Last week, I asked visitors to my blog "Is Your Bird Dog Insured?" Later in the week, I enjoyed the company of Charlie Payne, Pheasants Forever's new regional field representative for the state of Ohio. Turns out, Charlie's dad is one of the nation's foremost surgeons on canine athletes. Charlie had read my blog and suggested an interview with his dad. What follows is my interview with Dr. John Payne on the topic of dog health and pet insurance. However, let me first give you a few of the good doc's credentials. Dr. John Payne is a board certified veterinary surgeon and partner at Pittsburgh Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Center. Dr. Payne specializes in orthopedic surgery and sports medicine of working and performance dogs. He is most known for his contributions to arthroscopic and minimally invasive orthopedic surgery. Dr. Payne has published numerous scientific articles in many journals related to veterinary orthopedics and authored numerous book chapters. Dr. Payne is a frequent speaker at national and international veterinary meetings St.Pierre: What is the most common injury for a dog associated with bird hunting? Dr. Payne: The most common injuries seen in bird hunting dogs are probably lacerations caused by jumping barbed wire fences and running into sharp sticks. Other common injuries would include cranial (anterior) cruciate ligament ruptures in the knee, Achilles tendon injuries in the hocks, eye injuries, and occasionally fractured bones. St.Pierre: Is there an injury that hunters should be better educated about in order to avoid when afield? Dr. Payne: As far as education about injuries, it all comes down to prevention. To avoid orthopedic injuries, it is important that your dog be fit and well conditioned for the hunting season. Canine athletes need regular exercise and proper diets all year round to keep their muscles and joints healthy. Obesity is a major problem in dogs, as it is in humans, and an overweight, poorly conditioned hunting dog is an accident waiting to happen. For lacerations, these are harder to prevent but common sense would recommend that dogs be helped over fences, particularly barbed wire fences. I would recommend all hunters carry some basic bandage materials and antiseptics with them into the field so that lacerations can be cleaned and protected until they are able to get the dog to a veterinarian. A laceration that is clean and minimally contaminated will have a much shorter healing time than one that is heavily contaminated. It is also helpful to know where your closest emergency veterinary facility is so when an accident occurs, one is prepared. St.Pierre: Recently, I've been contemplating getting my dog vaccinated against rattle snakes for trips out west and south. However, I've heard a lot of skepticism about the success of such a vaccine. Do you have an opinion on snake vaccination? Dr.Payne: Rattlesnake vaccination remains a controversial subject for several reasons. There are (to my knowledge) no controlled studies that prove the vaccine is effective in reducing the severity of symptoms seen after envenomation. There are certainly anecdotal stories from people who feel the vaccine may be beneficial. There have been few serious side effects reported as a result of vaccination and the vaccine is not very expensive. I think the most important thing to realize is that even if your dog is vaccinated, it is still imperative that the dog has medical attention as soon as possible after a venomous snakebite. Another concern is that the vaccine is made only from western diamondback venom. This means that if your dog is bitten by any other type of snake, the vaccine will likely be less effective, if it has any value at all. Western Diamondback venom is very different from Mohave Rattlesnake venom and Cottonmouth or Copperhead venom. If your dog is bitten, try to identify the type of snake without putting yourself at risk and seek medical attention immediately. St.Pierre: When it comes to pet insurance, I've heard it's difficult to get providers to pay for the medical expenses after procedures occur. What has been your experience in dealing with pet insurance coverage of bird dog injuries? Dr.Payne: There are numerous companies providing pet health insurance at this time and there are significant differences among the companies so reading the fine print is important. My experience is that most of the companies pay for injuries such as fracture repair as they are supposed to. Most will not cover pre-existing or inherited conditions at all. Many will exclude the opposite knee if you buy it after your dog already has had a knee injury. St.Pierre: If a person is interested in purchasing pet insurance, what guidance would you offer to the consumer in selecting a provider and policy that is going to cover their expectations? Dr.Payne: If you are going to buy pet health insurance, read the policy carefully to see what is covered and what is not. Recognize they will usually not pay for conditions that are inherited or congenital such as hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, or patellar luxation. They will never pay for preexisting conditions. Make sure that you know if any types of surgeries are excluded. For example, in the past, some companies have excluded the TPLO procedure for repair of cranial cruciate ligament injuries and this is usually the best procedure for this injury if you want your dog to perform at a high level after healing. You don't want a policy that specifically excludes this or any other surgical procedure. If you are going to buy this, it is probably best to buy it when your dog is young and healthy before they sustain any injuries. The Pointer is written by Bob St.Pierre, Pheasants Forever's Vice President of Marketing.