I agree with Jacqui. Discipline yourself to put that amount in an "untouchable" savings account each month.

80lb mix breed. She is 14.5. Arthritic (pre existing so no treatment will be covered). Other than that in pretty good health. I get the untouchable account and it may be the best way at these rates. I also know several dog owners who's dog has chronic medical conditions without continued pet insurance, would cost them more than what is "saved in the untouchable account each year". Examples would be hospitalization can be $2000, ultrasound/biopsy $1500, cancer treatments $10k+, etc. I know that my dog is old but if any illness ever took over chronic or otherwise, I would like to have her treated (within reason, not financial reason but for her well being). Surgery probably won't be an option I will ever take on a dog her age but I worry about the costs of the "what ifs". Also the coverage is not a 100% coverage, Even at that premium, I am still required to hit my deductible first ($500) and then 30% of cost.

At 14.5 years and 80 lbs. it’s likely any major health issue such as cancer or heart issues would only require hospice care and not treatment. Our 15 yo 30 lb dog passed away three weeks after being diagnosed with lymphoma. We were grateful to have those three weeks. Treatment for the lymphoma would have been a six month process costing thousands of dollars with no guarantee of a cure. The quality of our dogs life would be diminished greatly due to the side effects of the treatment.

@Jacqui Naud thank you for your perspective. I agree and believe quality of a dogs life is as important in consideration for any major treatment.

I see your dilemma, Jacqui.

PorterT - We are in the same situation, although our dog is 16 and has been insured since a puppy so his arthritis meds are covered since the condition was not pre-exisiting. Even so you really have to watch, companies changing insurers is bad enough, but some companies determine what is pre-existing based on some conditions experienced by a particular breed.

Personally, I would pay the additional $1,500. At 80 lbs. and at 14.5 years of age, Figo is probably nearing the end of his life (I do not say this lightly and fully understand since we will shortly be going through it - and have many times before).

Since you pay annually, should the worst happen and Figo go to the bridge, would you receive reimbursement of funds paid that cover his insured year? I asked our insurer and we would be reimbursed. But his plan being "basic" would not cover end of life costs - and of course as with most plans vet exams etc. are not covered. We get back 90% of our costs - but not including our 13% tax, which can really add up.

Our dog weighs only 25 lbs. which is one of the reasons he has made it to 16. He has a few age related health issues, is deaf (but I taught him hand signals as a pup) and is suffering from some dementia, but not too much but it is getting worse but there are no dementia signs whatsoever when it is food time (which is a lot of the time), you wouldn't believe it.

We too were sold (Cdn.) to a U.S. firm and many things changed. Our premiums have quadrupled but our guy's premiums are still based at the puppy rate (I checked - only way is to do a dummy booking). We pay monthly - $140.00 and this is for "basic" and the monthly premium is not affected by age or number of claims. At the start we paid $32.00. At the time the company was sold many people had been paying for several years to the existing insurer and a few things were not covered - except for new subscribers (one being major). This hurt - fortunately our pup has never suffered from the major item).

In retrospect we would have been better off with a bank account, but we did not know going in, and he didn't have a claim until he was 7.5 years of age. Retrospect is everything. Of course his premiums at age 7 were about $55 a month.

The way our plan is structured is that we pay monthly and the deductible is per condition, not annual. Many people who were insured by the Cdn. company did not read the fine print and missed the part about "per condition" - and as you stated in your post vet costs are very high - it is basically private health care. So in order to have a low premium they took a $3,000 deductible not realizing it was per condition so you can see how that played out.

I have heard many people voice the same comments you posted - that the insurer changed underwriters etc. - actually it happened to our vet and not for the better.

But if you pay yearly and will receive a pro-rated sum when Figo goes to the bridge I would pay it - heck I would pay it anyway because I would be a nervous wreck being worried about it.

I agree that at this point surgery would not be an option for either of our pets. Hopefully both of them will live for some time to come.

@eccentric wow thank you for your thorough comment.

It's interesting that even though you started coverage so young, it still went up $100 /month in premium. Glad to hear your dog hasn't had too many health issues and doing well at 16! Just terrific! Dementia scares me so much but I love that it's not an issue when it comes to feeding time!! I did read that HealthyPaw doesn't raise the rates by age of the pet. I'm not convinced that is true though but good on them if it is.

I've been reading a lot this week trying to gather as much information as I possibly could to make the right decision. One of the reasons I chose FIGO was because they were similar to Healthy Paw which is one of the highest rated companies. Figo does cover exams and consult fees for incidents and a lot of things that sounded great at the time. I think it was a good company and apparently previous underwriter kept raising everyones premiums yearly as much as 50%. So they say they did us a favor by switching to a different underwriter company but now at least for me a $1500/yr increase with less coverage/benefits. They removed the mortality benefits but still do cover cremation/euthanasia - yeesh don't even want to think about that coverage! They do cover acupuncture and chiro which my dog does but again pre-existing , not covered.

What I am trying to get information on is - my dogs hind leg (she had TPLO surgery on both hind legs at around age 1) so anything hind leg is not covered. But my dogs front limbs are. So recently she's been having arthritic pain in the front limbs - so if I go in for acupuncture, will they reimburse me for half?! Also what about pain medication for her "front leg" will they cover that? What about pain in her neck, shoulders, back... they probably will say the hindleg is connected to the back so it won't be covered. See so many things I am trying to get information on.

Very interesting about your thoughts on FIGO nearing it's end and will I be reimbursed. when they do.. I didn't think about that and will ask. When i first signed up they told me that if I pay annually and lets say my dog passes away, they will reimburse me for any remaining months. Will have to check on that again. One thing to note is they used to be so good about responding to texts and emails but now super slow. Days before any response. I'm sure it has to do with their customers pissed about their premiums going up. I have until March so I have some time.

I have been playing around with possibly increasing my deductible to lower the premium. Maybe that will make more financial sense and still keep my dog insured - even though I will have to pay more before anything could be covered. For us even to reach the $500 deductible was challenging but then again that is a GREAT thing because that just means my dog was doing well health wise right?!

The plan I started on is the ultimate plan - its unlimited payout / year $500 deductible / year at 30% co pay. The plan that I am now considering is Preferred which means maximum payout each year is capped at $10,000. Deductible would have to jump to $1000 or even $1500 / year just to lower it down the yearly premium. I think it stinks either way. Do you think $10,000 year on coverage per year is ok? I kind of think it might be ok. Will I ever put my dog through Chemo, or major surgeries - I don't think so.

I am sure you can relate but I know that I do everything that I can to keep my dog healthy. Cooked meals, raw meals, natural holistic supplements, Chinese herbs, acupuncture, no vaccinations, no toxic flea treatments, on and on and on. All this is not covered by insurance and very costly.

I think these companies should honor the same plan and same benefits with heavy discounts at the new premium for already existing customers. "Loyal customers" not a thing anymore? Majority can't just switch to a different company because everything else would become a pre-existing condition. It's kind of like the problems we have where I am with cable and internet company. Just one option. Can't switch really and rates keep going up! With Figo it's worse, rates go up, there are other companies to switch to but you literally can't, and you have less coverage and benefits. Criminal!!

On a side note, what prescription meds do you give your 16 year old for arthritis? After trying to manage arthritis for years with natural and herbal supplements.... I think we reached a point where she could benefit from prescription pain meds and purchased Galliprant.

Thanks again for your insight and advice!

Occasionally When my 10-year old terrier comes home in the morning sore from playing too hard, I give him Galliprant so he will be comfortable the rest of the day. He can be a little lame and stiff on one front leg. It helps with pain and inflammation. My friend says CBD helped her senior dog’s back. Not through the vet of course.

You are definitely doing your homework, and I have no doubt you will make the best decision in the end

Hi PorterT

Our little devil is on Cartrophen shots for his arthritis, plus Gabapentin. Gabapetin was originally formulated for dogs with "issues" but as a side effect it really helps with arthritis, so he is on that as well - morning and night with food.

He is also on Hypothryoid Meds and takes fish oil supplements. He is tested every 6 months to determine if he has to change the level of his Hypothyroid meds - so far they have changed 3 times in the few years that he has been taking it.

It was suspected that he had a bladder stone but after an X-ray and finally an Ultrasound he was clear. They were also looking for a tumor which he fortunately does not have.

The arthritis meds do help somewhat with his back leg issues, but it is the splaying of the front legs that is the hardest and is not helped by his arthritis meds. There was a woman who came into the vet clinic as I was leaving who also had a 16 year old dog who was doing the same thing.

We have mats everywhere and do what we can. Yes, the dementia is very hard to see - and I sure don't want it myself. But when it comes to food - zip - he knows exactly what his "entitlements" are and the time they are given and he obviously doesn't trust us without reminding us. You would think that after nearly 16 years he would trust us! Or at least me - dogs really like me.

I had to look up Galliprant - our vet has not suggested it so I will ask her. In my search it did show up as approved for use in Canada.

Since we live in Canada we do not have access to Healthy Paws or many of the other pet insurers that Americans do. We are with Trupanion which used to be VetInsurance - which was a Canadian Company hoping to expand into the U.S. Well, I guess they went the other way and became a U.S. company that also covers Cdn. pets. VetInsurance had a cap as well on maximum payouts but all that changed with the switch to Trupanion - and that was when the deductibles came in.

Definitely I would check with your pet insurer to see about reimbursement of your annual fees should the worst happen and Figo should pass say mid year. The way the rules keep changing it is hard to keep up. Vet rules have changed a lot and continue to change.

I expect that Figo's TPLO surgery would in fact disqualify him from coverage for the front paws - but you never know until you ask.

Our guy's Gabapentin would not be covered if it was not prescribed for his arthritis. His "basic" plan does not cover meds such as prozac etc. or anything for behavioural issues. Our vet had to indicate that it was for arthritis which is common.

And, yes, I do think that $10,000 lifetime would be enough for Figo based on his current age.

We do have our guy vaccinated as per the law plus he gets the Lepto shot annually and takes monthly Spectra for heartworm/tick prevention (plus is tested yearly for heartworm) and also gets the Bortadlella shot to help with the strain of kennel cough most common to our area. Ticks are very bad where we live in Ontario. Re the Bortadella, he did once get KC during a bad outbreak in our city but not nearly as bad thanks to the shot. Next there was a seriously bad outbreak of the virus all across the city and our dog did not get it - it was really bad - vets had to stop all spays/neuters and other surgeries that were not life threatening. The groomer also had to shut down (we have a fluffo - a white, double-coated darling) - we used to have short-haired dogs and never thought about the grooming issues. Our groomer will not have a double-coated dog!

He fortunately has not had a reaction to anything. Cooking his food does not help because that just means extra - he can count - in addition to his holistic food - both kibble and canned plus his treats, if we cooked him food that would be extra. A very smart dog is not always the best!

If we get another dog (seniors) with no one to leave our pet with and a shelter is not an option - ever - it would be a senior pet (and I do not mean 7 which is the age a pet becomes a senior in Ontario) but one who is maybe 10 or 12. If you want a laugh I suggest you google pets for seniors that under normal circumstances do not have obvious health issues or grooming requirements. Are they kidding me?!

I know that it is hard to contact pet insurers . I just call even though the people who answer the phone are not the ones who make the determination. I did e-mail once and didn't get a reply so I phoned!

Here is to a long life for both of our dogs - although full on dementia might be the deciding factor.

Thank you socks.

I do give my dog cbd, I think a really good potent one too but not helping. i still give it bc it's not harmful. People rave so much about CBD oil but for me haven't noticed anything. Glad your dog is doing well on Galliprant and especially not needed daily. I chose Galliprant over the other NSAID pain medication because supposedly it can skip thru the liver, kidneys etc. to avoid the typical damaging and scarring that the other pain meds do. Vet did do blood work to make sure before starting to be safe. I've actually read that diarrhea was a big issue on Galliprant by some reviewers so we are starting on half dose 30mgs. Its only been 2 days and no relief. I may need to give her the full 60mgs. She is currently on 10 days of amoxicillin (antibiotics) for a UTI so I didn't want to overload her with the full dose of Galliprant. Thank you for your encouragement @socks.

The vet gave me the 20mg Galliprant tablets for my dog at 16 lbs. I was giving him 1/2 tablet (in spite of directions), and the vet said that was not an effective dose. Oh ok then, so I give whole dose now. I'm like you, don't want to give unnecessary medication so I do give the whole dose when he plays hard with his dog-buddies. Vet said I could even give it before playtime, but I don't do that, just give when he is slightly lame or favoring his leg. I suppose Galliprant and the antibiotic at the same time could upset stomach. Maybe give with food if she seems in true pain, or wait the 10 days. Wow, 14.5 is quite an age. Is she overweight? That can be hard on joints. Putting an old dog on a diet....maybe not!

Hi @eccentric.

I had to google Cartrophen. Never heard of it before. Gabapentin I have heard and was even prescribed for my dog but contemplated starting. In the end, I have the bottle and decided not to give it to her from some scary posts I saw regarding side effects and original intended use of seizures. Holistic vet seems to swear by it though. My dad took Gabapentin for sciatic pain and didn't help him so already I'm skeptical. Who knows.

We too have mats all over the house too! Bunch of $10 runners from Costco. They really do help manage her grip so she isn't sliding and putting more unnecessary pressure on her joints. She slipped and fell a year ago (before putting in the runners) and injured her front leg. Actually just last night, something she did reinjured that front leg again. I gave her some Herbaprin (natural) and T Relief (Also natural) She stayed still all night and by 4am she wasn't limping anymore. I took her out to potty, gave her another T relief pill and laid her down on her bed with a heating pad. She seems to be back to herself. I've accepted that her front leg will always bother her with arthritis but hoping we can manage it with these natural pills and maybe one of these days the Galliprant will help whether we keep her on the half dose or full dose once UTI is cleared.

Regarding your dogs dementia. What kind of things does he do? Bark at you? Stare at the wall?
Forget which side he door opens? Forget who you are? I can't imagine how heartbreaking that would be.

It's been 4 days with no response back from FIgo regarding the questions I had. I may try again on monday or give them a call. As far as the front leg, surprisingly she is covered and not considered pre-existing. When she had the slip and hurt her front leg (barely putting any weight on it which is terribly hard for a 80lb dog to walk). We did x ray and they covered it. That was why I need to know if they would cover I guess half of the acupuncture cost if she is going in for both front and back legs.

Glad you think the $10k coverage will be enough. I think so too. It is $10,000 maximum for one year. Next year it would restart the $10k. The only downfall for me is the acupuncture is only covered up to $600 as opposed to the unlimited plan which is $1000. It's ok.

Have you considered more natural forms of heartworm medication? Never had to use it for mine but there is one by Amber Naturalz. https://market.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/collections/heartworm-protection. I get a lot of products and information from DNM site. They seem to know what they are doing. Might be worth looking into. They are in Canada too!

Yes 7 year old dog being called a senior pet is absurd! My dog is a "geriatric patient" LOL. I hate when people who see us say oh no is she old just because she isn't running or walking as fast. I just say, no your old! Ok I don't say that but I think it!

Hi @socks.

Good to know that vet told you the half dose won't be an effective dose. Perhaps I do need to give her the 60mg full dose but like you said I'll wait until a week after antibiotics treatment ends. I love that you don't like to give prescription meds and only give Galliprant as needed. I think that is smart.

Usually when she is on antibiotics, we have the hardest time dealing with yeast infection. Side effects of antibiotics, fun! With a suppressed immune system the whole body becomes itchy and sensitive which is not easy to manage. As much as I avoid antibotics like the plaque, I wanted to zap and kill the enterococcus bacteria that was present in her bladder when we did the urine culture. Dr said this one is a difficult one to kill. Anyway I've been loading her up with pre and probiotics throughout the day so we'll see if that will be effective. I plan to continue loading her with it after the treatment ends too. Let's see if that will make a difference or if I'll be back on bathing her every other day with medicated shampoo! ahhh so much work!

My dog is not overweight at all. To be fair, she is 78lbs to be exact lol. She's a German Shepherd / Ridgeback mix. Her ideal weight is around 75lb. When she was young, she'd easily run 3 miles/day. She would run, chase squirrels and rabbits all day long. Super active. Even then she was lean and around 75-78lbs. Granted she has lost a lot of muscle mass so perhaps we can change her goal weight to 73lbs! Won't be easy but we can try!!

Hi PorterT,

I "think" in the U.S. the injectible for arthritis might be Adequan. It is comprised of different meds than the Cartrophen, but I do know that when our dog was initially put on Cartrophen that it had not yet been approved by the U.S. government. But the good news is that if you inject yourself with Cartrophen (not sure about Adequan) that there will not be an issue (unlike insulin). I had a lesson in how to inject. Yikes.

Re the Gabapentin - it is a secondary med - not a primary and human Gabapentin in not to be used on animals. So if you just use the Gabapentin for canine arthritis it won't work. Many people have used the human version which often comes as a liquid and contain Xylitol which I am sure you know is poisonous to dogs. Our guy is on the 50 mg - twice a day with food (emphasis on the food - just ask him - it is "time for my meds, Mom") - but can have a third pill. Initially the pills made him drowsy, but no longer as he has become used to it. The 50 mg pill in Ontario must be custom compounded, but not the higher doses. I bear this in mind because custom compounding takes 5 business days.

Our vet put him on the Gabapentin and it made a huge difference - the vet staff noticed as did our groomer.

I have read the reviews of humans being prescribed Gabapentin and agree that the revews of people can be frightening.

It is funny about a 7 year old dog being called a "senior". Sometimes the vet staff try to say "mature". Our dog at 16 is often taken for a much younger dog (okay he is white) particulary of course when he is planning on his morning or evening "medication" (i.e. canned food) followed by his kibble and other snacks. I am kind of worried about his weight!

We haven't tried a natural Heartworm med - we just go by what our vet suggests and so far our guy hasn't had any reactions to anything, so touch wood, we are at least clear on that front.

I forgot to mention that he also has eye issues and sees a board certified eye specialist don't you know! He has to take eye drops twice a day for life. He doesn't have PRA but something else. If she were not board certified she would have operated on his eyes when this first presented 8 years ago (hence our first claim - 90% of eye drops only - the initial consultation, his frequent re-checks or the recheck supplies are not covered).

I am kind of worried about eye med shortages. My husband also takes prescription eye drops morning and night (a bonding moment for Dad and dog) - I am terrible at giving them probably because I can't use any eye drops myself. One of my husband's eye drops is on Canada's Drug Shortage list which is not helped by the current China problem since many of the ingredients come from there (this is not always known to people).

And when people have med shortages so do pets.

As I mentioned, our little fluffo does not have any dementia at all when it comes to food. At other times, he does turn around in several circles not knowing what to do, until I stop him. We do find him staring off into space sometimes, and often stares into the mirror - and he is not admiring his good looks (and he is a good looking guy) - he used to admire himself but no longer. Being deaf does not help either. But so far his dementia is manageable - but it is getting worse. I won't kid myself on that issue. He definitley recognizes us but the day he doesn't recognize me he will be ready because while he loves my husband, I am our guy's world. Pretty much all of us have been guilty at one time or another of keeping a dog alive for our own sake rather than thinking of the dog. This won't be happening.

We have so many mats and of course he lies on the floor. He has a double-coat sure, but it is hair, not fur, and it is freezing. Moving him does no good. Fortunately he is on a mat right now.

It is great news that Figo's front paws will be covered. You just never know any more. I would just call - the heck with e-mails - although we have often found that we find out after the fact if something will be covered or not since the people on the phone aren't the decision makers.

I don't know if your plan will allow it, but if Fido requires a certain treatment, your vet can send in a predetermination and your vet will be told how much will be covered - or not. We did this when our guy had his full body X-ray. I want to come back as my dog!

Definitely the $10,000 would be enough at this point, but because U.S. pet insurers are different than Cdn. I have to ask if you are 100% certain about the reset every year.

The reason I ask is that VetInsurance (before it became Trupanion) covered up to $15,000 LIFETIME - as in not resetting each year. And other plans that are offered in Canada as well as the U.S. have lifetime caps of $10,000. If Healthy Paws was available in Canada I would know - I checked when I first heard about it - U.S. only.

It sure is not inexpensive having a pet these days. I remember our first dog adopted when we were first married - he was 8. He lived for 12 more years and never had a vet bill except for his annual shots. We have been paying for it ever since - we used to have Dachshunds - with 2 having the terrible back/neck disc issues and the surgeries to prove it. We no longer have a Dachshund, we just wanted a dog with a reasonable chance at life - although as we know there are no health guarantees. Hence the American Eskimo - with all of that white fur! Most of our dogs came to us through our vet. We obviously love our vet - as does our dog (and she gives him cookies).

The ideal weight for our Eskie is 22 lbs. But we have settled on 25 lbs. based on his age. I am afraid to weigh him now. Our vet has to feel his ribs because he can fluff out his hairy fur when he is pleased with himself after he gets what he wants or flatten his hair to make himself look thin when he wants something. Some Eskies can eat all they want and not gain weight (just like my husband) whereas others can't - and ours can't. He is a bear type Eskie who looks like a girl but is a boy. Good luck with trying to make Figo lose weight - I don't think it will be happening unless it is just due to old age. This happened with one cat when she turned 18 - no illness, just lost weight. We no longer have a cat, just our dog. I tell you, a smart dog has its good and bad points. Our pup who we adopted at age 8 was not the sharpest took but was a lovely dog - and the cat I mentioned was a genius so together they made a dynamic duo.

So I crunched some numbers last night.

$1535/year premium: $1500 deductible at 80% coverage - To break even it would have to be a $3800 covered illness.

$2120/year premium: $1000 deductible at 80% coverage - To break even it would have to be a $3500 covered illness.

The more I crunch the numbers less it's starting to make sense to renew. I just hate that FIGO did this. Price hike and less coverage. I need to keep reminding myself that this is for in case of emergencies.

Also checked and her spine, hips, and knees are pre-existing.

So far the only thing thats I've used it to so far has been, several UTI issues (urine culture, analysis, antibiotics), dental consult (specialist), front leg x rays, consult , pain meds.

All these things are pretty expensive but to even reach $1000 or $1500 deductible, hard to do.

Feeling annoyed. Anyway thought I'd put that out there.

@eccentric.

Yes I have heard of Adequan. I did inquire about this but for some reason the holistic vet just told me it's not worth the expensive and instead gave me acetyle D type injectables. Seems to be helping many of their patients. I give the injections at home one a week including B12 shots weekly also. No clue if it's helping.

Interesting info on Gabapentin being for pets only. I'll keep that in mind. I got a script for it and filled it at Costco last year. It's a pill form not liquid form. I read the human version of the liquid form contains the xylitol, which you are right is deadly to both dog and cats. But even the pill form I got could be human version and not pet version? I don't know. Perhaps the reviews I did read were of people using the human version. Very scary stuff. Vets told me it's safe and their patients do well on it.... so I may need to revisit this one day.

When you say Gabapentin made a huge difference - can you elaborate? Is this in regards to be sedated so more calmer or was it for osteoarthritis - movement / flexibility / pain? I think I read that it has a sedative so it can make a pet very loopy and sleepy.

Funny about the drops being low on stock. Just heard about the toilet paper crisis in Korea. Someone rumored that toilet paper was low in stock so everyone basically cleared the shelves on toilet paper! Turns out there was no shortage. Funny. But really, what product or part of a product isn't made in China right?! Scary thought.

Your mention of your dog sometimes not recognizing you was hard to read. I guess leaving your dog alone at home is nearly impossible right? My dog does that too... despite all the mats that are down, she still sometimes likes to lay on the wood floor instead.... sometimes I think its easier for her to slide down easier but obviously not really thinking of the "how do I get back up without moms help". Luckily she only does this when I'm near and of course I am always there to help her. I actually put a bell around her necklace (amber crystals thats supposedly helpful in keeping fleas off). Even in the middle of night if she is moving around or needs my help, I can hear her. We had to do this for her a few years ago when she was on Prednisone and couldn't get up on her own.

I will be sure to ask about the $10,000 max reset. She says $10,000 annually so I am pretty sure it does but best to triple check.

You are so funny. I can imagine your dog fluffing his hair out and in whenever he feels in the mood. lol. Your household sounds lovely with your genius kittie and "lovely" eskie pup! Big hugs to them from us!

PorterT - Are you having issues with signing on - actually finding this particular pet forum. I went on to the Kitchen Table and then clicked on the Home Forums and then Pets and that is when I received the weird listings. I tried everything but nothing worked. So I found a response to one of my posts and that is how I am replying to you. A poster on the Kitchen Table is having difficulties as well - whereas others are not, and I tried Firefox as well as Explorer.

So, if I don't show up you will know why!

Our Eskie is given the Gabapentin as a result of his arthritis - and as a secondary medication, on top of his Cartrophen shots. It initially did make him a bit drowsy (first dog ever that a med made him drowsy - the rest of our pets took after me - we don't sedate and that is not a good thing). But at this point the pills no longer make him drowsy. This is the reason why it is covered - if Gabapentin were prescribed to calm him down (think dogs that take Prozac) it would not be covered. It was found that the drug does help a lot with dog arthritis. An acquaintance who also uses Gabapentin does so because her pet needs a serious calming influence. Actually years ago, the human drug Vioxx that was intended for arthritis suffers was found to really help those with Migraines - a secondary use. This is why I took it, but only when desperate - and then there was the recall so I stopped it. I have tried and cannot take any other meds for migraines.

The addition of Gabapentin to his medicine chest really helped him in terms of walking. By the third day he was walking much better to the point where the vet tech staff and our groomer noticed without being told that he had greatly improved. He has been on it since July 2019. Of course it doesn't have quite as strong an effect as it once did but then his system has become used to it. Our vet does not want him to take a larger dose.

I would be very afraid to use human Gabapentin even in pill form on a dog because of the dosage. Your pup is a big dog not 25 lbs. so I guess you could take that into consideration. What dosage did your vet recommend? Our dog is only on 50 mg - which of course must be custom compounded. Higher doses are a stock item but not the 50 mg.

Also you need to make certain that the Gabapentin does not cause a reaction with any other med your pup might be taking. Since we buy all of our meds through our vet, we are covered and she is very careful.

Before we were put on the Cartrophen shots we tried Metacam for once month to see if it would help. It did so then he was switched to the Cartrophen because it does far less damage to the internal organs. The bad news is that Cartrophen has to be injected whereas Metacam is FOOD!

It is bad when I can't wait for Heartworm/Tick meds day because it is food. An extra treat.

I use our guys "purse straps" as I call them - they are part of his harness. We now leave it on him during the day because with him being deaf and "sensitive" he tends to be alarmed when someone tries to put it on him - even me, now. Before, never me - everyone else definitely, but not me! We would like to put something around his neck but we don't date because all of his hairy fur. However, we do take it off him at night or when it is wet. There are a number of people who buy their Eskies very expensive collars (and I mean very expensive) and then wonder where the collar is - they can't see it.

Those mats drive me nuts! He is once again on the cold tile floor - right beside the mat. He also tends to park himself right where we have to step over him - and then he will move so we have to be very careful. It is our fault of course!

I would say his dementia has become worse over the past few days. He is staring more and not at us - but in different rooms. I am watching this. So far he does recognize us and gets all excited if I am out and the phone rings - because it must be me (he doesn't hear it but sees my husband answer the phone).

$ wise it would make sense not to continue with the pet insurance, unless it would scare you to death not to have coverage. We are fortunate in that at least none of our guy's covered conditions were pre-existing and hence are covered, but I am watching very closely because I have heard of a few people being turned down for repayment based on hereditary conditions - and this was not in the terms. This would be a no-no for me. For example, Patellar Luxation - supposedly he would have been covered for both legs since he has never experienced an issue - and when one leg goes the other generally follows a few months later. I did try and get an answer out of someone but the answer was very vague and so I am inclined to think that coverage has perhaps changed. Had one leg already been affected when he was signed up then I would be aware that the other leg would not be covered, but that was not the case. Fortunately, it has not been an issue. And at this point, won't be!

You by now have probably figured out that I thought your pup's name was "Figo"! I haven't heard of the company and since I know a dog named "Figo" it seemed to make sense.

I intend to ask our primary vet our Galliprant when she returns from vacation at the end of the month. She has a partner and associates, but since she is most aware of our dog's health it is better to ask her.

You are probably right about the $10,000 reset, but in Canada, forget it!

PorterT - I have now looked at FIGO! What about the $5,000 plan? From reading it appears to downgrade a plan you have to speak with customer service so perhaps this would not be possible.

FIGO is only available in the U.S. and it does appear that rates increase as a dog ages. This is not the case with our pet insurer although our costs have increased A LOT! I shudder to think what it would cost to insure an older pet.

Re shortages, yes it is a major problem. Both with the China problem and in Canada we are having issues with blockage of the rail lines by protesters. This has gone on for more than a week and the impact is being felt.

Apparently you can't even buy a mask for painting at this point - in fact I was out and saw a store with a big sign reading that they had masks and there was a fellow on the street a block away wearing a placard advertising the name and location of the store.

@eccentric. Thanks for looking into Figo for me. Yes, Figo is one of many who do increase rates by age of dog. I thought I checked that when I signed up with FIGO or maybe it was that they don't increase because of how many claims you have. I read HealthyPaw and one other company does not "raise" rates as dogs age. Not sure if I buy that but I wish I went with Healthy Paw because I wouldn't be in this dilemma today.

The Essential Plan is $5,000 in annual benefits. It has a $100,000 lifetime maximum benefit limit. It has $350 in acupuncture and chiropractic care.

- The Preferred Plan is $10,000 in annual benefits. It has a $150,000 lifetime maximum benefit limit and $600 for acupuncture and chiropractic care.

$5000 doesn't seem like a lot in benefits to me but I'll crunch in the numbers as soon as I find out the premium. I know that even then its over $2000/year in premium. Ouch.

Wow sounds like you guys are affected more than we are here in the US. Probably a stupid question but couldn't people just order masks or whatever necessary from online retailers like Amazon?

Hi PorterT,

Yes, I expect you wish you had gone with Healthy Paws, but let us not forget that our premiums with our insurer do not go up as the dog ages - he is still insured as a pup, but bottom line is that they have increased from $32 to $140 a month for a basic plan. So, it is hard to know - they get you either way. Not to mention changing what is covered until it is too late. Hard to be in no man's land as we were - with our guy being 7.5 before he had a claim - and a puppy basically until this past year.

It will be interesting to see what the $5,000 annual max premium will be with FIGO. At least it appears that it will reset. One of the plans offered in Canada has a max of $4,500 - for a young dog not a chance! That would just about cover one blockage or a broken leg.

Re the shortages, many people do order on-line (I don't because I have yet to receive what I ordered) but the price from what I have been told is horrendous. People stocked up early and are raking in the $. I think there should be a maximum that a person should be able to buy. I remember a few years ago when we had a ton of snow and everyone was out of ice melter and one store got in a very large order. We bought 4 jugs and another person brought his trailer and loaded up the rest leaving everyone just standing there. We happened to see the ice melter being unloaded and wisely decided to go there first before the LCBO (where we have to buy wine/liquor in Ontario) - with emphasis on the wine.

I hope you have a good night and that the premiums for the $5,000 maximum are not too horrendous.

Thank you for all of our responses to me @eccentric. I really appreciate it. It's funny I've posted a few things on houzz but people have been more helpful then many other forums i have been on in the past. Always imagined houzz to be only for interior decorating. Who knew!

I didn't have any issues logging in... probably because It's set to "remember me". But I did not see 2 of your posts until just recently.

Gabapentin dose that I received from holistic vet is for 100mgs. Given every 8-12 hours or as needed. It has a cream color capsule with the number 103 written on it.

https://www.drugs.com/imprints/103-18281.html

I just did some reading and it did say that only liquid human version has xylitol in it so I think this is fine but honestly don't think I'm going to give it. I'm going to start her on the galliprant again tomorrow and see where that takes us. The reviews I've read seem very promising. I'm hopeful this will help her get rid of the pain she is dealing with. Sometimes I see her hind legs buckling under her while she is standing. Fingers crossed. Some said they noticed a difference in a week, some after a month so we will see. I don't need her to run again, I just want her to be free of pain and discomfort. Makes me laugh as I write this because just this morning I ordered more T relief (arnica) pain and mobility pills on amazon and the Vet's Best aches and pain pills - both very natural and at least the latter I noticed it does help a little .. see still trying to avoid prescription meds!!!!! Just do it, it's time. I know @socks mentioned that half dose isn't effective but maybe I'll start the half dose and see how it goes for a week or so and then bump her to 60mg. I could even alternate the days too... 30mg one day and 60mg the next.

That's really funny that you thought my dog's name is FIGO. I noticed that you mentioned her by FIGO but I assumed it was a autospell mistake and you meant "your fido" as in dog. lol. My dogs name is Guinness.... and yes she is a girl. I've had her since she was 6 months old and the love of my life!

Are there any meds that yours takes or can take for dementia? I have heard of dogs staring out into space or at a wall. Must be so heartbreaking.

You or @socks mentioned the importance of qualify of life and that you will not keep an animal alive out of a human need. I completely agree but everyones perspective of qualify of life is very different. I think with any animal, any family, any circumstance, in the end we all hope that we make the right decision. I have a friend who's dog had Degenerative Myelopathy. Another heartbreaking disease. She fought for her dog for as long as they could. Some would criticize her for allowing the dog to live as long as they had but I truly do believe that every situation is different. You know your dog best and thats what matters. In the end she did have to put him down but it was a peaceful at home euthanasia. But up until those finals days, all her dog wanted to do was be by their side and for as long as he could. We always talked about how we don't "put down" our human family members just because they have cancer or they can no longer have functioning legs. Okay on to a lighter topic please!!!

Sounds like you have dealt with some shortages in the past. I would think that most retails will put up a sign and only allow x amount per household to allow an even distribution of whats left of their stock. People can be greedy more so when it comes to "end of world" type situations!

I just overheard on the news that over 2000 people in china have died from the disease. That's crazy.

night night.

I got quote for Preferred which is the $5000 annual max. It just doesn't make any sense to me to go that route. It won't kill me to pay $5000 in vet bills... its just not as painful as let's say $10,000 annual max. Its still around $1500+ any way.

This is how much FIGO hates insuring older dogs. I did the math... its about 113.5% increase. CRIMINAL. This is for the plan I was on and the new plan with equivalent coverage. Are you kidding me!!!!! AHHHHHH.

Current Plan - Markel
Ultimate plan - Unlimited annual benefits
$500 Deductible
70% reimbursement, 30% co-pay
Exam Fee Coverage Included
Rehabilitation Included
$1,265.67 - annual premium

Same Plan - Independence American Insurance Company
Ultimate plan - Unlimited annual benefits
$500 Deductible
70% reimbursement, 30% co-pay
Exam Fee Coverage Included
Rehabilitation Included
$2,702.54 - annual premium

85% of me says to just pull the plug and exit.

15% of me says to go with the 10,000 annual $1500 deductible / 70% for $1,296.04. Thats $108/month for "peace of mind". I would need $4000 worth of "covered" expense just to break even. See it helps me to write this because thats just dumb and insane! lol

@eccentric you said you pay now 140/month. Whats the deductible and copay on yours? Are you seeing benefits with keeping your insurance?

I'm not finding many complaints online about the figo increase. I wonder what others are doing with their plan. Wish I knew.

Hi PorterT and "FIGO"

You realize of course that your dog will forever be FIGO to me!

I too have searched for comments on FIGO but have not found many complaints. But I am certain they are out there.

You are right, companies do not want to insure older pets.

Our $140 a month - which used to be $32 (and remember our Eskie is still insured at the puppy rate) has a repayment of 90% of the costs incurred, less our deductible of $100 PER CONDITION. This does not include reimbursement of our 13% taxes - but 90% off the pre-tax amount. Apparently the best deductible is $250 not the $100 but considering that I almost threw out the letter from Trupanion as junk mail since we were not advised of the sale of the Cdn. Company to a U.S. Company, it could have been worse - as in 0 Deductible. Plus the per condition does come into play.

The $140 is for the basic plan so it does not include dental (and Eskies have strong teeth but are inclined to develop tartar) - much like Collies due to face shape. It also excludes any consultation fees, supplies, pre-existing conditions, end of life "shots", cremation etc. New people who signed up (or those who had a code were able to purchase the additional coverage for things such as prozac, adaptil, end of life etc. for $5.00 a month - instead of the $30 per month we were quoted).

It is a good thing (generally) that there is a $100,000 lifetime cap on the $5,000 annual coverage - our sold Canadian provider had a lifetime cap of $15,000 so no reset which is why I questioned it. But in your particular case it is hard because your pup is a "senior".

We are definitely using the insurance now for our guy's arthritic meds, his hypo-thyroid meds, his prescription eye drops, and did use it for his ultrasound, his X-Rays checking out possible bladder stones, his full body X-Ray etc. But bottom line is have we recovered our costs of insuring our dog for 15 years - no. Peace of mind, yes, provided he is of course covered for what ails him.

At this point with him being 16 we won't cancel. We are afraid to. Your pup, being much larger and at 14.5 years of age, you most definitely could cancel and hope for the best. I guess what you would need to know is if your pup could withstand surgery if perhaps she had an obstruction - if not, then that is your answer.

Surgery on a 16 year old dog - well some would do it, some would not. I would prefer that we not! Even with advances today in terms of knocking out the pup, but a blockage or a broken leg is possible.

If your pup had to have surgery would she have it done at your holistic vet's office? In Canada, there has to be a "conventional" vet associated with the holistic vet's at each practice but I don't know if that is the case in the U.S. And did your pup have the TPLO surgery? Fortunately our guy has not had to have it but due to him only weighing 25 lbs. he would not have the TPLO specialist surgery but a specialist would be called in to our vet's to do the surgery.

By the way, while our primary vet is still away, I had to re-order our pup's Gabapentin pills due to the custom compounding so I asked about Galliprent. Apparently it isn't used as much - and it is an N-Said, Gabapentin is not. Whether or not someone would give their pets both I will have to ask our vet on her return. I think probably not.

So I guess in your case you could go with the peace of mind option and hope for the best. We are basically in the same situation, but have chosen not to cancel.

If we were younger, there is another plan that I would look into. It offers 80% coverage, with an annual deductible (as opposed to the Per Condition) and does increase as a dog ages. However, it does offer some $$ towards the annual physical as well as some $$ towards dental cleanings.

They offer 3 plans with the one I have referred to being the most popular, but that could change. I haven't bothered to crunch the numbers based on our ages. And so far I do not know (or feel comfortable enough) with knowing whether hereditary conditions or congenital conditions are covered.

I don't want much - a senior (by my standards, not 7), short-haired, good health, not more than 30 lbs. etc. and who has been insured since a pup and has paid the Per Condition deductible. And no short legs - been there, done that and it is "h" on the pup and on Mom. No doubt our vet will have just the pet she is trying to rehome! But what I do not want to do is have to find a new vet and groomer - our vet is 65, her partner is 70 (but neither is looking to retire). If the current associates bought the practice that would be one thing but not sure - and our groomer rents space from our vet. And with the current trend of corporations buying vet practices I am not happy. You need a primary vet who realizes the emotions that pet parents experience and who has some emotions himself or herself. Specialists are different - you take what you get. Fortunately our eye specialist is great.

I and now we - having been watching the British program Vet on a Hill. It is no longer in production but it is the only "reality" show I will watch - and it is "real" reality. The vet in question, Scott Miller, loves animals and explains things so well. If you can get it I highly recommend it.

I hope everyone had a nice weekend.

Maybe Canada deductibles work differently? Because I think lower the deductible the better the plan is because the faster you get to the deductible, the company begins to actually "help pay" for the covered expenses. The lower the deductible, the higher your premium will be. So you have a $100 per condition deductible - so once you hit the $100 deductible, the company will help pay for 90% of your expenses going forward. Thats a pretty great plan... even though your paying $140/month. I think you did the right thing by keeping your insurance. It seems like with all the meds your pup is on, its helping at least to "reduce" the cost of your premium .. even if you don't break even. You said you looked into other companies but it's nearly impossible for anyone who have had insurance to switch companies because by then every ailment or illness will become pre-existing. Hence why I am stuck with FIGO (insurance no the dog! haha).

Very interesting about how vet offices work in Canada in regards to specialist. It's not like that in the US at all. If you need to see a holistic vet or a specialist you just go. You don't need a primary "conventional vet".

Yes my dog did have TPLO surgery on both hind legs when she was around 2 years old. She played way too rough one day while at the office with 2 other big dogs and tore her tendon. We did go to an orthopedic surgeon who did the procedure. I find that these "specialist" tend to work inside hospitals which is where we went. Interesting enough around age 7, she had been struggling with her leg as it would swell up every time she would run or go swimming in the pool. Most vets said it was arthritis but we went back to the same surgeon and we had the plates removed. It was actually a good decision because it was in fact infected.

Like you said Gabapentin is often used as a secondary medication so yes you can use Galliprant and Gabapentin together. I have read that many do this. From what I understand Gabapentin helps more with the nerve pain while Galliprant is used to treat osteoarthritis. Yes it is a NSAID but from what I have read it is the only NSAID that doesn't stay in the kidney or liver which it claims will not affect the organs. There are reviews that say that the dogs with liver and kidney disease are switching to Galliprant because they can't use the typical NSAIDS like Rimdel, Carprofen, etc. Galliprant is still a newer drug so who knows. I just don't trust pharmaceutical companies and their claims.

I've actually been reading up on CBD oil with low dose of THC. We use Full spectrum CBD oil but never noticed any change. Supposedly to manage chronic pain like Osteoarthritis or even pain from cancer, using a pet version CBD oil with low dose of THC is very effective and safe. I don't know if its legal in Canada but marijuana is legal where I am. I'm thinking of trying it this week.

Thanks for recommending Vet on a Hill. I've watched 4 episodes of Season 1 so far. It's fantastic. Dr. Scott is a cutie. But I'm not sure if I can stomach watching more episodes. It gives me so much anxiety seeing so many animals struggling. Breaks my heart. I'm so nervous watching it and I keep saying "oh my gosh, is this dog going to make it, omg is she going to pull through?". ahhhhh!!!

Hi PorterT,

You are welcome re Vet on a Hill! Don't worry, the animals may be in pain but so far I have yet to see a pet die on Dr. Scott's table! Yes, pets have died (and face it they do) but so far the only pets that have died have been at the Referral Hospitals. Small comfort I know. If you haven't read The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein, I recommend it. Obviously the dog does die, but it is what happens to the dog after death that is wonderful! I liked it a lot more than Marley and Me. Plus it is written in the dog's voice.

It is great that your pup had the TPLO surgery. So many people with big dogs just have it done by a none TPLO surgeon which can be a big mistake in the end.

Our pet insurance is one that has Per Condition Deductibles, most do not. So we have the $100 deductible, but it is only for his arthritis. Then there was another $100 for his eye issues. Then another $100 deductible for his hypothyroid etc. etc. So we have paid quite a bit toward deductibles. It can be either a good thing or a bad thing depending on how things work out. It is a hard decision, not hard for us since VetInsurance did not have a deductible (but a $15,000 lifetime MAX payount) and after it was sold to Trupanion only the one plan was offered and it was with a Per Condition deductible. But it is something to consider when taking out Pet Insurance in Canada.

Vet costs in Canada are very high. I know that they are high in the U.S. too, but back in the day when it existed I used to frequent the Eskie specific board. Most of the members were U.S. residents, with a few Canadians. One day there was a post about the cost of a dental cleaning and the poster was horrified as were many others at the cost in a U.S. major city. Having just had one done on our dog, the cost seemed pretty good to me. I did not post that of course but rather what I had paid - and I was royally creamed. It was like posting on Hot Topics against the flavour of the month! Finally, 2 Canadians who also lived in major cities came to my rescue and said they had basically paid the same as I did. They were hesitant at first due to said creaming!

Even dog food is a lot more expensive in Canada. We feed Fromm (made in the U.S.) and our guy has done very well on it. But in the U.S. it is much cheaper than here (and this is comparing $ to $ ignoring the exchange rate). People who live near the border buy their pet food in the U.S. Of course people who buy a super giant bag for a 5 lb. dog often wonder why it goes "funny"! Our dog prefers fresh food so we have to accommodate him of course.

I intend to ask our vet about the Gallapentin and the Gabapentin when she returns. Even if he can have both. Heck, I have been looking at elbow braces. I can't order anything on-line - a brace would have to be fitted and I would prefer not to take the gamble. Plus our Eskie is "sensitive" don't you know.

Re CBD Oil - since it is now legal in Canada people are asking their vets for prescriptions with the plan to use it themselves not for the pet. This way there is not a history of use under their names - just their pets' names. Our vet is not able to prescribe it at the moment for obvious reasons.

Our pharmacy has big signs about ordering Cannabis through them (and offers counselling) but you would have to give your name. Some people are growing it themselves. Other people have had to show their ID to buy it in Ontario - whereas other people haven't. And still others are ordering from third party sites. Bottom line though is if you want to travel outside of Canada and you have used it you had better be a pretty good liar. It doesn't matter if you are travelling directly to a state that does allow it because it is federal in the U.S. I am always asked - it doesn't matter what for. I am not in the category that is usually asked either. I think they have to ask X number of people and it is always me. People can't believe it. The funny thing is I won't use it - experience with family members back in the day who did use it made sure of that. So we will see how it plays out. Perhaps in the future things will be different.

At the moment we have to worry about the COVID-19 virus. It is getting serious in Italy - and guess where we are booked although not for several months and we will be landing in Milan to makes matters worse. I checked with our travel insurance provider this morning and apparently we will be covered provided there is a travel advisory. We booked late last Sept. before the virus raised its head but some insurers are not paying period if it is virus related. We don't pre-pay hotels - but we do plan on booking our trains in April - you can only book 3 months out. Of course if the airline cancels our flights then we will be reimbursed. Our hotels should be okay - it is the trains in euros that will cost.

So did you cancel your pet insurance?

@eccentric No I haven't canceled Pet insurance yet. I think I have until March 7 before my renewal date. Still deciding. I'm going to have to call FIGO today to get some more questions answered. Will reply to your msg later. thanks!

PorterT - I tried to send you a PM by for some reason I can't. Do you know why?

Do NOT watch the episode of Vet on the Hill with the 12.5 year old Wheaton Cross who Scott had operated on twice - due to a malignancy. The mother had decided that after the second operation that would be it, but on reflection with the pup still being active etc. she took the dog back in and asked Scott to do a third surgery. You can guess what happened. And well it does happen. Despite the dog being relatively healthy, well except for the malignant tumour part that Scott was never able to totally remove based on its location. This was my first experience though in watching this show. I told my husband that I had to warn you - and you no doubt would have watched it!

Yikes.

@eccentric! OMG thanks for the warning. Thats so sweet of you.

I know death is part of life but I just can't stomach it happening to animals even in fictional movies or books. My heart can't take it. I love any topic about dogs or animals but I always avoid watching movies about animals. That newer movie with Harrison Ford... Call of the wild or whatever... okay stupid I know its CGI dog but no I can't do it. I did watch and read Marley and Me... it was so long ago, I don't remember it. That famous movie and book ... Dog's life or something.... ya can't do it. I might still watch the Art of Racing in the Rain bc I really like Milo from This is Us but now I know the dog dies... I may have to second think that one.

Very interesting about cost of vet / dental care / cost of dog food in Canada. Raw pet food is booming in the US, I assume it is the same all over the world. I think all the recalls on major dog food brands was a blessing as people are now more aware of what kinds of crap goes into these dog food kibble. I recently watched (Free on US Amazon Prime) a documentary called Dog Fooled. I didn't find it to be anything new but interesting none the less. As I write this however, a friend of mine texted me that she is dog sitting and the owner gave her a bag of Beneful dog food. Sad people still buy that when there are so many other alternatives.

So far it's been 3 days on full dose of Galliprant. I'm seeing her moving more but not quite pain free. Reviews I read were mixed. Some mentioned it worked right away, a week, a month. I guess it depends on each animal. I can't say that it's worked miracles however but again its been 3 days. I did purchase the cannabis called VetCBD. My first time at a dispensary. The people behind VetCBD have a vet nurse support so they have been really helpful. I decided to wait a little bit to try it bc I wanted to give Galliprant a try. Sometimes I try too many things and in the end I don't know what worked and what didn't.

Why are people getting prescription for CBD Oil for their pet when its for them? If its legal in Canada why wouldn't they be able to get it for themselves? As for cannabis, I don't use it either but you have to remember that these vet formulations for dogs or cats are formulated at a much lower dose than the human version. If you give a human version to a dog or cat, thats very dangerous and they will be confused and stoned! These formulations for pets are 20:1. 20 CBD oil (hemp derived) to 1 THC - THC is the cannabis part that can make you high or stoned. This amount is very little. Some companies do offer a little higher THC count as well but they are meant more for hospice care or painful cancer patients. I think in CA where I'm at a law passed last year that now allows veterinarians to talk about cannabis where they were not allowed in the past. Next time I see our holistic vet I'll ask about it and see if she has any experience with her patients using it.

Something interesting popped up today on the news about clinical trial research being done on stem cell therapy. They use the umbilical cord of a dog (usually just thrown away) and inject it into the joint. They say its effective in dogs under 70lbs but not yet so on dogs over. They were requesting applicants so of course I submitted an application. I don't know why not? Doubt we will be picked bc thats how life goes. lol. It's funny that you said that your always picked in these "random" border patrol stops. Shortly after 9/11, anytime I would drive down to the airport, they always had me stopped to check under my car and trunk. Me, innocent me. hahahaha.

I did hear things are bad in Italy, Japan, Korea. This virus seems to be spreading quickly. I heard from a friend in Italy who said its really bad there now. They are closing factories in Milan. Hopefully by the time you go on holiday there things will have improved. Maybe get some overseas medical insurance too just in case! I wonder whats going to happen to the summer Olympics in Japan. Yikes.

PorterT - Hi, I just tried again following the advice given to other posters having issues - the suggested links doesn't work!

March 7 is coming...

Canadians want to buy CBD products from their vets so that the pet's name is on the prescription instead of their own - so that it is attributed to use by the pet rather than by the pet's owner. It doesn't matter that it is legal in Canada, you can't carry it (prescription on not) or advise officials at other countries' borders that you have it (unless said countries allow cannabis) or have used it. The U.S. is one country that doesn't allow it. And, people won't admit to their vets that they are using it for themselves.

We do have purchased trip/medical insurance - bought when we booked our trip so we are covered. It is very bad in Italy - I spoke with our innkeeper. Everyone has cancelled and so much of Italy's economy is tourist based. Our innkeeper also does tours - which have also totally dried up. Personally, I would rather the flight be cancelled (full refund) than have to go through trip insurance. At the moment AC is only allowing a good will rebooking of flights to Verona - and you must complete the trip by April! And you can only do it once, to the same place (Verona) and there must be the exact same fare class availability - or you must pay the difference. In our case we don't have a lot of time and we are landing at Milan Malpensa. If the Cdn. government issues a Don't Go to Italy advisory and the flights still go we would have to use the trip insurance otherwise we would not be covered for medical etc. I hope it doesn't happen.

It is too bad that you aren't having better luck with the Galliprant. But you never know, all of a sudden it might kick in. Our guy immediately responded to the Gabapentin but he has become used to the dose and without a blood test or a go ahead from our vet we don't dare increase it.

Our vet is now back so we will be able to ask her about the Galliprant. We had to pick-up his Gabapentin, Hypothyroid meds and his heartworm/tick Spectra yesterday as he will run out of the first two tonight and we only now buy Spectra once a month because after all he is 16 and the vets can't take back any meds once they are prescribed. Funny, we had to stop at the drugstore on the way home and my husband and dog were in the car when another man with an Eskie tapped on the window. He couldn't believe he was 16.

Just be careful with meds. I know that it is hard not to try everything but then you don't know what is working or isn't. Same with skin care - I am religious about only trying one thing at a time - experience!

It is interesting about the stem-cell research. Hopefully your pup will be selected for the study, but I am somewhat doubtful due to age and size. They will want to pick the best candidates and I expect the final paperwork would be wild with the company not taking blame for anything.

Re The Art of Racing in the Rain, I much preferred the book to Marley and Me which I hated. Of course dogs die, but in Racing in the Rain the ending is wonderful! They had to change some things for the movie because of the current environment. Patrick Dempsey was supposed to star in it, but the studios kept changing hands, the chosen director was not available etc. and he eventually became too old to play the young Denny - hence Milo. Remember though, you have to watch the whole thing (or read the whole book) to see what happens at the end.

In the meantime, keep safe and make sure it is March 7 for your pet insurance - otherwise, well, I guess you won't have to make the decision.

Are you still having issues with Houzz? I'm not sure what suggested links isn't working. Although I did just try to send what I wrote and it disappeared so I'm having to re-write my response again. Rats!

Just came back from Costco. People are nuts. There was no more bottled water, Kirkland toilet paper or paper towels. Forget hand sanitizers and masks, those are long gone and no one is carrying them I am sure. I just went to get toilet paper and a few things.. not out of fear or panic but because I'm running low! They had a few Charmin Brand toilet paper so I grabbed those. I much prefer Kirkland but oh well. People need to CHILL OUT!

When is your trip? April or Summer? If summer you'll probably be okay, hopefully by then things will be better. Italy is not doing too great and even if you were okay there, will they just let you return back to canada? Probably not. Your right about waiting for the airline to cancel so you can get a full refund instead. But I did hear some airlines are waiving any fees so not sure if that could help you.

As for Galliprant, I read some reviews and some said it took a week to start noticing anything and some said it took about 3 weeks. So I'll keep using it. Its been about 1 week so far but I am hoping for some miracles. Fingers crossed.

I do a lot of audiobooks especially when I'm out walking my dog so I just borrowed the audiobook, the Art of Racing in the Rain. I'm currently reading Free Melania (about Trumps wife) , Mercy (turned into a movie) and The Suspect (story about Richard Jewell - turned into movie also. Both the movies were excellent, I highly recommend.

Yes March 7th is coming up. I tried to email, call, and text them and no response. These FIGO people must be struggling. I'll try to call them in the morning. I need to get through to them because I still have questions. Apparently the way they calculate the reimbursement is even different than it was before.

Hi Porter T, Yes, I am still having issues with Houzz. I have tried various links suggested to other people who are also having issues, but none of them work.

I can get to the Kitchen Table, by googling Kitchen Table, Garden Webb. From within Kitchen Table I tired "Home Forums" which is how I used to get to Pets, but instead was provided with a strange list of Houzz related household queries. Next I tried the Garden Web - to read, never sign on - to Hot Topics. Same thing - so I tried closing out of Garden Web and just typing in Hot Topics, Garden Web and it took me just to that site. But it didn't work for Pets.

I get to Pets by using you as the link!

I also lost a posting - and before that it took 2 days to finally show up permanently. First it was there, then it wasn't and finally it was. What can you do?

Yes, people are nuts. We no longer have a Costco membership. It isn't nearly as good in Canada (just ask the snowbirds) and with just the 2 of us and our dog, and we don't buy his food at Costco, it wasn't worth it. Plus the locations were very difficult to get to.

Here too people are buying out the store - some who are crazy and others who plan to re-sell the T.P., masks etc. they are buying. We have extra bottled water, and some cans etc. We will probably buy more T.P. and cleaners and canned food (which I can't eat!) but that will be it.

I too hope that our trip is cancelled, We are supposed to leave at the end of June but so far can you believe that Air Canada has only offered a waiver to people landing in Verona - and travel must be started by May 30. What about Milan, Venice, and the rest of northern Italy. I am concerned that 5 days out we still won't have a cancellation. Also, we booked our tickets on July 27, so even to take advantage of the waiver (if one is ever offered) we would have less than 4 weeks to use it. Try finding anything then - and of course in the same fare bucket. You really have to wonder. If the airline flies, and the government has issued a Level 3 or 4 warning, you can't go or you will not have medical insurance. But the airlines do not have to issue waivers.

Re Galliprant, hopefully it will kick in soon. It may never since not all meds do. But let us hope for your miracle!

It was funny. A woman on a different board is looking for ideas because her 6 year old rescue dog who has been with her for a year is always hungry, pacing etc. until he gets food. Exactly as does our 16 year old fluffo except he has been with us since he was 13 weeks of age. I told her to give up. Some dogs just love to eat - as do people. Heck, our dog eats so fast that I doubt he even tastes the food - it is the principle. Obviously he doesn't trust us to feed him, even after all of these years and life revolves around him (as it should - but it really does). Of course our dog also is seen by a vet frequently to rule out any other possible reasons. No, he just wants to eat.

I hope you can get through to FIGO. I am not surprised about further changes, as insurance seems to be a "fluid" industry. Today is the 4th, watch the time zones - you may find that you have to make a decision based on the time zone where the company is headquartered. It doesn't always happen but it has.

Thanks for the movie referrals. I was planning on watching The Switch.

I hope you can get through to FIGO - or as I said, the decision will be out of your hands. I would be a lot more worried if your pup was a lot younger.

Hello!!

So I was listening to the Art of Racing in the Rain... I'm not sure if I like it to be honest. Some of the parts were so sad for me to listen too!! I love sad books/movies of humans but when its animals.... oh its too much! I'll keep going however!

How crazy is this coronavirus stuff. Geez, I keep refreshing the John Hopkins live stats and it just keeps going.. especially Italy. Over 10,000 infected now. Death toll rising as well.

I really hope they cancel your flight to Italy. It's just not safe there. I mean entire country lock down? Wow. The other countries, including US - I know it's only lower because they aren't testing enough. I've been feeling a little bit under the weather because we've had some hot and cold days (well for California standards anyway!). I visit my parents very frequently so even I'm a little concerned about going out in public to shop etc. I'm finding myself pouring sanitizer on my hands after each store LOL. I've even had to give out some of my toilet paper stash to my neighbors bc they can't find toilet paper! haha!!

As for the Houzz issue, you might want to try to clear your cache and cookies on your web browser? It could help maybe?

Costco - "just ask the snowbirds" - oh gee what does that mean? lol. I don't know anyone that doesn't have Costco membership here in the US. I guess unlike where you are, it helps that location wise, they are very close by. We kind of cheat the system because your allowed to have 2 in a member. So my mom has one and I have one but we are on the same account. Shhhhhh. Membership isn't cheap. Since I pay for the membership fee, I get the money back rewards.

Galliprant - we are going in to week 3. Hopefully we will see improvement. I did start her on VetCBC because some nights I can tell she is in a lot of pain where her back hips droop down like a german shepherd. Poor baby. When its really bad I've been giving her Herbaprin which is a natural herbal version of aspirin. I pretty much knocks her out at night and she sleeps soundly - by morning she is better. I'm curious to find out what your vet says about Galliprant. Please let me know. I think the pill is still only a few years on the market so it's really hard to find a lot of reviews. I'm hopeful. I do want to get her blood work done again in the next month or two to make sure there is no effect on her liver/kidney. Somedays I feel like she is drinking too much water which makes me worry. I have to remind myself that weather has bee been hot and dry too.

I think it's great when dogs want to eat. It's worrisome when they don't. I have a friend who's dog is possibly dealing with some kind of cancer. loss of appetite. It wasn't until she tried Prednisone and now the dog is back to eating really well and gained back his weight. Still not a cure of course - more of a bandaid.

Now on to FIGO - not the dog but insurance. LOL. So yes I finally got some more answers from them and it turns out that I have 30 days after renewal to make any changes to the plan. So I guess I am renewing instead of canceling. I'm ok with that. I'm still trying to figure out what plan to choose. They did make it easier to reach the deductible quicker by changing the way it calculates the deductible. So as much as I hate having to go up to $1000 deductible, I think it will be ok. I probably won't be utilizing much of the insurance but thats okay too... just means that my dog was healthy and didn't require too much vet care right?

Oh and it turns out that she does have "pre-existing" on the front legs. So I'm still not sure why they covered her x rays when she hurt her front leg. Maybe it was just a mistake on their part. The thing that sucks all four of her legs are pre-existing including her spine/back etc. So what does that leave? Not much right? (insert eye roll). All the more reason to increase the deductible and pay less on the premium is my thinking. It also includes Physical Therapy. I doubt with all the pre-existing, I doubt I'll even be able to use PT at all. If I remove it its only like $60/year anyway so not much change. If you were curious, here is the premium below:

I might have already asked this but have you heard of PEMF mats? Its electromagnetic pulsing bla bla bla. I found a company that rent to own. I'm thinking of giving it a try. They use it on horses. Its therapy I can do at home. I could probably use it too or even on my mom who recently broke her wrist! I've been doing a lot of research on it and it sounds promising... or it can be bogus too. LOL. For $250 for 3 months rental - it might be worth trying. Even the vet I go to was excited about it bc I was able to find it for such a low cost and they have always wanted to offer it to their patients but was too expensive.

Hope you are all doing well. I feel like this thread has turned into a pen pal exchange between u and me. For those coming across this post, my apologies!

I wonder if I can private msg you my contact info. I'm enjoying your responses. Stay safe!

Porter T - TRY THIS. The Garden Web site seems to have changed again. Now I can't even see Pets, Kitchen Table etc. And, I have cleared my browser history.

So I looked through the FAQ. This is what Houzz says to do - as noted below If nothing else it is worth a try. I looked on yours and it said only Followers. I have currently accessed the Pets Forum by way of your e-mail ad of course it won't let me message you - it keeps asking if I want to Leave the Page. So I will try via The Kitchen Table.

HOW DO I MESSAGE ANOTHER USER:

You can message any other user on Houzz THAT HAS ENABLED messaging by clicking on the MESSAGE button the your profile page.

There are 3 settings available for messaging on your Houzz profile.

Edit Profile, then Advanced Settings to select on of the following options:

1. Do NOT allow users to message me.

2. Allow my FOLLOWERS to message me.

3. Allow ANYONE to message me.

I am set up for 2. and 3. I checked. Whether it will work or not, who knows? I do know that an increased number of people are having issues.

Plan B - the only other website that allows for private messaging that I have an account with and I hardly use it, but it is there is Makeup Alley. If you have an account there I can message you.

Let's try this first!

Porter T - Ignore all of the above. I went back in - you have to go to Edit Profile and then Advanced Settings and it doesn't work - there is not an option - at least one that I can't see.

So we are back to Makeup Alley. Any chance you have an account? I do use Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn etc. so Makeup Alley it is.

Yikes.