Hovan’s Story: An Elbow Dysplasia Diagnosis

Thank you to pet parent Lindsay for allowing us to share Hovan’s story. We are very glad to report that Hovan is walking and enjoying life once again! 

We did a lot of research on what kind of dog would best suit our personalities and life styles. After many months of research we chose to purchase a Tibetan Mastiff puppy. We were unable to find a pure bred, champion blood line, Tibetan mastiff here in the United States so we looked in Europe. We located a breeder in Moscow, Russia and next thing we knew we were driving down to New York City (JFK airport) to pick up our son! 

After doing research on these amazing giant breed dogs, we knew that they were prone to some major issues. We were going to just take a chance and say that “he’s our puppy, we got him from a good breeder, and he won’t have any issues”. But after speaking to a few of our friends, they told us we should really consider it. 

So, we researched the top rated dog insurance companies and Petfirst was rated as one of the best; The $10,000 annual coverage was a big factor in our decision as well as the amount of routine bills, and variety of issues that were covered. 

Hovan was about 7 months old and we noticed him having some difficulty standing up after laying down, limping when he was walking, and overall weakness in his front legs. 

We feared the worst, but couldn’t believe that our puppy really could have elbow dysplasia. We had fed him the absolute best food available, the best treats, and had given him our complete undivided attention and love.

Well, here come the big bills….

The vet wanted to do a CT Scan = $1600

Diagnosis of Elbow Dysplasia= $3,998

Grand Total = $5598.

And that is exactly what we would have been out, if we did not have PetFirst there for us. 

Our out of pocket was only 10% of that total cost instead of 100%.

Beyond coverage, the customer service provided by PetFirst is outstanding. Which is probably contrary to what most people(including us) may think of insurance companies in general. Any time that we have called, a real and genuine person is there to speak with me. Submitting the claim couldn’t be easier…you can email it or upload it right to their website. If PetFirst says that it is covered…IT IS COVERED; no games, no gimmicks. 

This dog is our child, and we hope that most dog owners feel the same way as we do. We chose to bring him into our lives and he relies on us now. He deserves for us to be there for him no matter what, which means that if he gets sick we need to be there to make him better. We know that we don’t have that kind of money put away in the event that an unexpected medical bill arises, and that is what having pet insurance is all about. 

Thank you so much PetFirst for allowing us  to give our Hovan the best care possible! 

-Pet Parent Lindsay, New York