We've exceeded our 10k pet insurance limit

[OhPolly]

Our DDog randomly develop pleural effusions and abdominal ascites. She's had numerous investigations and nearly a two week stint in doggy ICU including surgeries to get biopsies and she also suffered a cardiac arrest.

We have pet insurance cover up to 10k and tonight we've realised we have now exceeded that and DDog is no better then she was two weeks ago.

She's only four. She was a fit and healthy Labrador and if you were to look at her, you wouldn't think anything is wrong.

She's the goodest good girl and I'm heartbroken about the current situation.

Her abdomen is draining up to 1l of fluid a day via abdominal drain. She has a permanent chest port.

I don't know where we draw the line?

She's in a specialist animal hospital.

I just needed to get this out somewhere.

Sorry just seen your update.

I don't think I could ever get another dog again if this is what the heartbreak feels like.

I think we will speak to the vets tomorrow and see what treatment options we have and what quality of life it may give her.

I don't want to give up too easily but also don't want to prolong any suffering.

'I don't think I could ever get another dog again if this is what the heartbreak feels like'

i absolutely get this @OhPolly and don’t let anyone think you need to get another pet straight away if the worse happens

I had to make the hard decision for my cat but it was the right thing to do for her, she couldn’t stand being prodded and poked. Took me a year to get 2 new hooligans in my life

please don’t beat yourself up. It,s not all about the money but is you doing what you believe is the right thing to do. What ever it is it’s your choice and the right thing

It sounds like you, and the vets, have tried very hard to find a treatable cause. But that you are no closer than at the start of this. The combination of significant pleural effusion and massive ascites in a human would be a very very bad sign, with a low likelihood of finding something readily treatable. I fear the same is likely to be true in dogs too. You need a serious conversation with the vets, but honestly I fear you are reaching the end of the road, totally ignoring the money.

If she’s not in pain and wagging her tail she isn’t ready to go yet . She’s only 4 and id fight tooth and nail for her . I think most people here are convincing themselves it’s best to put her down when really they are just thinking about finances . You’re in for 10k already so an extra 5 is neither here nor there and that extra might give you answers .

Have you spoken directly to your insurance company? My boy had to go to a specialist vet for a lump and I was quoted between £3000 and £9000 as the treatment differed depending on whether the lump was benign or cancerous. I called my insurance company as I was only covered for £6000 per condition and they said they could increase the cover to accommodate the treatment and it would just push my monthly payment up by £10.

Finances aside, I second a frank conversation with your vet.

Sending love.

What sort of life is that for your dog?
I'd think very hard about what her outlook is, and ask the vet for an honest opinion.

I’ve got nothing helpful to say but I’m sending you so much love.

Our dog slipped a disc 15 years ago. We had basic care package totalling 3k . He was 6 at the time so we just ploughed on cost 4.5k total in the end. Let the hospital know so they check all costs with you . (Vets seem to view insurance as free money) any prescriptions ask for a script and order online. You could ask if there are any hardship discounts if you are low income and ask about potential costs/outcomes

This is heartbreaking and we’ve been through it the last 9 months with our 4 year old. He has 6 months of chemo (with no side effects and living a great “normal” life) and was amazing everyone but 3 months after chemo stopped it came back. We’ve maxed out our insurance until it renews in September and we were having the conversations you are. I felt I could add £3k of our money but more than that would have a detrimental effect on our dc so that was my line. We didn’t get that far as within 36 hours his deteriorating condition meant the “choice” was obvious and the only thing to do was to put him to sleep. This was this week and I’m heart broken. My children are devastated.

sorry I don’t have an answer but I’ve felt that pain and I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy. He was truly the bestest boy.

Have you seen the posts about the chest drains and the other measures she is going through? The fact there is no current diagnosis?

your post is not helpful

I am so very sorry, OP. I don't know what else to say but I wanted to say something.

It's interesting they've had other labs in with the same issue. Is there any chance the dogs are related and it's a genetic condition?

@OhPolly really sorry your ddog is so poorly! Trust yourself you’ll make the right decision . Sending you hugs

So sorry OP 😔 she's gorgeous!

We had a completely different issue with our dog, but the specialist Davies vet hospital in Hitchin saved his life when no one else wanted to take him on. They were amazing and I can't say enough good things about them. If you're in the area, I would highly recommend them for a second opinion.

OP I’m so sorry to read all of this, it’s heartbreaking when our dogs are ill, even worse when you can’t fix it.
It sounds as if you’ve already done so much to try and remedy the issue, and whilst I absolutely understand you wanting to find something to help, sometimes there isn’t anything, and there comes a time when you have to stop and ask that just because you can do more tests, should you?.
You could continue to test and try, but maybe that isn’t the right way if your dog has to go through so much without much hope of improvement.
It’s the worst feeling knowing you may be coming to the end, but as someone once told me, better a day too early than too late. If the vet can offer hope and you can afford to do it, then go for it, but if the vet is now best guessing and hoping, you have to ask how fair that is
I was in a similar position with my 6 year old dog a few years ago so I absolutely appreciate how upsetting and also how frustrating it is x

Oh, I’m so sorry you’re going through this. Your dog is the same age as ours :(

It sounds like your vets have been very thorough, and it must be hard having no clear answers as to what the cause might be.

Also, it’s very hard to balance the whole ‘we could pay’ but also ‘it might not be in DDog’s best interests’. All we have is the lens of human medicine and in the uk (amazingly, still, really), treatment costs are not generally a factor in the decision on whether to continue on with acute care.

Apologies in advance that I only know of these symptoms from a human perspective but some of this may cross over to the animal world - have they tested the fluid that’s draining to see if it’s a chyle leak as this would help indicate if it is a lymphatic issue?
Octreotide infusions can be used in humans on pleural effusions that are a chylothorax but no idea if safe to try on dogs but I know how rare this is in humans so couldn’t not mention it incase it is an option for the vets to try. Usually while these infusions are used you would be on TPN for nutrition with no LCT based fat only MCT based (it’s the LCT that creates chyle which you try and prevent more of while you try and heal the lymph issue)
I hope you can get to the bottom of what is causing the symptoms and apologies if the above info is no use but may be worth showing your vet at the hospital just incase.

It is odd that a number of labs have (apparently) the same thing, and that this is notable to the treating vets. Of course it could be something genetic and the patients could share genetic traits, but could it also be something common to labs’ behavioural tendencies?

in my experiece, they:

• will eat anything they come across, including human faeces from rough sleepers/ in park bushes, horse poo, dog faeces, bird droppings, basically any excreta, I often wonder how my dog is not high as a kite or riddled with angiostrongylus from eating snails and slugs.
• will swim in any water source/ enter any slightly damp area of mud for a wallow. This makes them prone to all sorts, including Leptospirosis and environmental/agricultural contaminants as well as sewage overspills

I really hope your dog turns a corner and you can bring her home. If she is too poorly, then you have absolutely done all you can for her. Sending big hugs xx

Sucks this. We had a wonderful four year old with sudden haemolytic anaemia. He was losing red blood cells faster than he was making them.

After every blood transfusion he was right as rain for 2/3 days and then he went downhill fast and we were carrying him back in for the next one. Investigations went nowhere. We tried to rule out causes by treating for them. After several weeks, no answers and going over the insurance by several thousand pounds we had to call it. It might have been a blood cancer. We will never know.

It was heartbreaking. We thought the level of cover would more than do it. It might have been incurable regardless. His wellbeing was the primary cause of the decision but I won’t pretend that as we burned through our financial buffer I wasn’t concerned that it would leave our family horribly exposed to any shocks or misfortune.

I wish you well whatever you decide. You bought decent insurance. You were more responsible than lots of dog owners.

She is adorable, but sadly sometimes with the best will in the world we just can't save them. Labs are such stoic loving dogs, in your shoes I'd be letting her go, the hardest thing for you, but I think the kindest for her. I'm so sorry.

I’m sorry OP. I’ve no advice, just wanted to send you a message of sympathy xxx

They have took her to surgery today to change her abdominal drain, to a permanent one we can manage at home.

Then we are bringing her home for palliative care management, basically.

Hopefully she can live her final days out, surrounded by the ones she loves, doing what she does best.

We saw her on Saturday and she looks fit and healthy. You really wouldn't know what's going on.

Hopefully we might have enough time to arrange a photoshoot with her and the family as a keepsake.

This was her on Saturday.

She looks so happy and healthy, you really wouldn't know.

So sorry OP, it’s such a heartbreaking time. Enjoy your last days together in the knowledge that you’ve been a great owner.