What Pet Insurance Covers Cancer Treatment?

Accident and illness pet insurance plans typically cover cancer, including diagnosis and treatment. Here are the 12 Canadian pet insurance companies that cover cancer-related medical expenses.

• Desjardins
• Fetch By The Dodo
• OVMA Pet Health Insurance
• Pets Plus Us
• Furkin
• Peppermint
• Petsecure
• PHI Direct
• Sonnet Pet Insurance
• Spot Pet Insurance
• The Personal Pet Program
• Trupanion

You won’t have coverage for cancer-related expenses if:

• You purchased an accident-only plan. As the name implies, only accidents are covered under this type of plan. Illnesses, such as cancer, are not covered in an accident-only plan. Peppermint and Pets Plus Us offer accident-only plans.
• Your pet’s cancer is a pre-existing condition. Pet insurance plans commonly exclude pre-existing conditions, meaning an illness (such as cancer) that started prior to your coverage beginning, including the waiting period.

Just like humans, different types of cancers can affect your pet. That’s why it’s important to take your pet to your veterinarian for regular wellness exams. But it’s equally important for you, as a pet parent, to be on the lookout for any cancer warning signs and report them to your vet.

Here are some common cancer warning signs to be aware of:

• Abnormal swellings that persist or continue to grow.
• Bleeding or discharge, including diarrhea and vomiting.
• Difficulty breathing, defecating or urinating.
• Difficulty eating or swallowing.
• Hesitation to exercise or loss of stamina.
• Loss of appetite.
• Offensive odour from your pet’s ears, mouth or any other part of their body.
• Persistent lameness, such as limping or other evidence of pain.
• Sores that do not heal.
• Weight loss

Here are some common forms of cancer and how they impact your pet.

Bladder cancer

This type of cancer can occur in any part of your pet’s urinary system. It is typically detected by diagnostics such as biopsies, blood work and imaging to determine the best course of treatment. Treatments include chemotherapy, radiation and surgery.

Hemangiosarcoma (HSA) cancer

HSA is a fast-spreading, malignant tumour related to blood cells and can be found anywhere in your pet’s body. The most common places HSA appear is in the spleen, heart and liver. HSA happens less commonly in the skin. Due to its aggressive nature, HSA is usually in advanced stages before it is diagnosed.

Lymphoma

This type of cancer is found in your pet’s white blood cells or lymphoid tissue. Growths may appear in locations in your pet’s body such as bone marrow, gastrointestinal tract (including the intestines, liver and stomach) and the lymph nodes.

According to VCA Canada Animal Hospitals, lymphoma accounts for 15% to 20% of new cancer diagnosis in dogs. It is most common in middle-aged and older dogs.

Lymphoma in dogs is often treated with chemotherapy, which puts the cancer into remission. Dogs tend to tolerate the weekly injection of chemotherapy better than humans with the most recent side effects being vomiting, diarrhea and decreased appetite. Without treatment, dogs have a poor prognosis for survival of only four to six weeks. If chemotherapy is not an option due to co-existing health concerns, or to financial constraints of the owner, prednisone can be used for palliative care.

Mammary cancer

Dogs and cats are both prone to mammary (breast) cancer. Most tumours are malignant and can potentially spread to the rest of your pet’s body. Surgical removal of breast growth is one of the most effective treatments as long as cancer has not spread. Early detection and removal when the mass is small could potentially cure your pet.

Unspayed female dogs are more likely to develop mammary cancer. One of the best prevention tools is to have your pet spayed.

Mast cell tumour (MCT)

A mast cell is a type of white blood cell that can be found in many tissues of the body. Mast cell tumours are the most common skin tumours found in dogs, according to VCA Canada Animal Hospitals. Most dogs with MCT develop only one tumour. Low- or intermediate-grade tumours are unlikely to spread and surgical removal may be the only treatment necessary. High-grade tumours are more likely to spread, and additional treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation may be considered.

Melanoma

Melanomas are tumours arising from pigment-producing cells. In dogs, they are commonly found on the skin, in the mouth and on the toenails. The majority of skin melanomas on dogs are benign, but the majority of oral and toenail melanomas are malignant and can spread throughout the body.

Diagnosis of a melanoma usually requires a biopsy. Surgery is typically the first treatment.In cases where surgery is not possible, chemotherapy, immunotherapy and radiation therapy may be an option.

Osteosarcoma

Osteosarcoma is a malignant tumour of the bone. It commonly affects the limbs of large and giant breed dogs, but can also occur in other parts of the skeleton, such as the pelvis, ribs, skull and vertebrae. Osteosarcoma is very aggressive. Approximately 90% to 95% of dogs will have micrometastasis by the time of diagnosis, meaning the cancer cells have already spread elsewhere.

Treatment depends on several factors, such as the tumour type, location and extent of the disease, but may include amputation of the affected limb, chemotherapy and radiation.  Diagnostic tests such as biopsies, blood work, urinalysis, X-rays, and possibly an abdominal ultrasound, CT or MRI are often used to determine the appropriate treatment and the extent of the cancer’s spread.

Some pet breeds are more susceptible to certain cancers than others.

For example, the dog breeds that are more prone to mast cell tumours include:

• Boxer
• Boston terrier
• Bull terrier
• Labrador retriever

The dog breeds that are prone to osteosarcoma include:

• Boxer
• Doberman pinscher
• Golden retriever
• German shepherd
• Great Dane
• Greyhound
• Irish setter
• Irish wolfhound
• Rottweiler

Some of the dog breeds that are prone to lymphoma include:

• Chow Chow
• Basset hound
• Scottish, Airedale, West Highland White, Yorkshire and Bull terriers
• English bulldog
• German shepherd
• Beagle
• Rottweiler
• Golden retriever
• Saint Bernard
• Poodle

Certain large breed dogs are particularly predisposed to developing hemangiosarcoma, although all sizes of dogs can develop this tumour. Those large breed dogs include:

• Golden retrievers
• German shepherds
• Labrador retrievers

If your pet is diagnosed with cancer, here are some types of treatment your veterinarian might suggest.

Keep in mind, most pet insurance plans do not cover treatment that is considered experimental, investigational or not within the standard of care accepted by your province’s veterinary association or licensing body. It’s a good idea to speak with your insurance agent before you begin treatment to make sure you’re covered.

Chemotherapy

Surgery or radiation may not eliminate the disease if cancer has spread throughout your pet’s body. Chemotherapy can help slow the spread of cancer and kill the disease. Chemotherapy can also be used before surgery to reduce the size of a tumour or after surgery to kill small cancer cells that the surgeon was unable to remove.

Pets can receive chemotherapy either through an IV or oral medications.

Clinical trials

Veterinarians use clinical trials to identify new treatments and discover a deeper understanding of certain diseases in pets. If your pet isn’t responding to the treatment recommendations, participating in a clinical trial may give them access to advanced treatments that aren’t readily available. Clinical trials can consist of testing medications, radiation therapy protocols, surgeries or other treatments like immunotherapy.

If your vet is not conducting clinical trials, you can visit the Animal Health Studies Database to search for relevant clinical trials and studies in the U.S. and Canada. For pet parents in Ontario, the Ontario Veterinary College at the University of Guelph has a searchable list of clinical trials.

Radiation

Radiation therapy kills cancer cells by damaging the DNA. Teletherapy is the most common form of radiation treatment, which is an external beam that targets the tumour and surrounding areas. A small dose of radiation may be delivered to your pet every day over a course of three to four weeks.

Surgery

One of the most common treatments for cancer is surgery, which aims to remove the tumour. Before a vet recommends surgery, they usually take a tumour biopsy to diagnose the mass as well as other diagnostics such as a CT scan, MRI and ultrasound.

Some pets may require other treatments, such as chemotherapy, in addition to surgery.

The cost for pet cancer treatment in Canada differs between provinces and even between veterinary practices. Fees vary by your pet’s breed, the equipment used, drug costs and even real estate prices, as city centres with more expensive rent have to charge higher prices.

However, using figures from Cornell’s College of Veterinary Medicine, cancer surgery starts at $500 (USD) and radiation can range from approximately $2,500 to $7,000 (USD). Chemotherapy can vary substantially depending on whether it’s administered orally or by IV. Then there are the additional fees for diagnostics and blood work.

A good way to offset these costs is with pet insurance. The average cost for $5,000 of annual coverage for a dog is approximately $76 per month, according to a Forbes Advisor Canada analysis of pet insurance costs across 12 companies. It’s a good idea to compare pet insurance quotes from several different insurers to find a good plan at a reasonable price.