Dog Insurance anyone?

#16
to_the_nines said:
we had pet insurance when we got our first dog from the pound 4 1/2 years ago, it also covered our 2 cats. it was expensive and did not cover routine vet care. we decided to put the monthly cost of the insurance into a savings account, so that we would have $$$ if anything happens.
Click to expand...

We decided to do something similar.

When I first got cats, insurance wasn't really an option, I don't think. This past summer, I had to put down my 19 year old cat. She was very healthy all of her life, maybe we were lucky? But even with taking her in more often as she aged and her daily meds, it wasn't a cost I could not bear. Her last 4 days, the vet bill broke $3,000... not a fun bill to pay as you're saying goodbye to a loved one. At that time it made me think, well, maybe I should have insurance for my other two (5 and 8) but really... I would have spent much more on their insurance than what I had to pay in the end. So we do have an emergency fund for thier care, so it isn't a huge financial burden if something tragic does happen. Currently, that is the best decision for me.
 
#17
I have insurance on my little Pepsi. He had an allergic reaction a few months ago and everything was covered not to mention all his shots, booster shots and it even covered his neutering. IMO it's money well spent. He is a member of my little family and is well worth it. I hate to say this, but I like him better then most people out there.
 
#18
I turned down insurance when I got my cat.

Three months later she needed surgery and a long vet stay which cost $2,000.

I sure wish I hadn't turned down that insurance...and now because she's already had health problems nobody will insure her (or it'll cost an insane amount of money).

I say it's worth it.
 
#20
does anyone have a pet insurance company they recommend? I am thinking about it for my Mia. She is a puppy and has been fine so far but I am thinking about getting insurance before I take her to day care + groomers. Thank you!
 
#24
I also recommend VPI. My babygirls, beaver (yorkie) and chewbie (maltese) have VPI since they were 10 weeks and so far its been great. I also recommend getting the rider for cancer, very affordable.
 
#25
VPI covers my bunnies. When my baby got suddenly sick and passed in October, the bills totaled 2000....I didn't have insurance and THANK GOD I had enough space on my over full credit cards...now I have VPI and am hoping it will help in the future should I need it
 
#26
I worked as a veterinary technician for 5 years and a number of people in the practice had pet insurance. Please please please make sure you do some thorough research. Unfortunately, I did see some owners that wasted their money on insurance. Some insurance companies are very limited in what they will and will not cover.
That being said, I do not have pet insurance for my kitties. My dad is a veterinarian, so I don't have to worry about cost of services. I have also been fortunate enough to have had pets that are healthy and have had long lives. So for me, it wouldn't have been worth the money for insurance.
 
#27
I agree with aklein. There were a lot of news articles on this. Some insurance companies sound good until your pet gets sick and you realize the particular condition isn't covered. Eg, preexisting conditions, conditions determined to be genetic...the plan may also go out of effect when the pet reaches a certain age (most require renewal each year and will only approve renewal if your pet is healthy). Eg. one year your pet gets a disease, and the insurance pays for everything. At the end of the year, the policy gets renewed but the disease becomes a "preexisting condition", thus protecting the insurance company from chronically ill pets.
 
#28
I just got a puppy about a month about and I'm thinking about pet insurance now. She's young and still needs to get all of her shots so I'm thinking its a good investment. I looked it up with the ASPCA and they have plans that start at $8.99 and go up to like $50/60 or something like that depending on coverage. I'll probably get a mid-priced plan, I figure I can spare the $35 a month, since I pay more than that for a cell phone bill or a dinner out.

Just wondering if there are any other good insurance companies out there besides VPI and ASPCA.

TIA!
 
#29
I have VPI for my Persian now (see my avatar). I pay about $21/month.

I sure wish I had insurance with my previous cat, because she developed cancer and by the time we had to put her down, her surgery and bills topped $8K.

Sometimes insurance for pets doesn't seem worth it if your pet is healthy, but it just goes to show that you never know if something will happen. In that case it's better to be safe than sorry. I'll never be without pet insurance again.
 
#30
My mother has a standard poodle and she has her insurance through the AKC. She was supposed to look into seeing if non-AKC dogs are eligible, but she hasn't gotten back to me yet. She likes that one but I don't think she's had to use it for anything major.
*knock on wood.
 
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