My Chow is in a bad way :(

He was running in the garden when his leg gave way.  His cruciate has gone but he also has a swollen hock which shows bone damage which has been going on a few months.  I'm still waiting for the results of the hock, checking for bone cancer.....

I'm trying to be positive about the hock being fixable and if it is he will also need the cruciate repaired.

Now the question of insurance.  His other cruciate was repaired several years ago when I was still in NZ so not claimed for through my current insurers.  Will they consider it a pre-existing condition? Will they ask the vet if the other leg has been repaired?  My vet does know it was done, will he be obliged to mention it.  I'm with Sainsbury's underwritten by Axa.

Anyone with any experience of this?
Thanks, Mel

Sorry to hear about the problems your Chow has. Now to me the fact that the other leg was damaged is not a pre-existing condition of the other leg, but then I am not an insurance company. As lack of angulation is the norm in a Chow then I think they should pay for this, they took your money knowing the breed so I would be pushing.

Hi

Sorry to hear about your dog :-(

I have just had a 4 month battle with our insurer over a claim for surgery for haematoma on Eve's left ear - they have refused to pay!. Why? because she had a haematoma and surgery on her right ear last year ( which we didn't claim for as it was within 14 days of the insurance start )

Our vet was so good trying to help with the claim, faxed the insurer numerous times with full history and stating both haematomas were unrelated due to having different causes, but no luck! :-( The only way they were related was in the fact that both ears were on the same head!!!!!!!!!

I do hope you have much better luck and your insurers are not so 'picky'

xxx

I'm hoping they are not picky too. 

We asked the vet their opinion and they said they could say it was caused by having to favour that leg when the first cruciate went.  They have been good with claims so far but having made 2 claims in the last year I wonder if they will try to get out of it.

Of course I am still waiting on test results for the hock so this could all be hypothetical, if it's cancer I think we are all out of options :(

Our insurers (M&S) paid out for both cruciate repairs for my Chow x Rottie.  The operations were 10 months apart so the recovery from the first was almost certainly a contributing factor to the weakening of the second.

Fingers crossed for you and that the news is not as bad as you think it may be xx

All insurers are different but I my Rottie has had his cruciate repaired in both back legs.  After the first op I asked the insurers what would happen if his other leg went and they said it made no difference to them.  Seperate claim as it is a seperate leg and it would be covered.  Also any further treatment years down the line relating to each leg would be covered.

Hope that makes sense!

Thanks all for useful advice, I can always depend on Champdogs for good factual advice :)

Have just heard back from the vet and it is good (as can be expected) news.  My boy does not have cancer :)

The hock is some kind of degenerative arthritic condition which he has probably had since he was a pup which may have an infection in it.  The Knee has movement in it but vet wants to try and determine which joint is causing the pain before he does any op.  So a week of anti-inflamatries and AB's to see if lameness clears up on it's own.  If it does it was the hock, if it doesn't it will be the cruciate.

I've made myself literally sick with all the stress and sobbing, all for nothing, lol. I love my Baloo Bear so much.

Aaaah :-) excellent news! (((((( big hugs )))))) to you and Baloo Bear! :-D xxx

That's great news!  At least you can forget about the worst case scenario and concentrate on getting him better. I'm so relieved for you.

Also, if it's of any consolation, my boy is 4 years on from his surgeries now and, although he has fairly severe arthritis in both knees, he manages a completely normal and active life on joint supplements alone which is more than we (or the vets) ever dared hope for a dog of his size. I think it's the chow stubbornness and tenacity - he simply refuses to conform to normal expectations :-D

Some insurers treat cruciate disease as one illness, it doesn't matter which leg it is as it is expected that if one goes, its likely the other will later on. If you dog wasn't insured with your current company when it had the first one you may find it hard to get them to pay as it may be a pre existing condition, although some are better than others and will treat it as a different ondition. I would make sure you check with them that that will cover it, otherwise you could be in for a nasty shock. Good luck!

Thank you all for kind wishes :)

The other cruciate was over 6 years ago so recovering from that wouldn't have caused this one to go.  I'll make the claim and just be prepared either way.  I don't want to ring them in case it puts ideas into their heads, not that I don't trust them, lol.
Mel

My insurers classed both legs as the same condition but paid for the second one up to the claim limit then I paid the rest.  Hopefully yours will pay but I agree put a claim in anyway and see what happens.

Just want to say how delighted I am that at least you are not dealing with the worst scenario. Onwards and upwards.

> I've made myself literally sick with all the stress and sobbing, all for nothing, lol. I love my Baloo Bear so much.

Oh hun, been there, done that, got the t-shirt with soli - 3 cancer scares with her to date!

Great news in the circumstances though :-)  Soli's first cancer scare turned out to be osteoarthritis.  It's very bad but she rarely has pain with it, modern medicine is good :-)

Halifax paid out on 2 cruciates for me, both done within 12 months with no quibbles, great news no cancer :)