I am not a veterinarian so I had never heard of a Portosystemic Shunt before working in pet insurance. Have you ever heard of it before now?
Despite my ignorance, a Portosystemic Shunt is a serious hereditary condition that affects both small dogs (particularly Yorkshire Terriers and Miniature Schnauzers) and large dogs (Irish Wolfhound) as well as people too.
What is a Portosystemic Shunt?
For those of us not versed in veterinary speak, it's a blood vessel that bipasses the liver so that some of the dog's blood is not scrubbed of toxins and the liver doesn't get the blood flow it needs to do some of the other good stuff it does like help the immune system and produce important blood chemicals. Over time, the poisons accumulate and the dog eventually dies if left untreated.
Treatment
Surgery is the most effective treatment where the offending blood vessel is clamped off, forcing the blood to go where it's supposed to. I've seen surgery costs range anywhere from $2,000 to $5,000 so it's definitely something you want pet insurance to cover given the costs involved (make sure your pet insurance policy covers hereditary conditions though).
Here's a claim example from 2010 from a simple surgery on Ozzie, a 1 year old Yorkshire Terrier in Havre De Grace, Maryland.
| DATE | ITEM | BILLED AMOUNT |
| 1/14/2010 | Referral Examination | $121.00 |
| 1/14/2010 | Protein C | $45.00 |
| 1/14/2010 | Bile Acids Test | $50.50 |
| 1/14/2010 | Nuclear Med Portal Scintigraphy | $120.00 |
| 1/14/2010 | Butorphanol -Omnicell | $6.00 |
| 1/15/2010 | Lactulose Syrup | $6.00 |
| 1/15/2010 | Biopsy | $53.00 |
| 1/15/2010 | Cefazolin -Omnicell | $7.00 |
| 1/15/2010 | Buprenorphine | $18.00 |
| 1/15/2010 | Dextrose 50% | $4.00 |
| 1/15/2010 | Professional Fee | $42.00 |
| 1/15/2010 | ICU Care Level 2 | $100.00 |
| 1/15/2010 | Portosystemic Shunt, Extraheptic | $184.00 |
| 1/15/2010 | Professional Services | $300.00 |
| 1/15/2010 | Material Charges | $75.00 |
| 1/15/2010 | Inhalant | $277.00 |
| 1/15/2010 | Doppler | $21.00 |
| 1/15/2010 | Bair Hugger | $16.00 |
| 1/15/2010 | Misc Drugs | $40.00 |
| 1/15/2010 | Continous Rate Infusion | $16.00 |
| 1/15/2010 | Ventilator Surcharge | $16.00 |
| 1/15/2010 | Dopamine | $0.75 |
| 1/15/2010 | Initial Fluid Set up | $100.00 |
| 1/15/2010 | PCV/TP | $8.50 |
| 1/15/2010 | Glucometer Reading | $34.00 |
| 1/16/2010 | Meloxicam Suspension | $6.00 |
| 1/16/2010 | Neomycin | $6.00 |
| 1/16/2010 | Buprenorphine | $18.00 |
| 1/16/2010 | Meloxicam Inj | $6.00 |
| 1/16/2010 | Professional Fee | $42.00 |
| 1/16/2010 | Professional Fee | $42.00 |
| 1/16/2010 | ICU 1/2 day | $47.50 |
| Total | $1,828.25 |
This surgery was performed at a specialty clinic at the University of Tennessee's College of Veterinary Medicine. More complex surgeries can run over $4,000, depending on the number and location of blood vessels involved and where they were performed.
Ozzie's pet insurance payout was calculated as follows:
| STEP 1: Calculate Potential Refund | ||||||||
| Billed Amount: | $1,828.25 | |||||||
| Covered Chgs: | $1,828.25 | |||||||
| Annual deductible remaining | $0.00 | |||||||
| subtotal | $1,828.25 | |||||||
| Copay 10% | (your copayment) | $182.83 | ||||||
| Potential Refund | $1,645.42 | |||||||
| STEP 2: Compare potential refund against your annual maximums | ||||||||
| Annual Max | $10,000.00 | |||||||
| Prior refunds for this policy year | $46.48 | |||||||
| Coverage remaining | $9,953.52 | |||||||
| Your total refund is: | $1,645.42 | |||||||
Ozzie had a $500 annual deductible, which had already been used up by his preliminary visits to the veterinarian to investigate his illness, and a 10% copay and $10,000 annual maximum. His policy premiums are $278.14 a year.
Do you have a dog that has gone through this surgery?
Related Posts:
March is Genetic Condition Month at Embrace Pet Insurance
Guest Post: the importance of consider hereditary conditions when choosing a dog
Claim Example: portosystemic shunt surgery
Cardiomyopathy in Cats
