Speck, our one-eyed pirate
After a great weekend in the mountains together with friends and their Rottweilers, a small black dot appeared on Speck's right eye which was also a bit inflamed. So we went to the vet to have it examined. It turned out that the eye was not producing any more eye fluid and unusually aggressive bacteria had subsequently accumulated on the eye and worked their way inside it. This was very painful for Speck. The operation was intended to remedy the problem and save the eye. After the operation, we had to give him several eye drops 8 times a day, something which he resisted with all his might. Holding him down was a real challenge, even for the two of us! Unfortunately, the eye did not recover as hoped and 3 days later we went to the vet again, this time as an emergency appointment. Diagnosis: virtually no pupillary reflex, most likely already blind in the eye, severe pain. The recommendation of the very kind and empathetic eye specialist was then to remove the eye, because the alternatives - 2nd operation, artificial eye or continue to give eye drops and hope for the best - were not really alternatives at all. In the first place, this was of course hard to take in. We also wanted to make a decision quickly as Speck was in a great deal of pain. Four hours later, a 1-eyed pirate waddled towards us in the waiting room, still a bit dazed from the anaesthetic but otherwise well. It was a strange sight to see at first but we were delighted that everything had gone well and that he could begin his recovery. After a few days of rest and recuperation everything was back to normal: The playful instinct, voracious appetite and the rascal in him was soon fully restored. The whole odyssey had cost several thousand francs and we were extremely grateful that wau-miau had met the bulk of the costs. We would have no hesitation whatsoever in choosing wau-miau as a pet insurer again and can only recommend this to other dog owners.
Author: CH Z November 2018
What’s wrong with Bello?
Bello has been our dog for two years. He’s an upbeat little guy, active and takes in virtually everything that’s going on when he’s out on his walk. One day, when we wanted to take him out for a walk, he suddenly became very sluggish. He didn't run to the door as usual when we put the leash on him ready to go out for a walk and he didn't eat anything, not even his favourite food, when normally he would leave nothing behind in his bowl. After the walk, he got diarrhoea and we noticed that he had drunk hardly any water all day, something that we had never experienced before with Bello. It was the first time that our lovely dog was really unwell, so we decided to see the vet.
Schnurrli, our little fighting tom
We have had a magnificent tomcat named Schnurrli for four years. Black and strong as he is, to us he’s like a little panther. He has an extended territory and from time to time rivals enter his "kingdom". Schnurrli puts his heart and soul into defending his turf - in the way tomcats do. When it comes to disputes, our Schnurrli usually emerges as the winner, until one morning, after he had spent half the night outdoors again, he came home miaowing miserably. He had scratches and bites on his head and shoulder, so we took him to the animal hospital. We were very upset because he is such a sound animal and we were worried about his wounds, as well as the fact that he might be left disfigured. Fortunately, the treating veterinarian is an extremely competent specialist who not only skilfully performs procedures but can also heal injuries in such a way that you would have to look really closely afterwards to see any traces of the animal having been in a serious fight. Ten days after the operation, we received the bill. We had already suspected beforehand that Schnurrli's treatment would not be cheap but the bill was much higher than we had expected. Our cat is not the first pet we’ve had in our lives. We owned a petite multi-coloured cat that was hit by a motor vehicle and had to undergo corresponding treatment. The bill was high and we learned our lesson by protecting ourselves for future incidents and taking out pet insurance. In the end, the size of the bill for Schnurrli didn’t cause us any headaches because the pet insurance was there for us. To our relief, Schnurrli's recovery progressed without any complications and after a few weeks he was back to his old self. Unfortunately, we can’t prevent the turf wars but we can at least safeguard ourselves against the costs of treatment. If you love animals, you shouldn’t shy away from either the effort or expense of having them but, in this respect, owners can ‘have their cake and eat it’ at a fair price thanks to an efficient pet insurance.
Author: C.W. April 2016
Visit to the vet unavoidable
Of course, we feared the worst... Is it poisoning? Or had he swallowed something? The very same day we went to the vet to have our Bello examined. At that moment, the only thing that mattered to us was his health. Costs were of lesser importance. The main thing was for him to get back to being healthy and lively. Looking at Bello's coat, it quickly became clear to the vet that something was wrong with him. A couple of examinations revealed that he had a worm disease. Despite precautionary deworming treatment, it is very common for dogs to become infected with a worm disease. After the treatment by the vet, our Bello’s health improved significantly and we were delighted that he was back to his "old self". But when we received the bill from the vet, we were shocked by how much the treatment had cost. We came to realize that the financial cost of our love of animals can pretty quickly mount up. Fortunately, when we bought our dog we were recommended by the breeder to take out pet insurance. We had chosen wau-miau and this covered a large portion of the costs incurred at the vet’s. Choosing wau-miau was the right decision for us.
Author: P. Schmid, 21 October 2015
Why doesn't Sphinx move her tail any more?
Since my dog Sphinx was three years old, I have had her insured with the ERV pet insurance company, through a policy called "wau-miau". For years, I was happy to just pay the premiums and not take advantage of any benefits. Unfortunately, in January 2014 things changed. After Sphinx could hardly straighten her tail, I took her to the animal hospital. She was subject to a thorough examination, you could almost say the spotlight was placed on her because a CT scan was performed to find the weak points in her back. Before the anaesthetic, the senior physician at the veterinary hospital asked me whether I would agree to an immediate operation if the result was negative. Naturally, I gave my consent straight away. I waited for two anxious hours for the call. The senior physician gave me the bad news: the nerve that supplies the entire hind limb area was so constricted that my dog would probably soon no longer be able to walk. Surgery would be the only way to put an end to her suffering. After two more hours of
waiting whilst the operation was carried out, I was actually able to take Sphinx home with me. Fortunately, my dog survived the procedure remarkably well. The animal hospital provided me with a training programme as well as important information about the healing process. The bill arrived two weeks later. As every pet owner who has already taken his animal along to a veterinary practice for more than just an annual vaccination knows, the costs of this kind of treatment are steep. I immediately called my pet insurance company wau-miau and inquired about what I had to do in the event of illness. There is a one-page form on the website, which is easy to complete. Ultimately, pet insurance works in the same way as compulsory health insurance for us humans: there is an annual excess which varies depending on the sum insured, as well as a ten percent deductible So the bulk of the costs were covered by the insurance company. My dog is more than just my companion, she’s also my loyal friend. My personal conclusion: pet insurance is worthwhile for every pet owner who wants to be well insured in the event of a claim and only have to meet any minor follow-up costs.
Author: Andrea Vetsc
