top of page

The Best Pet Insurance for Bernese Mountain Dogs

As pet parents, we always want the best for our fur-babies. We strive to provide them with a happy and healthy life, and that includes giving them proper medical care when they need it. Since unexpected vet bills are a major financial burden, pet insurance has become a must-have for emergencies. How do you know what is the best pet insurance for your Bernese Mountain Dog? In this blog, we'll explore the options and compare the benefits to help you make an informed decision.

The first (and most important) step is to know exactly what kind of benefits your Bernese Mountain Dog needs.

Bernese Mountain Dog Health Risk Profile

With unexpected vet bills ranging from $1,000 for a minor incident to $50,000 or more for a major emergency, choosing between our savings and our fur-baby can become a reality for many. Here’s an idea of how likely Bernese Mountain Dogs are to rack up big vet bills.

For Bernese Mountain Dogs, your best bet is to make sure there are no reimbursement limits on your pet insurance.

10 Inherited Health Problems in Bernese Mountain Dogs

Here’s a quick peek at 10 inherited health problems in Bernese Mountain Dogs. Be sure these conditions are not excluded from your benefits:

1

Hip Dysplasia

A condition where the hip joint doesn't form properly, leading to arthritis and joint pain.

2

Elbow Dysplasia

A similar condition affecting the elbow joint.

3

Bloat (Gastric Torsion)

A condition where the stomach twists on itself, cutting off blood supply and causing life-threatening distress.

4

Cancer

Bernese Mountain Dogs have a higher incidence of certain types of cancer, such as mammary tumors and osteosarcoma.

5

Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA)

A degenerative eye disease leading to blindness.

6

Pyotraumatic Dermatitis (Hot Spots)

A skin condition characterized by red, itchy, and painful sores.

7

Osteochondrosis Dissecans (OCD)

A condition where pieces of cartilage detach from the bones and float around in the joint, causing pain and limited mobility.

8

Subvalvular Aortic Stenosis (SAS)

A heart condition causing a narrowing of the blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body.

9

Hypomyelination

A condition affecting the development of the myelin sheath surrounding nerve fibers, causing seizures and mobility problems.

10

Von Willebrand Disease (VWD)

A bleeding disorder caused by a deficiency of a clotting protein.

This is where pet insurance comes in. …Or, does it?

Depends on what do you mean by “best” pet insurance.

As you know, pet insurance is a type of insurance policy that covers veterinary medical expenses when your Bernese Mountain Dog becomes sick or injured. Depending on the policy you choose, pet insurance can cover a wide range of medical expenses, including surgery, medication, and hospitalization.

However, it’s important to understand that coverage exclusions exist in all pet insurance companies, which limit the effectiveness of even the best pet insurance. More importantly: because pet insurance is a type of property insurance, it does not provide the same level of benefits we expect in our human health insurance.

Many pet parents find out too late that all pet insurance excludes pre-existing conditions, and this can be a major deal-breaker. Plus, without pre-existing condition coverage, you can't switch pet insurance companies without losing coverage on all previous health problems after your Bernese Mountain Dog is sick or injured. Better hope you choose wisely the first time, because there are no do-overs with pet insurance.

As you can see, pet insurance is an option to cover (some) big vet bills, but it’s far from perfect.

What’s the best pet insurance for Bernese Mountain Dogs?

Luckily there are pet insurance alternatives for Bernese Mountain Dogs, such as pet medical cost shares. Pet medical cost sharing allows pet parents to pool financial resources to cover eligible pet medical expenses.

"Unexpected pet medical expenses can happen at any time."

Of the available options, Pawamedics pet medical cost share is the best pet insurance alternative for Bernese Mountain Dogs. As a 501(c)3 nonprofit, Pawamedics' focus is on providing better benefits and value than any pet insurance offers.

Unlike pet insurance, Pawamedics includes pre-existing conditions on a phased-in basis, and offers unlimited reimbursements for pet medical expenses. All your Bernese Mountain Dog’s conditions are included in benefits, whether they are the inherited conditions above or something else entirely. Plus, medications are always included with Pawamedics, making it a simple and straightforward way to cover your Bernese Mountain Dog's medical expenses.

Pawamedics pet medical cost share Membership benefits include illness, injuries, and wellness care for Bernese Mountain Dogs.

Unexpected pet medical expenses can happen at any time. Waiting until you already have big pet medical costs to sign up is always too late to get help with current expenses. But even if your pet already has big vet bills, getting pet insurance, joining a pet medical cost share, or finding another pet insurance alternative now will avoid big pet medical costs in the future. As pet parents, it's up to us to make sure we provide the best care possible for our beloved pets, and Pawamedics can help us achieve that goal.

As a 501(c)3 nonprofit, we do not accept compensation for our blog posts, nor for reviewing, recommending, or linking to others.

Disclaimer

This website is not a substitute for medical/veterinary counsel, financial counsel, or legal counsel. Please always consult an appropriate qualified professional for advice on your specific situation. Information provided by this website may not be accurate or complete at any given time. Pawamedics disclaims all liability regarding any actions taken or not taken based on any contents of this website.

bottom of page