Insurance for English bulldogs...??? Yay or Nay??

[TxMom2]

Hi Fellow Bulldog LoVers!
I recently got 2 new baby english bulldogs, 2 weeks ago. We have pet insurance through the AKC until June 4. I am looking at pet insurance options and wanted to ask my fellow bulldog lovers and experienced English Bulldog owners, what kind of vet bills do you all rack up? is it worth it to spend 150 a month to keep our pets insured? Or are we better off just paying on our own for vet bills? I've never even owned a dog and these bulldogs are amazing and I'm in love! ((A lot of work too))

BUT I'm also very unexperienced and I already brought my Louise to the emergency vet on mothers day because I thought she was breathing too fast and that was an $800 visit for x-rays and blood work. I should also mention that Chief already has a cherry eye but we are set to get that taken care of very soon.

There are lots of different insurance options from $40 a month per dog to $111 a month per dog. I don't want to spend all kinds of unneccessary money on Pet insurance - with a $1000 deductible and coinsurance of %10 and still end up paying a bunch of money anyways.
I just don't know what to expect and I'm not familiar with how much a wellness exam at a regular vet office costs, the rest of the pups' vaccines, etc. They are 3 months old.

Should I wait until the pups are a little older to extend the coverage and pay more monthly? And maybe just pay for the very minimum coverage to start out?
Or should I not get insurance at all yet?
Any and all experiences and opinions welcome. Thank you so much!
Pictures of our babies. And Chief's poor eye.

 

[Bulldog2001]

Hi Fellow Bulldog LoVers!
I recently got 2 new baby english bulldogs, 2 weeks ago. We have pet insurance through the AKC until June 4. I am looking at pet insurance options and wanted to ask my fellow bulldog lovers and experienced English Bulldog owners, what kind of vet bills do you all rack up? is it worth it to spend 150 a month to keep our pets insured? Or are we better off just paying on our own for vet bills? I've never even owned a dog and these bulldogs are amazing and I'm in love! ((A lot of work too))

BUT I'm also very unexperienced and I already brought my Louise to the emergency vet on mothers day because I thought she was breathing too fast and that was an $800 visit for x-rays and blood work. I should also mention that Chief already has a cherry eye but we are set to get that taken care of very soon.

There are lots of different insurance options from $40 a month per dog to $111 a month per dog. I don't want to spend all kinds of unneccessary money on Pet insurance - with a $1000 deductible and coinsurance of %10 and still end up paying a bunch of money anyways.
I just don't know what to expect and I'm not familiar with how much a wellness exam at a regular vet office costs, the rest of the pups' vaccines, etc. They are 3 months old.

Should I wait until the pups are a little older to extend the coverage and pay more monthly? And maybe just pay for the very minimum coverage to start out?
Or should I not get insurance at all yet?
Any and all experiences and opinions welcome. Thank you so much!
Pictures of our babies. And Chief's poor eye.

I would definitely get pet insurance, breathing surgery(which is rare to not need it done in a bulldog-3 different vets said that’s it’s RARE to NOT need it done on a bulldog). That surgery is expensive, and all the other health issues like eye problems and allergies if they come up.
If they already have a health issue, it’s will be considered a ‘pre-existing condition’ and any new plans will not cover pre existing conditions.
I go thru petsecure insurance and pay $97/month and a $100 deductible per year and they pay 80% of vet bills, and $5,000 per thing per year! They have paid just under $13K in the last 3 years for the vet bills.

Average vet visit at a regular clinic in Canada costs around $80-$100 just to see the vet then any additional things they do are extra on the bill.

After all their puppy shots they don’t need any yearly shots or heartworm or flea/tick prevention or rabies shot either.

Just maintain their health with a raw diet as that’s the best for them and will help prevent lots of Health issues(allergies and inflammatory conditions) as long as you rotate thru different proteins.

Even if you decide to go thru with pet insurance or not I would still highly recommend feeding a raw diet if you can so they don’t get more health issues like allergies or inflammatory conditions.
Or a good kibble if you can’t feed raw.

What are you currently feeding them???

Their adorable puppies! So cute!!

 

[helsonwheels]

I have a credit card just for my 2. They don’t all get issues cause they’re EB. They do need more maintenance but that would be for any flat nose. I’ve had all sorts of breeds in my lifetime but never had EB. I’ve learned a lot with them n done tons of research. 7yrs down the road from what I’ve learned is this is a breed that you absolutely need to find a vet that knows bullies, feed them properly, less shots as possible as its all chemicals, daily maintenance, a proper breeder n use essential oils. Knock on wood, I’ve never used the card for emergencies. Yes cheery eyes happen, or you need to get them neutered/spayed or a very deep ear infection but if you’re them with daily maintenance it helps enormously not to see a vet.

At the end of the day it’s what you feed them on a rotation base that will keep them healthy. I’ve seen a Big difference feeding them a raw diet, some veggies/fruits n their treats are also raw or a one ingredient jerky of some sort. If it’s kibbles you go with, stick with Acana/Orijen single protein.

 

[Bulldog2001]

I have a credit card just for my 2. They don’t all get issues cause they’re EB. They do need more maintenance but that would be for any flat nose. I’ve had all sorts of breeds in my lifetime but never had EB. I’ve learned a lot with them n done tons of research. 7yrs down the road from what I’ve learned is this is a breed that you absolutely need to find a vet that knows bullies, feed them properly, less shots as possible as its all chemicals, daily maintenance, a proper breeder n use essential oils. Knock on wood, I’ve never used the card for emergencies. Yes cheery eyes happen, or you need to get them neutered/spayed or a very deep ear infection but if you’re them with daily maintenance it helps enormously not to see a vet.

At the end of the day it’s what you feed them on a rotation base that will keep them healthy. I’ve seen a Big difference feeding them a raw diet, some veggies/fruits n their treats are also raw or a one ingredient jerky of some sort. If it’s kibbles you go with, stick with Acana/Orijen single protein.

Orijen doesn’t make single protein recipes.
Acana has a few recipes using only 1 protein.

 

[Cbrugs]

I have a French Bulldog and 2 bulldogs. The Frenchie is the only one with insurance and thank god because he has IVDD and has had 4 surgeries.

My two cents is that if you get your bulldogs from a responsible breeder, the less health issues they will have. Not every bulldog has breathing issues. Bulldogs are not inherently unhealthy. A good diet will also help immensely.

As far as insurance goes, if you decide to get it then you want to do it asap because once they see a vet for any issue, it will be considered pre-existing and won’t be covered by insurance.

 

[Bulldog2001]

I have a French Bulldog and 2 bulldogs. The Frenchie is the only one with insurance and thank god because he has IVDD and has had 4 surgeries.

My two cents is that if you get your bulldogs from a responsible breeder, the less health issues they will have. Not every bulldog has breathing issues. Bulldogs are not inherently unhealthy. A good diet will also help immensely.

As far as insurance goes, if you decide to get it then you want to do it asap because once they see a vet for any issue, it will be considered pre-existing and won’t be covered by insurance.

My dog was from a good breeder, parents were health tested, nostrils were open, no allergies, no breathing issues or any health issues(I have their medical records the breeder gave me, and only they have had to got neutered and one of the parents got attacked by a raccoon),

My dog has had breathing surgery(soft palate and nostrils), has bad allergies that’s also affecting his skin, eyelid tumour that had been removed a year ago he had, ear and eye infections, urine crystals(which were fixed thru good food-not vet food), skin infections, anal gland issues, head tremors and other health issues even though his parents were very healthy. My dog came home on not great kibble though, but I switched him immediately when I got him home to a higher end brand kibble then went to home cooking and now I am switching him to raw diet tomorrow! Pet insurance was worth it for my dog, crazy though that his parents are very healthy with non of these health issues my dog has.

Going forward I will put them on raw diet from day 1 of having the puppy home as well as get them from a good breeder!

 

[TxMom2]

I would definitely get pet insurance, breathing surgery(which is rare to not need it done in a bulldog-3 different vets said that’s it’s RARE to NOT need it done on a bulldog). That surgery is expensive, and all the other health issues like eye problems and allergies if they come up.
If they already have a health issue, it’s will be considered a ‘pre-existing condition’ and any new plans will not cover pre existing conditions.
I go thru petsecure insurance and pay $97/month and a $100 deductible per year and they pay 80% of vet bills, and $5,000 per thing per year! They have paid just under $13K in the last 3 years for the vet bills.

Average vet visit at a regular clinic in Canada costs around $80-$100 just to see the vet then any additional things they do are extra on the bill.

After all their puppy shots they don’t need any yearly shots or heartworm or flea/tick prevention or rabies shot either.

Just maintain their health with a raw diet as that’s the best for them and will help prevent lots of Health issues(allergies and inflammatory conditions) as long as you rotate thru different proteins.

Even if you decide to go thru with pet insurance or not I would still highly recommend feeding a raw diet if you can so they don’t get more health issues like allergies or inflammatory conditions.
Or a good kibble if you can’t feed raw.

What are you currently feeding them???

Their adorable puppies! So cute!!

So currently we are feeding them what the breeder was feeding them and what he recommended which is “bil-jac”

Thank you so much. Yes, when I brought Lou to the emergency vet on Mother’s Day, when they did the x-ray they pointed out how small her trachea was and the doctor said that she would probably end up needing surgery if she didn’t grow out of it. I googled how much that would cost and the answer I got was anywhere from 3500 to 6500.

I have been seeing a lot of people on here talking about “raw”
I’m not sure what that is, would love to hear more on that!

 

[TxMom2]

My dog was from a good breeder, parents were health tested, nostrils were open, no allergies, no breathing issues or any health issues(I have their medical records the breeder gave me, and only they have had to got neutered and one of the parents got attacked by a raccoon),

My dog has had breathing surgery(soft palate and nostrils), has bad allergies that’s also affecting his skin, eyelid tumour that had been removed a year ago he had, ear and eye infections, urine crystals(which were fixed thru good food-not vet food), skin infections, anal gland issues, head tremors and other health issues even though his parents were very healthy. My dog came home on not great kibble though, but I switched him immediately when I got him home to a higher end brand kibble then went to home cooking and now I am switching him to raw diet tomorrow! Pet insurance was worth it for my dog, crazy though that his parents are very healthy with non of these health issues my dog has.

Going forward I will put them on raw diet from day 1 of having the puppy home as well as get them from a good breeder!

Wow, that’s insane. I will definitely be getting pet insurance, I just still don’t know which type. There is an option for an unlimited annual amount or 20,000 max, 15,000 max, down to 5 or 1k a year. Just want to make sure we get the necessary coverage without forking out more than necessary on our monthly premium. Especially having 2 of them!

 

[TxMom2]

I have a French Bulldog and 2 bulldogs. The Frenchie is the only one with insurance and thank god because he has IVDD and has had 4 surgeries.

My two cents is that if you get your bulldogs from a responsible breeder, the less health issues they will have. Not every bulldog has breathing issues. Bulldogs are not inherently unhealthy. A good diet will also help immensely.

As far as insurance goes, if you decide to get it then you want to do it asap because once they see a vet for any issue, it will be considered pre-existing and won’t be covered by insurance.

Thank you so much for your response.
I feel I bought mine from a responsible breeder as well but in your case it seems that doesn’t matter.
We went ahead and Bit the bullet and got the insurance to continue once the 30 days free insurance runs out.
Hopefully the emergency vet visit doesn’t affect anything being they didn’t find anything conclusive.
My Lou has a bad cough right now that scares me because I’ve never heard a dog cough And the way it sounds is very wheezy, and sounds like she’s struggling.
The breeder told me as long as she’s eating and drinking that she was fine, to give dimetap and Benadryl and that the upper respiratory cough could last for a couple weeks.

 

[xsubsailor]

Hi Fellow Bulldog LoVers!
I recently got 2 new baby english bulldogs, 2 weeks ago. We have pet insurance through the AKC until June 4. I am looking at pet insurance options and wanted to ask my fellow bulldog lovers and experienced English Bulldog owners, what kind of vet bills do you all rack up? is it worth it to spend 150 a month to keep our pets insured? Or are we better off just paying on our own for vet bills? I've never even owned a dog and these bulldogs are amazing and I'm in love! ((A lot of work too))

BUT I'm also very unexperienced and I already brought my Louise to the emergency vet on mothers day because I thought she was breathing too fast and that was an $800 visit for x-rays and blood work. I should also mention that Chief already has a cherry eye but we are set to get that taken care of very soon.

There are lots of different insurance options from $40 a month per dog to $111 a month per dog. I don't want to spend all kinds of unneccessary money on Pet insurance - with a $1000 deductible and coinsurance of %10 and still end up paying a bunch of money anyways.
I just don't know what to expect and I'm not familiar with how much a wellness exam at a regular vet office costs, the rest of the pups' vaccines, etc. They are 3 months old.

Should I wait until the pups are a little older to extend the coverage and pay more monthly? And maybe just pay for the very minimum coverage to start out?
Or should I not get insurance at all yet?
Any and all experiences and opinions welcome. Thank you so much!
Pictures of our babies. And Chief's poor eye.

I had pet insurance when I first got Pickle but every time I try to use it they said it was pre-existing because she was a bulldog. I argued with them one day and made the comment “I should take the money that I’m paying you and invested in the stock market”. The woman agreed that was a good idea so I took my money out and bought Apple stock 10 years ago. Let’s just say Pickle has enough “insurance” for whatever she needs.

 

[VooDoo & Breezy Cano]

Hi Fellow Bulldog LoVers!
I recently got 2 new baby english bulldogs, 2 weeks ago. We have pet insurance through the AKC until June 4. I am looking at pet insurance options and wanted to ask my fellow bulldog lovers and experienced English Bulldog owners, what kind of vet bills do you all rack up? is it worth it to spend 150 a month to keep our pets insured? Or are we better off just paying on our own for vet bills? I've never even owned a dog and these bulldogs are amazing and I'm in love! ((A lot of work too))

BUT I'm also very unexperienced and I already brought my Louise to the emergency vet on mothers day because I thought she was breathing too fast and that was an $800 visit for x-rays and blood work. I should also mention that Chief already has a cherry eye but we are set to get that taken care of very soon.

There are lots of different insurance options from $40 a month per dog to $111 a month per dog. I don't want to spend all kinds of unneccessary money on Pet insurance - with a $1000 deductible and coinsurance of %10 and still end up paying a bunch of money anyways.
I just don't know what to expect and I'm not familiar with how much a wellness exam at a regular vet office costs, the rest of the pups' vaccines, etc. They are 3 months old.

Should I wait until the pups are a little older to extend the coverage and pay more monthly? And maybe just pay for the very minimum coverage to start out?
Or should I not get insurance at all yet?
Any and all experiences and opinions welcome. Thank you so much!
Pictures of our babies. And Chief's poor eye.

Hi,
Welcome!!! First your babies are adorabull!!!!

I would definitely get insurance. I had insurance on my Voodoo (English) since I got him. When we got Breezy (French) I added him to it as well, and thank goodness I did. 6 months after we adopted Breezy he started having seizures. He was diagnosed with Idiopathic Epilepsy. Since November of 2020, he's been hospitalized 4 times. Each bill has ranged from $4k -$6k. Thank goodness for high credit limits and pet insurance. We pay $230 a month from Healthy Paws Insurance for both of them. I know it's high, we pay more for their insurance than our own. But getting back 80% is a relief.
I suggest to get quotes from the various companies. Make sure you read everything they cover. Some don't cover hip dysplasia, which is a common issue. But get the plan established early while they are puppies, so you don't have to worry about anything being excluded due to previous conditions. I would also suggest having a card set aside just for their medical bills.
Bulldogs are beautiful and amazing and our lives wouldn't be the same without them, but their health issues can be challenging financially.
Best of luck on your decision!!!!!

 

[VooDoo & Breezy Cano]

Thank you so much for your response.
I feel I bought mine from a responsible breeder as well but in your case it seems that doesn’t matter.
We went ahead and Bit the bullet and got the insurance to continue once the 30 days free insurance runs out.
Hopefully the emergency vet visit doesn’t affect anything being they didn’t find anything conclusive.
My Lou has a bad cough right now that scares me because I’ve never heard a dog cough And the way it sounds is very wheezy, and sounds like she’s struggling.
The breeder told me as long as she’s eating and drinking that she was fine, to give dimetap and Benadryl and that the upper respiratory cough could last for a couple weeks.

That cough worries me, especially that he is so young. Hopefully it's nothing .Voodoo was wheezing and sounded congested once when he was younger, he ended up having pneumonia. We caught it early thank God.

 

[Bulldog2001]

So currently we are feeding them what the breeder was feeding them and what he recommended which is “bil-jac”

Thank you so much. Yes, when I brought Lou to the emergency vet on Mother’s Day, when they did the x-ray they pointed out how small her trachea was and the doctor said that she would probably end up needing surgery if she didn’t grow out of it. I googled how much that would cost and the answer I got was anywhere from 3500 to 6500.

I have been seeing a lot of people on here talking about “raw”
I’m not sure what that is, would love to hear more on that!

I just looked up the food your feeding, I would try to get them on a better food even if it’s a better kibble because Corn, and ‘chicken by product meal’ and all those synthetic vitamins are not healthy for the dog. Unfortunately lots of dogs are sensitive/allergic to corn. Corn is a filler too with no nutrition and is GMO.

Yes the surgery can definitely be expensive, that’s why I highly recommend pet insurance cause it’s very expensive, I know some people say they would rather just put the $ away instead but what if something happens and they need to pay for a surgery in like 1-2 months.

I go thru PetSecure and it’s really good, they have paid over $12,600 in the last 3 years(my dog is 3) and has had many surgeries. That was a total of 64 claims in 3 years due to all the health issues he has.
As long as they have his medical records and there is no notes about small trachea or anything then it isn’t considered a ‘pre existing condition’.


Raw diet for dogs is the best food for them, it’s meat, organs(that’s where all the vitamins come from) and bone.
Raw diet also contains 60-70% moisture depending on the brand. Because of the moisture content they are not in constant dehydration from kibble(even the good kibbles, less than 10% moisture which puts) them in constant dehydration no matter if they drink 2 cups of water after eating kibble, it’s first pulled from the kidneys, causing kidney disease(2 out of my 3 dogs have that from the kibble they were on before).

Raw diet also has no starch which is good cause starch and carbs cause inflammation= disease including allergies.
Some raw diets use a little bit of vegetables for extra nutrition but it’s not actually needed. The small amount of veg is good for them but it depends on the dog

you can buy premade raw diets that are already done, and you just take the daily amount for them for the next day and thaw in the fridge, the rest stays in the freezer.
Rotate proteins though no matter what you are feeding because this prevents food allergies and it strengthens the immune system and prevents picky eaters too.

If your in Canada, good brands are;

Carnivora
Artisan raw
Mega bold by nature
Naturawls
Back 2 raw

In US:

Darwin’s
Vital Essentials

 

[ZeldasMom]

I would get insurance asap! The longer you wait and the "more issues" they have - the insurance company can deny and say they are "pre-existing conditions".
I use Nationwide's Major Medical with a Wellness rider. 65 a month. 250 deductible which we met in one appointment. So, now we get money back on mostly everything.
When Zelda had Pneumonia and ended up at the ER Vet, our bill was 1600 and we got 1400 back. She'll be getting the nose and palate surgery soon - which we were quoted 4-4.5k for - so I'm hoping to it helps as much with that.
There are yearly caps on certain conditions - but it still works for us.
She has allergies (to who knows what at this point) and gets cytopoint monthly - basically we get those half off paying for insurnce - if nothing else.