My chihuahua mix occasional lets out a yelp and limps while playing. He then doesn't put weight on his back left foot for a few minutes. This has happened a handful of times in the last week or two. I have a vet appointment scheduled for early next week. I hope it's not too serious, the pad looks fine. I've poked/squeezed his leg to try to determine where the pain is but he doesn't give me any indication.
Does anyone have pet insurance? I looked into it and it's $15-50/m depending on deductible etc which adds up to a lot of money over the course of a dog's lifetime. Doggie x-rays must be expensive though.
Should I get pet insurance? Will it go into affect by next Monday?
Sorry for sideways picture.
Dog loves his bed.
Sounds like it may be a luxating patella issue, but of course a vet would be able to tell you a lot better.
Im not very familar with pet health insurance, but I know of the optiobs out there theyre not very many good ones in regards to what they cover vs how much it cost. A better option would be to see if your vet accepts CareCredit, which is like a credit card you apply for and gives you a credit limit of $600+ dollars depending on your credit. The vet i work for accepts it and its usually interest free for the first 18 months or so
>>2096144
Doggy x rays really aren't that much, and you will save money in the long run. Pet insurance is not normally worth it, and it normally doesn't go into effect fast enough, because they want to discourage people signing up right when they have a problem.
Your dog needs to go to the vet to make sure its not serious or fixable, but honestly, I've had 2 chihuahuas who started limping on a back leg and they normally work it out themselves. They just learn to not use it as much. I have a dog right now with that problem and she can still run as fast as she ever could, and she doesn't seem bothered at all.
I have a blown knee myself. I've learned not to sit cross legged or put all my weight on it, and I live just fine from day to day.
>Should I get pet insurance?
I consider it worth it. Generally, you send in your vet bills until you meet a deducible, and then everything after that is compensated 90%.
I am fairly well off, but the idea of having to sink 2-3k on one of my animals at once would be really hard on me. You are also compensated the 90%. You still have to pay the out-of-pocket costs, and then they'll re-reimburse you, just to be clear on how it works.
It is just like every kind of insurance: you are buying peace of mind. If you think the cost of peace of mind is worth it, then go for it.
>Will it go into affect by next Monday?
No, it generally will not. I just bought it for my new dog and it took about half a month to go in-force. They will also make you agree that you were unaware of any pre-existing conditions. To take your dog in for what a claims adjuster will tell is an obvious pre-existing condition the day after your policy goes in-force is going to look fishy as fuck.
They have a waiting period exactly for people like you, not to be rude.
for what it's worth, I'm a CVT at a shelter and I don't know of any of my coworkers that have pet insurance. they're really good at taking your money every month and not giving it to you when you need it, more so than human insurance from what I've heard
but if you take basic care of your animals it's not usually needed. I've always owned hardy mutts and taken care of them, so the only big cost they've had was getting my older dog's teeth cleaned and one extracted, but at 13 it's kind of expected. and I'm positive they have methods in place to prevent people from signing up right before needing medical work done like you're planning on
issues with the knees are extremely common in chihuahuas, especially the smaller more inbred ones. unless there's a complicated surgery, it likely won't be a lot of money.
>>2096274
your a tech, does what the poster two posts above yours describe in his dogs sound like old ccl tears? I guess more info would help
>>2096157
>making a giant ass ramp for the dog
>not having a ramp to go to the ramp
Well you did more than most people would. I'd still make a ramp leading to the deck so he doesn't have to hop/jump onto the deck.
>>2096546
Yeah, I'm looking into reducing his jumping now. He seems pretty athletic for a little dogger so I didn't think it was a problem but I suppose doing it repetitively might wear on him.
see what exactly it will cover and if your vet will accept it. you may have to pay for everything out of pocket and then fight tooth and nail to be reimbursed. for a dog that is prone to many heath problems like a chihuahua mix it might be worth it.
>>2096563
>chihuahua mix
I was hoping that him being a mix would make him more healthy. Not sure what he's mixed with he's about 16-18lbs.
>No, it generally will not. I just bought it for my
>new dog and it took about half a month to go
>in-force. They will also make you agree that
>you were unaware of any pre-existing
>conditions. To take your dog in for what a
>claims adjuster will tell is an obvious pre-
>existing condition the day after your policy
>goes in-force is going to look fishy as fuck.
>They have a waiting period exactly for people
>like you, not to be rude.
This. All this. We had pet insurance on two different pets. Don't bother with it right now, anon. Just focus on fixing your pup.
