Purebred pet owners fleeced

THE gentle giant of the canine world, the St Bernard, may have a big heart - but his affection comes at a cost.

THE gentle giant of the canine world, the St Bernard, may have a big heart - but his affection comes at a cost to owners.

A breakdown of pet insurance claims by Medibank Private found the huge dog tops the list of popular purebred animals needing veterinary care, with an annual individual claim of nearly $2100.

The St Bernard was followed by the French mastiff, the Irish wolfhound and the newfoundland. An average pet claim each year is $1450.

Associate Professor Vanessa Barrs, from Sydney University's veterinary science faculty, said purebred pets had smaller gene pools that made genetic diseases more prevalent.

"St Bernards, rottweilers, golden retrievers, labradors and great danes are all very prone to genetic diseases such as hip dysplasia," Ms Barrs said.

Hip dysplasia - a condition where the hip joints do not form properly - can show up in dogs as young as four months, according to veterinary orthopaedic special surgeon Jason Beck.

"Really bad cases require a total hip replacement, which costs $6000," Dr Beck said.

"A 2kg toy poodle may require only an antibiotic tablet, yet a St Bernard, at 100kg, will require 50 times that dose."

Cheryl McCormick loves big dogs and believes Bronte, her St Bernard, is worth every cent.

Like the great dane and two golden retrievers she also owns, Bronte is a rescued pet and the delight of granddaughter Ella.

"We just love our big dogs and their temperament. They're just nice-natured dogs," the 56-year-old grandmother from Macquarie Fields said.

"Our last great dane, who died last year, had cardiomyopathy and a bowel disease. That operation cost $4000, but we had insurance so we were only $800 out of pocket."

Smaller purebred dogs come with their own set of problems, with the flat-faced Pekingese breed at the top of the list.

"Like the British bulldog, they have problems with their airways and often require surgery to remove tissue from the back of the throat," Dr Beck said.

A Medibank Pet Insurance spokesperson said: "Currently, pet insurance fees are dependent on the product's features and the excess levels owners choose, rather than the breed of dog or cat they own.

"However, it's quite likely that the breed and age of pets will begin to be factored into pet insurance premiums in the future."The best crossbreeds, in terms of lower-than-average claims for veterinary bills, are the Australian heeler cross, the Australian shepherd and the Tenterfield terrier cross.

The good news for feline lovers is that cats do not register highly for claims.

Burmese and Persian cats, however, are known to be genetically susceptible to developing diabetes.