogs often have chronic lower back issues. Most of these cases can be treated conservatively with the same medications used to treat hip dysplasia. When discs become ruptured, they become surgical emergencies. The disc material can slip into the spinal canal or nerves causing intense pain or even paralysis. These surgeries need to be done often within hours in order to get good results. These emergency back surgeries can reach $3,000 to $5,000.

Related Posts: other posts by Dr Riggs

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Dr. Rex Riggs grew up in Wadsworth, Ohio, near Akron. Dr Riggs is co-owner of Best Friends Veterinary Hospital in Powell, Ohio. He is also on the board of the North Central Region of Canine Companions of Independence, a board member of The Ohio State College of Veterinary Medicine Alumni Society and Small Animal Practitioner Advancement Board at The Ohio State College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Riggs lives in Lewis Center with his wife Nancy, their two dogs Boo and Maggie, and two cats Franklin and Speeder. Outside of work, Dr. Riggs is an avid golfer and enjoys travel and photography.

PawNation talks pet insurance

AOL's Paw Nation blog recently ran an article on pet insurance, with a nice mention of Embrace.

Pet insurance covers your pet's accidents, injuries, and illnesses; sometimes it will even take care of chronic conditions, dental care or check-ups. Depending on the type of care your pet needs, pet health insurance can help your four-legged friend maintain a healthy lifestyle without the build up of vet bills.

It's not a bad little article but needs a little clarification in some areas:

Article: ...Unlike most human health insurance, many pet insurance plans let you keep your vet, so your pooch or kitty won't have to leave his or her favorite doctor.

Fact: currently, ALL pet insurance plans let you keep going to your veterinarian. Quite frankly, your veterinarian doesn't even have to know you have pet insurance because you pay your vet bill and then claim from the pet insurer directly. 

Article: ...On the other end of the spectrum, Embrace Pet Insurance covers cancer treatments and chronic illnesses, but not pre-existing conditions, like respiratory infections.

Fact: it's true, Embrace does not cover pre-existing conditions - but then, neither does any other pet insurer. Having said that, we do cover pre-existing conditions if the condition is curable, like a respiratory infection, after goes away for 12 months or more. And just to be absolutely clear, we cover respiratory infections if they aren't pre-existing conditions, just in case you were wondering :)

Article: Pet insurance isn't for everyone. Talk to your vet about what type of pet health insurance plan would be best for you and your furry companion.

Fact: there's no doubt that there are many veterinarians who understand pet insurance and  would be able and willing help you decide what plan is best for you - but not as many as you might think. Vets focus on loving care and veterinary medicine - that's their job. They may feel pet insurance comes under that purview; they may not.  Would you ask your own doctor which health insurance plan is right for you?

When looking into pet insurance, I recommend you research in many places to find the plan that works for you - by all means, ask your veterinarian what he or she thinks, but also...

• read pet blogs on the topic,
• talk to other pet parents about their pet insurance experience,
• read online reviews (www.petinsurancereview.com is a good place to start),
• go to the companies' websites and call them with your questions.

Then you'll be in a good place to make the right decision for you.

Heimdall, the Gentle Giant Wins 2009 NAPHIA Favorite Pet Story Award

Heimdall was an Embraced Great Dane whom everyone at Embrace was very fond of. Poor Heimdall contracted a severe case of pneumonia that became resistant to all drugs and he eventually succumbed to his condition in September 2009.  

Meg, who rescued him through the Rocky Mountain Great Dane Rescue Group based out of Denver CO, was selected as winner of the NAPHIA pet story competition as part of National Pet Health Insurance Month in September with Heimdall's story. She highlighted the importance of pet insurance in caring for Heimdall in her story:

We'd done the usual paying of premiums for years without actually needing the insurance, not that I'm complaining. It's how we all wish it will go forever. However, within the space of six months, all our expense and effort was repaid in ways we'd never imagined. After two courses of antibiotics failed to keep the cough away, our vet referred us to Wheat Ridge Animal Hospital, staffed with specialists in all areas of veterinarian medicine. The vet we saw there is one of the best respiratory doctors in the country and we waltzed in, confident we'd have this thing licked in no time. Our optimism became months of trying one antibiotic after another, included countless lung x-rays and three bronchoscopies. At one point, we were paying over $300 a day for the "big guns" antibiotic, fighting both staph and e-coli bacterias which had settled in Heimdall's lungs. It was at this point that we realized the value of not only having pet insurance, but the added drug and dental benefit we'd decided to purchase with it. The vet visits and procedures were high enough. But, it was the prescriptions required to keep Heimdall healthy that really ran the bill up. Between November 2008 and May 2009 our pet insurance company had paid our maximum annual benefit of $10,000.

Heimdall's life and Meg's award are being celebrated this coming Saturday, November 7 at The “Cocktails for Tails” event taking place from 5:30 to 8:30PM at the Rembrandt Art Gallery, 1301 Spruce St., Boulder, for the general public; tickets are $30 per person and $55 per couple.

You are more than welcome to attend - give Meg a hug for Heimdall would you?

Guest post: A General Discussion of Orthopedic Issues in Dogs

In the Embrace Pet Insurance policy terms and conditions, and orthopedic condition is defined as: 
"related to the musculosketal system, which is made up of the body’s bones (the skeleton), muscles, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, joints, and other connective tissue (the tissue that supports and binds tissues and organs together)."

So, with that rather unwieldy definition at the top of our mind, let's talk turkey about ortho conditions.

Today we have a guest post from Dr Susan Wright, Electric Dog Fence DIY's staff veterinarian, on the different types of orthopedic conditions.
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Orthopedic issues are a very common reason for dogs to visit their veterinarian. They relate to problems with the bones, muscles, joints and ligaments of his body. These problems can be as simple as a strained ligament, or as complicated as a fracture of the pelvis.

There are several causes of orthopedic problems in our dogs. Firstly, they may be congenital, where your dog is actually born with the condition. One example is patellar luxation, where his kneecap freely moves out of its groove in his thigh bone. If not treated appropriately, it leads to lameness and arthritis in your dog's knee joint.

Orthopedic conditions can also be developmental, where the condition develops more slowly, and is influenced by other factors as your dog matures. The best example is hip dysplasia. Whether or not your dog becomes affected by hip dysplasia depends not only on genetics, but also on his nutrition as he grows, and how much exercise he gets when he's young.

Lastly, they can be acquired, when your dog injures his musculoskeletal system while playing, or in an accident. Fractures associated with motor vehicle accidents, or cruciate ligament ruptures while playing ball are both examples of acquired orthopedic conditions.

When you take your dog to your vet with an orthopedic problem, there are times when it's easy to obtain a diagnosis. She will usually be able to feel a fractured bone in his leg, or recognize the abnormal movement of his knee joint when a ligament is torn. In every case of an orthopedic condition, x rays will be taken to firstly confirm the diagnosis, and secondly to assess if there is any further damage to surrounding tissues. In the case of a bone fracture, an x ray will also help your vet decide on the best technique for repairing the break.

When it comes to treatment, there are several options for your dog. There are many conditions that your regular vet is very qualified to manage, such as straightforward limb fractures; however, she may recommend that you take your dog to a board certified orthopedist for further treatment. These specialists have undergone specific training in orthopedics, and can perform difficult procedures such as total hip replacements.

In some cases, surgery is the best way of managing your dog's orthopedic problem; however other modes of treatment may also offer some relief. Anti-inflammatory pain relieving medication can be used in acute injuries, as well as for more chronic conditions such as arthritis. Those who are interested in alternative therapies are often very interested in trying acupuncture to treat their dogs. Many vets are recommending physical therapy and hydrotherapy in conjunction with more conventional treatments. Many times, our dogs must endure a period of restricted exercise while they recover.

We are very fortunate in that most orthopedic conditions in our dogs can be treated, bringing them pain relief and allowing them to return to normal mobility and function.
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This guest post is brought to you by Electric Dog Fence DIY's staff veterinarian Dr. Susan Wright. Dog Fence DIY takes you through all the steps of using an electric fence for dogs including installation, training, and how to find the best system for you and your pet. Electric Dog Fence offers a wide variety of different pet containment systems at the best available price to you.

Cruciate Ligament Surgery: Barron the Pit Bull Mix

Continuing Orthopedic Month at Embrace, I wanted to give you an example of how a persistent limp can turn into $7,000 of veterinary bills.

Here's the story of 5 year old pitbull mix Barron, who had not one, but TWO cruciate ligament injuries, requiring two major surgeries.

Barron's symptoms were not immediate, nor persistently bad, but his lameness flared up and down, particularly when he played hard. After a month or two of these symptoms, his owner took him to the vet and the cruciate ligaments were diagnosed by X-ray.

Here's an example of the costs associated with one of those surgeries performed in April 2009 in Newburgh, NY:

 

ITEM	BILLED AMOUNT
NYS Mandated Biological	$ 4.50
Operating Theater	$ 17.30
Surgical Pack And Disposables	$ 32.00
Surgical Pack	$ 39.50
IV Cath /SQ Fluids	$ 50.00
Injections - Multiple	$ 50.50
OR/Orthopedic	$ 94.50
Anesthesia-Isofluorane	$ 152.60
Cruciate Ligament Repair	$ 2,250.00
Fentanyl Patch 5 day Pain 50ug/hr	$ 71.00
Fentanyl Patch 5 day Pain 25ug/hr	$ 39.00
Technician Assistant	$ 41.00
Nursing	$ 14.80
Morphine Inject	$ 0.00
Telazol	$ 0.00
Convenia Cefovecin 2 wk injection	$ 105.00
Hospitalization	$ 74.50
NYS Mandated Biological	$ 4.50
Medicated 2x daily	$ 29.00
Nursing	$ 14.80
Tramadol HCL #10 Qty 20	$ 25.15
Rimadyl 100mg Qty 14	$ 47.37
	$ 3,157.02

Remember, this is just one of two surgeries that Barron had to have for a total cost of treatment of $6,989.99.

Tom, Barron's owner says "After hearing horror stories from a friend about their dog and the costs involved with treatments he received, my wife and I looked into pet insurance and decided that Embrace was the way to go. Barron had to have not 1 but 2 major surgeries on his rear legs, after injuring one while playing, and the other by chasing after animals in our back yard. He also suffers from hip dysplasia."

Read more about Barron's cruciate ligament rupture claim over at the Embrace website.

Related posts:
November is Orthopedic Month at Embrace Pet Insurance
How much did you say a ruptured cruciate ligament cost to treat in my dog?
Ski - a dog who recovered from a cruciate ligament injury without surgery
What happens when my dog's cruciate ligament tears?
Tibial tuberosity advancement (TTA) versus a Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy (TPLO) in dogs
$3,449 claim: Rottweiler with hip dysplasia has ACL repair

November is Orthopedic Month at Embrace Pet Insurance

Back before Embrace Pet Insurance was but a twinkle in my eye, I knew something about pet health (it's hard not to learn with a dog and at least 4 cats in the house at any one time as a kid) but nothing like I know now.

One area I was particularly weak on was canine orthopedic conditions. For some reason, our dogs never had issues with their hips, knees, or elbows, which we're very grateful for so I never had to learn from experience.

But at Embrace, I've learnt quickly. I'd say that orthopedic conditions are our number one category of claim by amount. For example, in the first half of 2009, as a percentage of total claimed amounts at Embrace:

• cruciate ligament ruptures accounted for over 9%
• hip dysplasia - 5%
• patellar luxation - 4%

Wow - nearly 20% of our claims were from just 3 orthopedic conditions!

These are interesting stats, particularly if you are considering different pet insurance policies for your dog. All of these conditions, cruciate ligaments included, are considered genetic in origin, meaning that they are inherited conditions (also known as breed-specific conditions as some breeds are more prone than others for getting certain conditions.)

So, if you want pet health insurance coverage for conditions your mixed or purebred dog is likely to get, you better get a policy that covers hereditary conditions, such as one from Embrace.

Since this type of claim is so important in the grand scheme of things, November is Orthopedic Month at the Embrace blog. I'll explore orthopedic issues in a series of articles from a number of different perspectives. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Oh, and be sure to let me know if you have any particular orthopedic topics you'd like to cover and I'll make sure to address as many as I can throughout the month.

Related Posts:
How much did you say a ruptured cruciate ligament cost to treat in my dog?
$3,449 claim: Rottweiler with hip dysplasia has ACL repair
Hip dysplasia in dogs (and cats)
What happens when my dog's cruciate ligament tears?
Ski - a dog who recovered from a cruciate ligament injury without surgery