The Cautionary Tail of Pet Insurance for Maximus Jr.

If you think getting a puppy and not getting pet insurance immediately is a good idea, think again. I got an 8-week-old Rottweiler and thought I had time to get pet insurance once he was a little older. I felt good about that decision because he came with AKC paperwork showing that he is from a great genetic stock and has great genes in his bloodline. I couldn’t have been more wrong in my thinking.

At around 6 months, my Rottweiler started having stomach and digestive issues that took about 1 year to fully test and properly diagnose. So, after a few emergency visits to the vet and several other separate visits to get blood work and tests done, I was out roughly $3,000 to find out my puppy had IBS and needed to go on probiotics and special food.

While those helped, it didn’t cure the problem. Between the late-night bowl accidents on my carpet and days of him being lethargic and just not feeling his best, I had to continue to spend money out of my own pocket to continue getting tests and treatment, and it seemed like it was always more than just IBS.

All of these medical issues were pre-existing, so even at this point, had I purchased a pet insurance policy, none of the treatment and stomach problems would have been covered by a pet insurance policy. Now, the vets have tried several different prescription dog foods and different probiotics to try and help manage his tummy issues.

I was into all of this for about $7,000, and he was only 3 years old now. His condition didn’t get much better, and after a few emergency vet visits on the weekends and late-night for vomiting and diarrhea, my poor pup— all I wanted to do was have him be happy and healthy, and no matter what I did or the vets tried, it only helped for a few days, but nothing ever fixed the issues, and within a week or two, the stomach issues would return.

I hated seeing my guy so uncomfortable all the time, and because it had to do with digestion, skin issues, ear infections, and UTIs kept popping up, causing more out-of-pocket costs. By the time he was 5 years old, I was into treatment and medications for about $15,000, including the prescription dog food. He was about 175 pounds and in great shape, but for a dog that size, any food or medication quickly adds up in cost for his size.

Unfortunately, because of all the improper nutrition and his inability to properly digest nutrients, his body started to get weak, and he had more and more medical issues that continued to arise as a result of the original diagnosis of IBS. Because the IBS was the underlying issue, anything that resulted in connection to that was deemed pre-existing, and no pet insurance would provide coverage for any of these issues. Unfortunately, all of these medical issues and improper nutrients being absorbed into his body caused this amazing pup’s life to be drastically cut short.

While the outcome may have been the same with pet insurance had I bought it when I first got my Rottweiler, one thing is for sure:

I would have saved myself $15,000 to $20,000 on out-of-pocket expenses diagnosing and treating all of his medical issues that arose over the 5-year period. So, this is a cautionary tail of why you need to get insurance on day 1 of bringing home your furry family member. It may not save your pet’s life, but it will save your bank account.