Weimaraners Are Emergency Magnets
I thought athletic dogs meant healthy dogs. Ghost was lean, muscular, built for hunting. What could go wrong?
Turns out, hunting dogs have hunting dog problems. And they're expensive.
Bloat Happens Without Warning
Ghost's stomach had twisted completely around. Gastric torsion. The emergency vet said we caught it just in time.
Surgery to untwist his stomach and tack it to his ribs was $11,000. That's the middle-of-the-night emergency price for saving a Weimaraner's life.
The surgeon said deep-chested breeds like Weimaraners are prone to bloat. It's not if, it's when.
Ghost stayed in the hospital for four days. IV fluids, pain medication, monitoring for complications. The bill kept growing.
But here's what really surprised me: the surgeon recommended prophylactic gastropexy for my other dog. Preventive surgery to tack his stomach before bloat happens.
I asked why nobody told me about this when I got Weimaraners. She said most people don't think about it until it's too late.
Now I think about bloat every time Ghost eats. Is he eating too fast? Drinking too much water? Going to run around too soon after eating?
Hip Problems from All That Activity
Eight months after the bloat surgery, Ghost started limping after long hikes. I figured he'd pulled a muscle or stepped wrong.
But the limp didn't go away. X-rays showed hip dysplasia in both hips.
The orthopedic vet said it's common in active breeds. All that running and jumping takes a toll on their joints.
Hip replacement surgery would be $6,500 per hip. Ghost would need both hips done eventually.
But we had options. Conservative treatment first. Joint supplements, pain medication, controlled exercise.
The catch? Ghost is a hunting dog. Controlled exercise for a Weimaraner is torture. He wants to run, hunt, explore.
We tried the conservative approach for six months. Ghost was miserable. He'd see me get his leash and get excited, then realize we were going for a slow walk instead of a real adventure.
So we scheduled the hip surgeries. First one went well, but recovery was brutal. Eight weeks of restricted activity for a dog who's used to running miles every day.
Separation Anxiety Leads to Injuries
Weimaraners bond intensely with their owners. Ghost follows me everywhere. Bathroom, kitchen, even sits outside the shower.
But when I left him alone, he'd panic. Destructive, escape-artist panic.
He broke a tooth trying to chew through his crate. Emergency dental surgery was $1,200.
Then he jumped a six-foot fence and cut his leg on the way down. Twelve stitches and antibiotics were another $400.
The vet said separation anxiety is common in Weimaraners. They're bred to work closely with hunters. Being alone goes against their nature.
We tried anti-anxiety medication. Behavior training. Nothing worked completely.
Ghost still tries to escape when I leave. I've learned to Weimaraner-proof everything. Remove anything he can destroy or hurt himself with.
But accidents still happen. Ghost has found ways to injure himself that I never imagined.
What Weimaraner Insurance Must Cover
Ghost's medical bills taught me that Weimaraner insurance needs to cover some pretty specific risks that come with owning an athletic, anxious hunting dog.
Emergency Surgery Without Caps
My first insurance policy had a $10,000 annual limit. Ghost's bloat surgery cost $11,000. We went over the limit on one emergency.
Emergency veterinary hospitals charge whatever they want. No negotiating when your dog is dying.
I switched to a policy with unlimited emergency coverage. Costs more monthly, but one bloat episode would have bankrupted me.
Some policies have separate limits for different types of surgery. But with Weimaraners, everything happens at once. Bloat surgery, orthopedic surgery, dental surgery.
Find a policy with one high overall limit instead of multiple smaller limits by condition type.
Behavioral-Related Injury Coverage
Weimaraners injure themselves in creative ways. Separation anxiety, escape attempts, obsessive behaviors.
Ghost has broken teeth, cut himself on fences, injured his legs jumping, eaten things he shouldn't have.
Some insurance policies exclude behavioral issues. But with Weimaraners, behavior and health are connected.
Make sure your policy covers injuries that result from behavioral problems. Ghost's separation anxiety has cost thousands in medical bills.
Activity-Related Joint Coverage
Weimaraners are built to be active. All that activity wears out their joints.
Ghost's hip problems are partly genetic, partly from years of hunting and hiking.
Some policies won't cover orthopedic problems if they're considered activity-related rather than genetic.
But how do you prove whether hip dysplasia is genetic or from overuse? Ghost has been active his whole life.
Look for policies that cover orthopedic problems regardless of cause. You don't want to argue about whether your dog's joint problems are genetic or activity-related.