The Internet is full advice for would be dog owners. Some of it can even be quite useful, helping responsible people make the right choice to suit their individual circumstances. Many of the suggestions are pure common sense – pointing out for example that a Great Dane, standing around 70cm tall and weighing 45kg, might not be a suitable pet for a pensioner living in one-roomed sheltered accommodation.
However, the Internet also offers easy access to very valuable information too. Pet insurance websites can actually help owners measure the potential risk of vet bills based on the breed of dog. Vet bills form a substantial part of most owners’ on-going costs.
Some owners will choose to budget for this by taking out a pet insurance policy, while others may decide to risk it, hoping that their dog will be one of the lucky ones. Measuring this risk is actually a full time job for some people. Known as actuaries, these risk assessors spend their working lives looking at thousands of vet bills. They then work out what the chances are of a particular breed suffering from medical conditions over a lifetime. This information is passed on to insurance companies, which can then set a premium based on this risk.
You can easily access the fruits of actuaries’ labour for themselves free of charge, through going to a pet insurance website. By clicking for a ‘quick quote’ and choosing different breeds of dog you can see in seconds what a difference breed makes to the cost of insurance. The more expensive the quote, the riskier the breed in terms of the likelihood of vet bills. So even if you choose not cover your dog, you can be aware of the risk a particular breed carries.
Armed with the information about premiums, you are better placed to make a more rational decision on the choice of puppy. But even if you decide that your preferred breed is a high risk and are willing to allow for the potential expense, you can take sensible precautions.
A good place to start is contacting a breed club. The UK Kennel Club website (http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/) has a list of these, with most breeds represented. Generally these clubs are only too happy to help and offer great advice regarding health issues. Some medical conditions found particularly in pedigree dogs can be exacerbated by poor breeding.
Many top breeders (again take advice from the breed club) will screen their puppies for known genetic problems and are very careful about avoiding those associated with their breed. In fact, the Kennel Club already works with breeders to minimise the effects of exaggerated breeding. Jeff Sampson, the Kennel Club’s canine genetics co-ordinator, told an audience at the recent BSAVA (British Small Animal Veterinary Association) Congress: “We are beginning to see the seeds of progress toward better, healthier-looking dogs. With the correct selection, these breeding-specific problems could be bred out within just three generations.”
Avoiding risk altogether is impossible, but with a little research on the Internet you can substantially reduce it and avoid visits to the vet.
About the author:
Avi Levine is Chief Operating Officer of Buddies, specialists in pet insurance. Get great tips about pet ownership at their blog at http://www.buddies-direct.co.uk/wordpress/.
