Diabetes is a chronic condition that affects a number of dogs. The disease requires long term veterinary medication and treatment, which, as a pet owner, can take a toll on your bank account. Here’s what you need to know about pet insurance and diabetes.
Just like humans, our precious pets can also develop a chronic, and life-long, diabetes, which is referred to as canine diabetes. It is a common condition among dogs, and although treatable and manageable through professional healthcare, it can be costly to treat.
What is canine diabetes?
If your dog suffers from canine diabetes, then this means their pancreas has issues producing insulin, or their body struggles to respond to and properly use the hormone.
Insulin helps the body to absorb the sugar found in the bloodstream known as glucose. This sugar comes from the food we eat and is needed for us to function.
Insulin acts as a ‘key’ to allow the cells to absorb glucose and use it for energy. When the body cannot create enough insulin (type 1 diabetes) or the body does not respond to it (type 2), this results in unstable blood sugar levels.
Most dogs suffer from Type 1 diabetes, meaning your dog will have to depend on insulin treatments for his or her entire life.
If there is no insulin to help covert the glucose from the bloodstream into fuel, then high levels of glucose will start to accumulate in the body. This acts as a form of poison and can lead to organ damage and a number of other serious health issues.
What are the symptoms of diabetes?
- Frequent urination - This is a result of the body attempting to get rid of any excess sugar in the blood by sending it out through the urine
- Excessive thirst - This is a result of frequent urination
- Weight loss - This is because your dog is struggling to convert nutrients from her food properly
- Increased appetite
Can I get pet insurance for my dog with diabetes?
This will depend on the insurer, but the majority of pet insurance plans will cover chronic diseases such as diabetes.
If you are a pet parent and your dog has recently been diagnosed with diabetes, then you can breathe a sigh of relief in knowing that pet insurance can help you cover the costs of treatment, which as you know, can become an incredibly costly ordeal.
However, depending on your insurer, there may be a waiting period that applies.
To get a proper answer for this question, I chatted to the guys over at Oneplan (they are great for getting to the bottom of commonly asked pet healthcare questions). And here’s what they had to say...
Oneplan Pet Insurance
If you have an insurance policy with Oneplan, then there are specific waiting periods in place for chronic illnesses, as is the case with any pet insurer.
A waiting period refers to the period of time that has to pass before you can claim for any events relating to the specified health issue.
This means that during this time, you cannot claim.
Have a look at this great read: Pet Insurance & Waiting Periods: What To Know.
Waiting periods
Some chronic health issues, outlined in your policy document, have specified waiting periods, diabetes is one of these health conditions.
The waiting period for these conditions is 12 months.
So, this means that if your dog is diagnosed with diabetes, you will need to wait 12 months before you can claim for any medical bills relating to the condition.
This is not to say you cannot claim for any other medical events. Depending on your plan, you can still claim for any check-ups, vaccinations or accidents and emergencies. Accident cover is immediate.
Once the 12-month mark has passed, you can claim for vet bills relating to diabetes.
Does pet insurance make financial sense if my dog is already sick?
You might be thinking that 12 months is a long time to wait to claim for any medical bills relating to an expensive health issue.
But keep in mind that something as serious as diabetes is a chronic and lifelong condition, meaning your dog will have to be on medication for her entire life.
Waiting 12 months to claim makes more financial sense, as opposed to paying the medical bills for years on end out of your own pocket.
Pet insurance is a way to save you from both the surprise costs of pet healthcare and the expected ones in the case of chronic conditions such as this.
Of course, the sooner you insure the health of your pet, the better. For a small monthly premium, pet insurance help cover the costs of high vet bills. And what’s more, your diabetic dog is covered.
Until next time,
The Pet Insurance Team