The Doberman Heart Thing is Real
I thought Zeus was invincible. He was young, athletic, perfect muscle tone. What could go wrong?
Turns out, genetics don't care how good your dog looks on the outside.
Dilated Cardiomyopathy Hits Without Warning
The emergency vet ran an EKG on Zeus. His heart was way too big for his chest. Dilated cardiomyopathy.
She explained it like this: imagine a balloon that's been stretched too many times. Eventually it stops bouncing back to normal size.
Zeus's heart was that balloon.
The treatment plan was intense. Heart medication twice daily, special diet, exercise restrictions. No more dog park until we figured out how bad it was.
The cardiologist appointment was $600 just for the consultation. The echocardiogram was another $800. The stress test was $400 more.
We hadn't even started treatment yet and I was already in for $4,800.
The cardiologist said Zeus might live two more years with medication. Maybe five if we got lucky. He was three years old.
Wobbler Syndrome Comes Later
Two years after the heart diagnosis, Zeus started walking funny. Like he was drunk or something.
At first I thought it was the heart medication making him dizzy. But it got worse.
Back to the vet. More tests. This time it was wobbler syndrome. Something wrong with his neck vertebrae pressing on his spinal cord.
Surgery was an option. $6,000 to $8,000. But with his heart condition, the anesthesia was risky.
The surgeon said Zeus might not wake up from surgery. Or he might wake up paralyzed. Or he might wake up fine but die from heart complications.
Great choices, right?
We tried medication first. Steroids to reduce swelling. Physical therapy twice a week. It helped a little.
But watching Zeus wobble around the house was heartbreaking. He wanted to run and play like he used to. His body just wouldn't let him.
Von Willebrand Disease Made Everything Worse
During one of Zeus's cardiac check-ups, the vet noticed he had excessive bleeding from a small cut on his paw.
Another test. Another diagnosis.
Von Willebrand disease. It's like hemophilia in humans. Zeus's blood didn't clot properly.
This made any surgery super risky. If we decided to do the neck surgery, he could bleed out on the table.
The vet explained that lots of Dobermans have this bleeding disorder. Usually it's not a big deal unless you need surgery.
But Zeus needed surgery for his neck. And surgery was risky because of his heart. And now surgery was extra risky because of his blood.
Everything was connected. One problem made the other problems worse.
What I Learned About Doberman Insurance
Zeus taught me that Doberman insurance isn't just about accidents. It's about managing multiple chronic conditions that all happen at once.
Cardiac Coverage Needs To Be Unlimited
My original insurance policy had a $10,000 annual limit. That sounds like a lot until you're dealing with ongoing heart disease.
Zeus's monthly heart medication was $150. The quarterly check-ups were $400 each. The annual echocardiogram was $800.
Just maintaining his heart condition cost $4,000 per year. Before any emergencies or complications.
When he needed emergency treatment for an arrhythmia, that was another $2,800. We hit my annual limit in eight months.
I switched to a policy with unlimited coverage. It costs more monthly, but Zeus's heart isn't getting better. The bills aren't getting smaller.
Neurological Coverage Gets Complicated
Some insurance companies consider wobbler syndrome a hereditary condition. They won't cover it if your dog develops it after enrollment.
But how do you prove when it started? Zeus's symptoms came on gradually. Was it genetic or did he injure his neck somehow?
The insurance company wanted vet records going back to puppyhood. They wanted to show that Zeus never had neck problems before.
Luckily my vet keeps good records. But it was still a fight to get coverage approved.
When shopping for new insurance, I specifically asked about neurological conditions. Some companies have caps on spinal surgery. Others exclude certain breeds entirely.
Multiple Conditions Mean Multiple Limits
Here's something sneaky I learned. Some policies have separate limits for different body systems.
Like $5,000 for cardiac conditions, $5,000 for neurological conditions, $5,000 for bleeding disorders.
Sounds generous until you realize Zeus had all three. And they all affected each other.
His heart medication interacted with his neck medication. The bleeding disorder made both conditions harder to treat.
But the insurance company wanted to categorize each treatment separately. Which medication was for which condition? Which test was for what problem?
I ended up with a policy that has one overall limit instead of separate limits by body system. Much simpler when everything's connected.