Tanya and Charlie boy ask for advicE:HIP DISLAPSYA AND INSURANCE

[Tanya]

HEllo, everybody!!First, big tnahks for your warm welcome us to the forum. As i mentioned in introductions, Charlie boy is 2 year old   rescue dog, after 2 happiest months of his life with us, we got a problem.We were told ta the rescue that he is healthy dog, but without any health history,we took him home and insured him straitaway.He was fine energetic boy first 2 months, but suddenly started to limp on one leg, we did an x-tray on both hips, and discovered the tryth, why he was damped.  He has hip dislapysa, +arthitistas.  Charlie has to stay on medical and may have to face surgoery

Question:  can a rescue dog with a genetic condition be insured?

[sarahp]

I really dont know the answer to that - sorry.  Who have you insured him with?  I am assuming that you had no idea bout this when you took him on?  Did you tell the insurance company that he was rescue and therefore you had no knowledge of any pre-existing conditions?

Sorry - there are more questions than answers in there - truth is I dont have a clue 

Hope you can get him sorted.  Just thought of another question - which rescue did you get him from - sometimes they will help with life-long or serious illness but dont bank on it as they may not have known the truth either.

[PennyB]

A dog I go with to hydrotherapy every week has HD and is insured and petplan pay up and he's a rescue. I think it depends on the insurance company.

At the end of the day all you can do is try to make a claim on your insurance and wait and see. What you can't do is switch insurers and be covered for this now but hopefully its an insurer that insures for life (and not just the 1st 12 months of a condition).

This dog could have been dumped for all sorts of reasons, you don't know

[hamfam]

Hi Tanya,

I cannot se why a rescue dog should be different from any other, as long as there is no history of Charlie having been treated for this condition prior to you getting him then this is the first time it has been diagnosed and you are in the same position as any of us who takes a 2 yr old dog to the vet.

If i were you i would ring the insurance company and ask about the claims proceedure, i wouldn't even mention the fact that he is a rescue as this is irrelavent as  the rescue would have had him vet checked and if they didn't spot it then i doubt it has been seen in the past.

In order to declare this a pre exsisting condition there must be some record of it being treated in the past

Good luck!

[Carolyn]

My Bailey had hip dysplasia.  All the x-rays and operations have been covered by the insurance.  I'm with Pinnacle.  He isn't a rescue dog but I'm not sure if that would make a difference.

I hope you get Charlie get sorted

Carolyn and Bailey

[Wendy G]

I got Bailey through working cocker recue when he was 1, I insured him straight away with M & S
it didnt ask on the form where he was from, just the purchase price which was £100

I am sending my 1st claim in next friday, as he has got an ulcerated cornea at the moment which is
healing well, and( hopefully) the last check up is next friday.
It did ask on the claim form if he had been registered with any other Vet in the last 3 years but as I didnt know I had to leave this blank.

As Bailey's is not a genetic condition I don't envisage a problem, I think that if recue dogs were not covered it should state it in terms & conditions of your insurance, surely they cannot prove that the condition was pre existing before you insured him anymore than you cannot prove that it wasn't.

Good Luck


.

[michelle123]

Hi Tanya
I believe that the Insurance company should pay.  You will have provided a truthful declaration at the time of proposing for the insurance and all information was given in "utmost good faith". 
The fact that this condition has developed may however, prove a little tricky, however, dependent on the Insurer you may be ok.
Dont forget that if the claim isnt paid, you will have a written explanation as to why they will not accept the claim.  If it states that this was a pre existing medical condition check your policy wording for that phrase CAREFULLY.  If you have provided a true declaration that you did not believe that there was an pre existing problems then you should have a good case to pursue.  Dont forget you can also get the Insurance Ombudman involved if you believe the overall decision is unfair.  Also ALL Insurance Companies fear the threat of the dreaded Watchdog programme !
I work in the insurance industry (for my sins) so if I can help at all please let me know
Hope he is OK 
Michelle & Blue   

[Tanya]

helo, evereyone!!thank you very much for your onest opinion and helpful advice!!!it was a real help  for me, because his condition was a shoke,i got attached to Charlie so mush. es, we still have a lot of questioins about him and his history, but as we cheked at the shelter , he didnt have any history when they got him, and beside,he had a surgery on his left side, plus he got arthrites. when we got him , we had cheked him at the vet, hie was alright,, not limping.we insured him with Tesco, and after a month, he started to limp, was no playful, no appetite.thas the begining of Charlie's story, so now he is on medication for the rest of his life, but the vetsaid the insuranse willnot cover it..As we cheked there is no medical history  at the shelter he came from, but the meneger was very helpful , she didn't see  limping during his stay .at the shelter. i just feel very apset that first month with us , he had very long walks, jogging , jumping, as he was overwight. at present Charlie still with us,will will not return him back to the shelter,he is having hydroterapy, massage, strict walking rejim, daet. We have sent a letter to insuranse , and waiting  for answer.Es rescue dogs should be treted equally as the other, just , when i was searching for adog in different shelters websites, visited coulple of them, and most of them a not healthy,some have medical historu some not, just , a feel so apset that, they might not get a chance to have a new start, a happier life.Not everybody able to saport a dog all his life.Everyone wants a perfect dog, a sawhow manydogs were returnd injust a month time !!!! Iwish theese dogs had chance!!!!For exaple, Charlie is obsesed with post, he doesn.r rip the off, but becomes crazy, when postman comes!!and he is lickingfurniture,squaky toys make him very agitated. Some people may  think  he has problems.But slowly he lost interes for lettrers, i removed scueaky toys, and distract him when he want to lick furniture and feet!!! I tought him lots of new words, he knows three languages: english and plus russian and malteese!!hehhe He loves cooked carrots,   brokkoli, adores tunna fish. And i hope, that we will be lacky with insurance...THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HElping me and Charlie!!!!

[Pammy]

Don't just take the vest word. Check with the insurance company. The worst they can say is sorry but no - they might just say yes - if you can show some evidence that you asked about previous health history and were told it wasn't known. TBH - I would have thought that the Insurance should have come back to you when you took the policy out and say what they wouldn't cover.

Give it a go!