Is Chow Chow pet insurance worth it?
Naturally energetic, Chow Chows require a lot of physical exercise. However, you can’t predict when accidents will happen or when your pets will get sick. Keeping them healthy can require unexpected visits to the vet.
As a purebred, Chow Chows are likely to develop genetic health conditions throughout their life. These health problems can quickly lead to large medical bills that become unaffordable for many Americans.
Pet insurance helps to cover the cost of health problems and takes the stress out of making financial decisions for your dog. If an emergency, illness, or accident arises, pet insurance can give you the peace of mind you need, that your dog is in safe hands and will receive the necessary medical attention.
Common health conditions for a Chow Chow
Chow Chows can live a long and stable life, but be mindful that they can develop health conditions along the way and many of these can be hereditary. Some common health conditions a Chow Chow can experience are:
- Hip Dysplasia: A genetic condition that is passed down due to abnormal development of the hip joints, hip dysplasia can be painful for dogs and require expensive treatment. Unable to run or perhaps even walk, surgery may be required to help your dog get back to good health.
- Elbow Dysplasia: This condition occurs when the bones in the elbow are abnormally aligned, causing pain during movement. This can lead to elbow arthritis. Treatment will depend on which stage of development the disease is in.
- Patellar Luxation: With this health issue, the knee cap can move to create a dislocation of the knee. In the worst cases, this can affect the dog’s ability to walk where the dog will shift its weight to its forelimbs to keep balance.
- Eye diseases: With deep-set eyes, Chow Chows can be prone to eye diseases including cataracts, glaucoma, and entropion. If left untreated, some conditions can lead to blindness and some diseases may require surgery.
What does pet insurance cover for a Chow Chow?
Based on your plan, pet insurance covers a range of treatments and procedures for your Chow Chow. Depending on your coverage, you could receive the following:
- Accident and illness: If there is an unexpected event where your Chow Chow falls sick or has an accident, pet insurance will cover the costs of receiving treatment from your vet.
- Cancer: Pet insurance can cover cancer-related treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation treatment. Policy coverage will vary depending on the provider, therefore be sure to shop around.
- Surgery and hospitalization: For certain genetic conditions, surgery may be required to bring your dog back to good health. Pet insurance can help cover the costs of surgery and overnight stay in a hospital.
- Breed-specific conditions: Genetic conditions such as elbow and hip dysplasia are covered in many pet insurance policies.
In addition, some policies allow you to use any vet with no restrictions. It’s a good idea to carefully read the terms and conditions to ensure that a vet near you is covered by insurance.
If you require wellness coverage for routine check-ups or dental coverage this can be limited. However, this will be available in certain policies as an add-on.
How are insurance premiums determined for a Chow Chow?
Many different factors determine the cost of your pet insurance coverage. Some of these factors include:
- Age: Older dogs can have more health problems which can make them more expensive to insure and some providers will not insure them at all. In addition, many insurance policies will not cover pre-existing conditions which can lead to more out-of-pocket expenses if you choose to change insurance providers later in life.
- Breed: Many breeds can be susceptible to genetic health conditions, which can increase the cost of your insurance premiums.
- Policy deductibles: When shopping around for pet insurance, you can adjust the deductible to be in line with your budget. Keep in mind that while high deductibles will reduce the cost of your premium, you will be responsible for vet costs up to the limit your policy can take effect.
- Location: The cost of veterinary services can differ between locations. If you’re in an area will high veterinary prices, your premiums will be higher to account for this.
- Insurance providers: Prices can differ from one provider to another. Be sure to shop around for the best rates and prices. In addition, some insurers can provide different levels of coverage such as accident-only coverage or accident and illness coverage. The more coverage you take, the higher your premiums.
It’s important to note that policies do have exclusions. These typically include breeding costs, cosmetic surgery, and pre-existing conditions.
How to choose the best Chow Chow pet insurance?
Chow Chow owners should consider pet insurance specific to their dog’s needs. Susceptible to several health conditions, it can be time-consuming to find the best pet insurance for your dog. To help you, here are some key factors to consider when shopping for your pet insurance plan:
- Waiting periods: The majority of policies can have waiting periods where your policy does not come into effect until a certain number of days have passed after the policy start date. Some of these wait periods can range from 7 days to 180 days. Be sure to check your terms and conditions before purchasing, as health care costs are unlikely to be covered in this period if an accident or illness arises.
- Calculate your budget and coverage needs: Depending on your budget, the level of coverage can be limited to a few thousand dollars up to unlimited coverage. It’s important to consider your dog’s health conditions to avoid taking out excessive coverage that isn’t required.