Is pet insurance worth it for an Old English Sheepdog?
Pet insurance is a good investment for this breed, with a longer life expectancy than many other dogs. The average lifespan of an Old English Sheepdog is 12 years, although they can live well into their teens. As your dog grows older, he’ll be more vulnerable to illnesses that can be expensive to treat, such as arthritis and cancer.
Because this breed needs regular grooming, you may want to consider adding routine care coverage to your pet insurance policy. This will help reimburse you for routine vet visits like checkups and blood work and grooming costs such as ear cleaning and nail trimming. You may also be reimbursed for spay or neuter surgery or microchip procedures, depending on the plan.
If you adopt an Old English Sheepdog from a rescue organization or shelter, check if he already has any medical conditions covered by his current pet insurance policy. You may want to consider keeping the same policy rather than switching insurers.
Common health conditions for an Old English Sheepdog
The following diseases and conditions are known to affect the Old English Sheepdog:
- Deafness: This is an inherited condition found in many breeds, including the Old English Sheepdog. It’s not always easy to detect deafness in a puppy or young dog, so the best way to know if your puppy could be affected is to ask the breeder about its parents’ hearing.
- Hip Dysplasia: This is a common condition found in many larger breeds. It’s thought to be caused by multiple factors such as heredity, nutrition and environment. The result is a laxity of the hip joint, leading to lameness and arthritis. Your veterinarian can conduct an x-ray of your dog’s hips to determine if they are affected by this condition.
- Cataracts: They cause a loss of the normal transparency of the eye lens and can cause serious vision problems. The condition usually occurs in older dogs and can be surgically removed.
- Gastric Torsion: Also known as bloat, a sudden life-threatening illness associated with the stomach filling with air and twisting. Dogs with deep, narrow chests are most often affected.
- Otitis Externa: This inflammation and infection of the ear canal cause redness, swelling, and pain. It is usually treated with antibiotics and may require surgery to clean out the ears.
- Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA): This disease involves the gradual deterioration of the retina, which can lead to blindness. PRA is detectable years before the dog shows any signs of blindness. Fortunately, dogs can use their other senses to compensate for blindness, and a blind dog can live a full and happy life.
- Cerebellar ataxia: This disease is a degenerative nervous system disorder. It causes a loss of control over voluntary muscles and coordination. The cerebellum, the center of motor activity in the brain, deteriorates and causes problems with movement, balance and coordination.
What does pet insurance cover for an Old English Sheepdog?
It depends on the policy, but pet insurance generally covers three types of services:
- Accidents: These are quite common — your dog may swallow something he shouldn’t, get hit by a car, or fall off a high surface. Treatment for accidents is what drives most claims for dogs.
- Illness: Pets can pick up diseases just like their owners. Some are more common than others. Cancer, especially lymphoma, is one of the most common diseases among dogs, and treatment can run pockets dry.
- Routine care: This can include vaccinations and annual check-ups. Some companies will cover this as part of their wellness plans; others won’t. Other routine care services might include spaying or neutering and teeth cleaning.
How are pet insurance premiums determined for an Old English Sheepdog?
As a pet owner, you want to do everything to keep your pet healthy and happy. Pet insurance offers peace of mind by helping you pay for veterinary care if your furry friend becomes sick or injured. The cost of pet insurance depends on several factors, including:
- Location: Typically, larger cities are more expensive than rural areas. This is due to higher veterinary costs and the fact that more dogs live in urban areas than in rural regions.
- Age: The earlier you insure your dog, the better. You want to enroll as a puppy before any health problems arise to avoid exclusions for hereditary or pre-existing conditions. As your dog ages, his chances of developing health problems increase and his premium.
- Deductible: Pet insurance policies typically have annual limits on how much the insurer will pay each year. Policies can also have lifetime limits on how much they’ll payout over the life of an insured pet. Finally, most policies have deductibles that you’ll need to pay before the insurer starts paying out benefits. In all three cases, lower limits and higher deductibles mean lower premiums.
- Gender: Female dogs are typically cheaper to insure than male dogs. They tend to live longer and are less likely to develop certain conditions, like testicular cancer.
How to choose the best pet insurance plan for an Old English Sheepdog
There are many good reasons for insuring your Old English Sheepdog, but it’s not an easy decision. To find the plan that’s right for you and your pet, there are a few things you need to know before making a decision:
- Check out the company’s reputation: You should check out how long they’ve been in business. Some of the newer companies have only been around for a few years. That may be fine, but you’ll want to make sure they have a solid financial footing and aren’t likely to go out of business in a few years, leaving you with no policy and no reimbursement for veterinary bills.
- Consider your budget: When shopping for pet insurance, check to see your monthly premium and how much of your vet bills the policy will reimburse. You’ll want to balance those costs against how much you could afford to pay out of pocket if your pet got sick or had an accident.
- Consider pre-existing conditions: Most plans don’t cover pre-existing conditions. If your pet has been diagnosed with a condition or is showing symptoms of one, make sure that diagnosis is excluded from coverage before buying any policy.
- Define your needs: You should have a good idea of what type of care your pet requires to find a plan that meets those needs at an affordable rate. For example, if your dog is prone to ear infections and skin allergies, look for a coverage plan for those conditions. On the other hand, if your cat is healthy and only visits the vet once every year or two, you might want to look at a less expensive plan with fewer coverage options.