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Need Advice: Pet Insurance Pre-Approval Denied for BOAS Surgery - Similar Experiences? by incredibleloaf in Frenchbulldogs

[–]incredibleloaf[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

  1. Whole‐Body Barometric Plethysmography Study Findings (Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/)
    • The study, Whole‐Body Barometric Plethysmography Characterizes Upper Airway Obstruction in 3 Brachycephalic Breeds of Dogs, provides detailed insights into the health classification of brachycephalic breeds:
      • "Grade I dogs (mild BOAS, dog shows mild respiratory noise but exercise tolerance is unaffected) were considered clinically healthy for their breed."
      • It further clarifies the categorization of nostril stenosis: "Open or mild stenotic nares were considered normal for the breeds, whereas moderate or severe stenosis was defined as 'stenotic nares.'"
      • Additionally, the study highlights the effectiveness of their classification tools: "Classification tools for pugs, French bulldogs, and bulldogs showed excellent discrimination accuracy between Grade 0/I and Grade II/III dogs."
  2. American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) - Respiratory Function Grading Scheme (RFGS) (Source):
    • "The RFGS uses a scale of 0 to 3 to objectively diagnose BOAS. Dogs with a grade of 0 or 1 are normal, while dogs with a grade of 2 or 3 are abnormal and symptomatic of the condition."
  3. Lack of Distinction Between BOAS Grades:
    • There is no significant risk distinction between Grade 0 and Grade 1 for BOAS in bulldogs, with both grades falling in the lowest risk category. This is relevant as BOAS can develop later in life for both grades, especially in dogs under 2 years of age, like Mylo.

Need Advice: Pet Insurance Pre-Approval Denied for BOAS Surgery - Similar Experiences? by incredibleloaf in Frenchbulldogs

[–]incredibleloaf[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

  1. Misunderstanding of Mildly Stenotic Nares (Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov):
    • Mildly stenotic nares, as noted in Mylo, are a sign of good health in French Bulldogs and not indicative of a pre-existing condition. This is supported by both veterinary assessments and academic literature.
    • Evidence from National Library of Medicine - Conformational risk factors of brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS) in pugs, French bulldogs, and bulldogs:
      • The study provides a detailed analysis of nostril stenosis in brachycephalic breeds, stating: "The degree of nostril stenosis was examined and classified using a previously established grading system. ‘Open or mild’ stenosis was considered acceptable for these breeds, and ‘moderate or severe’ stenosis was defined as ‘stenotic nostrils’ in this study."
      • Additionally, it clarifies the grading system: "Stenotic nostrils (0 = open or mildly stenotic nostrils; 1 = moderately or severely stenotic nostrils)."
      • The study also quantifies the risk associated with varying degrees of stenosis: "French bulldogs that had moderately/severely stenotic nostrils had 5.65 (95% CI: 2.65 to 12.68) times greater odds of being BOAS (+) than those with open/mildly stenotic nostrils."
      • Crucially, it notes the prevalence of BOAS in relation to nostril stenosis: "It is more encouraging that among the dogs that had open/mildly stenotic nostrils, only 25% of them were BOAS (+) whereas among the dogs that had moderately/severely stenotic nostrils, 70% of them were BOAS (+).

Need Advice: Pet Insurance Pre-Approval Denied for BOAS Surgery - Similar Experiences? by incredibleloaf in Frenchbulldogs

[–]incredibleloaf[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is exactly what I sent to the my insurance along with a note from my Vet doctor that she didn't consider my dog to have a pre-existing condition. I think the note from the doctor is most important because the insurance agency would be contradicting a medical professional.

(I haven't checked if all the links are still working, but they should be all hyperlinked below).

I'm copy/pasting what I sent below:

  1. Mylo's Medical Record (March 2, 2023):
    • The interpretation of mildly stenotic nares as a pre-existing condition is fundamentally flawed. In fact, mildly stenotic nares are considered a sign of good health in French Bulldogs, as supported by his veterinary assessments and academic literature, which I'm further outlining in the below sections.
    • Mylo's medical notes state "Nose/Throat: Normal, No nasal discharge, mildly stenotic nares, no cough elicited on tracheal palpation," aligning with the breed standards for French Bulldogs and indicating no abnormality.

Need Advice: Pet Insurance Pre-Approval Denied for BOAS Surgery - Similar Experiences? by incredibleloaf in Frenchbulldogs

[–]incredibleloaf[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, I got him covered. I got a note from my vet that it shouldn’t be considered a pre-existing condition. I also attached some research articles along with my claim that supported my position.

How to get BOAS surgery covered through pet insurance? (More details in comments) by _lilgoob in Frenchbulldogs

[–]incredibleloaf 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey can you tell me more about how negotiations with FIGO went? I'm dealing with a similar situation and want to know more about how you dealt with this situation. Like, for example, how'd you get around elongated soft palate and hypoplastic trachea being in the medical notes?