“We’re thinking of taking out health insurance for our dog (a two-year-old fox terrier). What are your thoughts on this?”
Health insurance for animals falls into the same category as any general insurance, like house insurance, but should not to be confused with “Social Security” in France or “National Insurance” in the United Kingdom.
There are many insurance companies offering animal insurance and I think it is important to understand that any insurance company intends to make a profit from insuring animals. Companies therefore set certain limits to their policies and they differ greatly in price, what is covered, and broadly speaking, quality. It goes without saying, carefully reading the contract is obligatory.
Certain affections are excluded, in particular congenital defects, i.e. from birth and hereditary problems. A good example of this is hip dysplasia as well as routine operations like neutering and spaying, tail docking etc. Another limitation set by many insurance companies is the maximum age of the animal insured. Very often, they refuse to insure animals as from the tenth birthday; others decide to reduce the payments by 50 per cent as from this age.
Many companies offer different types of contract. The two most common are:
- Surgical: a surgical operation must be necessary for the insurance policy to be activated. This is a reduced policy and therefore cheaper.
- Complete: covers most aspects of ill health, diseases, illnesses and surgery.
In conclusion, insurance cannot but be a good thing for your pet. Although it is functionally different from Social Security, it enables you to envisage examinations, blood tests, scans, xrays, surgical operations, etc., without worrying about cost.
The market for pets’ insurance is a complicated area and much depends on individual circumstances. As one local insurer told the Reporter, he would advise an owner to talk to his regular agent and see what’s on offer - and as Dr Gittins advised - read the small print carefully
From Reporter 115 - June/July 2006
“We’ve just got our first puppy – a Jack Russell. How much walking does
a normal dog need? We live in an apartment and have no garden.”
All
dogs, like people, need exercise and, obviously, walking is part of
canine toilet training. As was reported in these pages last time, a dog
who doesn’t get out enough may suffer from obesity and even depression,
especially if often left alone.
Obviously, bigger and more energetic dogs have a particular need
for walking but any canine should be taken out three or four times a
day and a routine should be established so your pet knows when he’s
going to get out. Older dogs with infirmities – I wrote recently about
arthritis – shouldn’t be forced to walk more than they easily can.
On this and other topics I’d like to recommend a useful website – www.mspca.org – which covers this sort of topic.
From Reporter 114 - Apr/May 2006
“My cat – 9 years old – cat going blind. Is there a treatment or any way one can to safeguard the vision of a cat or a dog?”
The eye is an extremely exposed, sensitive and delicate organ, which is
subject to a number of affections. There are a variety of treatments
for blindness in cats, according to the diagnosis and the reason for
the loss of eyesight.
A cat, or indeed a dog, may lose its sight for several different reasons. These range from:
– cataract
– accident (traumatism)
– retinal atrophy
– affections concerning the optic nerve (mainly tumours)
– affections concerning the optic centre in the brain (tumours, hemorrhages, blood clots, etc)
– lack of certain elements, in particular Taurine, an amino acid not synthesized by the cat
The appropriate treatment will of course depend upon the nature of the affection.
From Reporter 108 - Apr/May 2005
“Are local animals more resistant to French and other Mediterranean diseases?”
Statistically, continental animals do appear to be more resistant to local deadly diseases. This is deemed to be because these animals have been exposed to them, in a very diluted form, since birth. They therefore gradually build up an immune response which affords a certain protection, even sometimes when subjected severely to the disease. Of the two diseases cited in the last issue, only babesiosis can be protected against by means of a vaccine. Fortunately, the Alpes-Maritimes and the Var are relatively free of this illness.
“Is it worth warning visitors about the risk of infection and are there any precautions they can take?”
It is certainly worth taking some basic precautions. The best way of protecting dogs is to prevent the vector from inoculating the parasite. In both babesiosis and leichmaniosis, the disease is transmitted by insects: ticks in the case of babesiosis; phlebotomus or Sandfly (phlébotome in French) in the case of leishmaniosis. Using good external specific antiparasitic treatments regularly for these insects will reduce the risk considerably.
Lastly, the risk of an apparently healthy French resident dog infecting local animals in the U.K. is extremely small, as the life cycle of the parasite would not be possible in the U.K. However, an English dog holidaying in France may well appear healthy on returning to the U.K., while actually incubating the parasite, and consequently develop the disease once home.
From Reporter 106 - Dec 2004
"My wife has seen a product in a local pharmacy called Proplan which claims to prolong dogs’ lives. Are such things really useful?”
It has been proved scientifically in both humans and animals that a carefully formulated diet, containing not only proteins, fats, carbohydrates and roughage, but also “oligoelements”, (mainly minerals and vitamins) is essential for healthy life. It goes without saying that a correct diet will contribute to longevity, among other environmental factors.
Several dog food manufacturers now market superior quality foods, not only in balance, but also in the quality of the different ingredients used in the formulation. The composition is also modified to cater for different categories: young, adult, old, active, quiet, etc ... Also different formulations exist for various specific conditions: heart, liver, kidney complaints, etc.
These foods are naturally more expensive than the average foods present generally in supermarkets and are usually found in specialised outlets such as vets, pharmacies and petshops in particular.
"Do they really prolong pets lives?"
Yes, undoubtedly they contribute, taking all the other environmental factors into account as well.
From Reporter 105 - Oct/Nov 2004
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Pets and Animals 
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