Pet Insurance

[BokCh0y]

I'm curious about pet healthcare insurance and if it's worth it. I've heard nightmare stories about Vet bills, was told to get pet healthcare insurance.

Does anyone know how it works, if most vets except this type of coverage, average cost?

Biggest thing, can someone recommend to me a good company to go through for Pet Healthcare Insurance?

Thanks.

[rony_espana]

Can't recommend a good place to get it, but I would. My dog had surgery 3 times and it cost me a total of about $5000. In order to get pet insurance I believe you have to get your pet checked out to ensure your not trying to get some existing condition fixed. I only started to look into it after my dog got sick.

[BokCh0y]

Totally thinking about getting it.

Looking into a place called Petsecure. About $60/month for the Level 3 coverage which includes:

$400/Year Dental (up to)
$5000/Year per incident and accident (uo to)
$300 deductible and the above covers 80%

not sure if this is good? And don't know about Petsecure. Anyone have experience with them?

Thanks.

[Mitsu3000gt]

$60/mo seems really high for that low dollar value insurance, but I know nothing about the pet insurance industry :).

Car insurance isn't much more than that, has an equal if not higher risk, easy to get zero deductible, and covers your for over a million dollars.

[Troll-ol]

Dental insurance really? Think my cat is like 14 and it has never needed anything... same with the leapard gecko.

[00sir2]

We use it, i think it's called Trupanion or something. It's not bad, I think they charge $40.00 a month. We don't make much use of it yet because our dog is only 2; however, I'm guessing as he gets older we might use it more. Make sure you read the contract carefully, not everything is covered. Our dog had cherry eye in his left eye, that was covered; however, when he got cherry eye in the right eye it wasn't because it's a reocurring problem. I would get it again, just make sure you understand what your paying for.

[Mitsu3000gt]

So $40/mo, lets say your pet doesn't have problems for 10 years, you've already put in $4,800, so you would need to claim more than that to make it worth it I guess.

[Troll-ol]

Originally posted by Mitsu3000gt
So $40/mo, lets say your pet doesn't have problems for 10 years, you've already put in $4,800, so you would need to claim more than that to make it worth it I guess. Plus there is probably going to be a deductible anyways. Even if your pet needed a little operation every 5 years or so it would probably be cheaper not to have the insurance :dunno:

[civic roller]

PC Financial has pretty decent Pet Insurance.

[z24_wheels]

I was going to get this, but then I looked into what was truly covered. It wasn't a whole hell of a lot. So instead of paying $50/mo into an insurance plan that *might* cover me, I put $50/mo into a savings account and will use that money should my pups have an issue.

[BokCh0y]

Yeah it sure is pricey...i was told it would be like $120 a year, but this is a lot more than I anticipated. But whatever. I'm not worried about the money to be honest, i love my pet and i would pay whatever i needed to to make sure she's good, i wouldn't put a price on her whatsoever, she's family. But i am curious about insurance and covrage and if people have this and a recommendation on who to go with.

I heard it's good to have for emergencies and what not. Peace of mind because i don't wnat to be in a situation where I have no coverage and no money and instead of being able to save her and have x time with her, i have to walk away from the whole thing. This is afterall a living animal....

[lilmira]

Yeah, I found them to be quite expensive compared to insurance for cars and house.

It adds up to decent chunk of change over time. I'd rather put some emergency fund aside for stuff like this. Most importantly, get a healthy pet and do what it take to keep it that way.

[R-Audi]

The cost depends on what kind of dog it is, and how old they are.

For my English Bulldog (Notorious for health problems) its $49/month. I started to think it was a ripoff, then earlier this year he got pneumonia and two years of dues were paid off almost immediately. (Along with a $500 deductible if you use claim something annually)

For our policy (Pet Secure) you can only claim a certain health problem once a year to a certain amount. (~3k) After that you are on your own till the next year.

[CMW403]

Originally posted by Troll-ol
Dental insurance really? Think my cat is like 14 and it has never needed anything... same with the leapard gecko.

How would a leopard gecko have dental problems?

[Troll-ol]

Originally posted by CMW403


How would a leopard gecko have dental problems? It shouldn't, but the plan doesn't only cover dental.

[codetrap]

Do the math. How much are you going to pay in premiums, vs how much you expect to have to pay out. I've dropped about 5k in vet bills on my dog, and and she's 6 now. Pet insurance for me is not worth it. Simpler to pay out of pocket.

[ganesh]

We used to have it. We have two big dogs ( Rotti Germanshephard X , and a king german shephard) Both breeds are known for health issues so we were paying $2400/Year for them. Then we had some dental work done on them and the insurance only gave us 30% of it. - It is a rip off. After that we decided not to go with the insurance.
Couple of years ago rotti german shephard had hip surgery and it was just over 6K and I was telling the surgeon that I wish I had insurance at the time and he laughed and told me that even if had insuarance,
a) They will not cover 100%
b) once you make such a claim they will bump your rates and lock you on a contract as well.

My advice is get a quote from the insurance company once you know how much they are going to charge you open up a account and start putting that money in the account. - This is what we are doing right now. This way if and when you need the money for vet you will have it.

[BokCh0y]

Thanks for all the feedback everyone.

I'm gonna have to really think about it now....

Oh and my dog is a 2 year old Bichon/Toy Poodle.

[Troll-ol]

Originally posted by BokCh0y
Thanks for all the feedback everyone.

I'm gonna have to really think about it now....

Oh and my dog is a 2 year old Bichon/Toy Poodle. No point then if it's that young. It should be cheaper just to pay for whatever it needs.

[Feruk]

I would assume pet insurance would not cover prescription drugs either?

Think about it this way; unlike a car, the insurance company KNOWS problems will arise with your pet. The coverage must therefore be higher (proportionately to costs), and benefits must find ways to pay out less (percentage) for them to ever turn a profit. As pointed out above, chronic problems aren't covered either. I don't see any way you'd come out ahead buying insurance. If you want "peace of mind", set money aside every month just in case.

[95EG6P]

Originally posted by z24_wheels
I was going to get this, but then I looked into what was truly covered. It wasn't a whole hell of a lot. So instead of paying $50/mo into an insurance plan that *might* cover me, I put $50/mo into a savings account and will use that money should my pups have an issue.

i do that too

[Xtrema]

Originally posted by Troll-ol
No point then if it's that young. It should be cheaper just to pay for whatever it needs.

As with people, it will cost more to start later. And some won't even accept dog over 5 years old.

My dog didn't even had surgery but the check up and drug to keep his heart problem in check was roughly $3000 for the last 6 months of its life. And before that, the only medical cost is just shots and yearly check ups that probably cost around $300 a year.

If i paid insurance, it's probably about even.

[Mibz]

We also looked in to pet insurance but with the high deductibles and low coverage it made way more sense to just save the money.

[403Gemini]

Originally posted by Mitsu3000gt
So $40/mo, lets say your pet doesn't have problems for 10 years, you've already put in $4,800, so you would need to claim more than that to make it worth it I guess.

Very true, but to most people $40/mth is much more manageable vs a $3000 bill that can creep up on you out of nowhere.

[summerlove.xo]

Just wanted to bump up this old thread to see what people are doing nowadays. Does anyone have pet insurance on their dog currently? From what I've read in this thread, seems like majority of the people recommend saving the money in a bank account instead of paying for insurance. Opinions? If you do have pet insurance currently, could you please let me know with which insurance company and how much you pay a month for what kind of coverage??

[psycoticclown]

I got Trupanion insurance for my dog when she was 6 months old. Now a little under a year old and I've already made back the premiums for this year. $34 a month premium, $250 deductible. My dog had cherry eye which they covered 90%. She was also spayed which wasn't covered under the insurance and had to get some antibiotics, we didn't try to claim the antibiotics because we thought they wouldn't cover since they didn't cover spaying. When we submitted the receipt for the cherry eye, they automatically started a claim and reimbursed us for the antibiotics without us asking. I was pretty impressed. Great service too, gave me lot's of emails updating me on the status of the claim and processed the claim quickly.

[summerlove.xo]

Originally posted by psycoticclown
I got Trupanion insurance for my dog when she was 6 months old. Now a little under a year old and I've already made back the premiums for this year. $34 a month premium, $250 deductible. My dog had cherry eye which they covered 90%. She was also spayed which wasn't covered under the insurance and had to get some antibiotics, we didn't try to claim the antibiotics because we thought they wouldn't cover since they didn't cover spaying. When we submitted the receipt for the cherry eye, they automatically started a claim and reimbursed us for the antibiotics without us asking. I was pretty impressed. Great service too, gave me lot's of emails updating me on the status of the claim and processed the claim quickly.

That sounds awesome. Thanks for sharing the info. We were contemplating between Trupanion and PetSecure but it seems like Trupanion is a bit better because they let you choose your deductible amount. With a $250 deductible, ours works out to be $37.84 without the extra coverage. I guess it's less than $500 a year so that's not too bad.

[Tej.S]

I registered my dog under PetLynx and they also provide pet insurance(through Pet Secure) with different rates/plans. Here's a quick list of what they offer:

Plan 1 - $1000 illness and accidental coverage. $300 deductible annually, costs $33.81 monthly.
Plan 2 - $2500 illness and accidental coverage. $300 deductible annually, costs $44.88 monthly.
Plan 3 - $5000 illness and accidental coverage. $300 deductible annually, costs $60.97 monthly.
Plan 4 - No limit for illness and accidental coverage. $400 deductible annually, costs $92.11 monthly.

Unfortunately, none of these plans give dental coverage but their general coverage is 80%.

[403Gemini]

Just make sure you read the wording carefully and inquire about your specific breed. A LOT of insurance doesn't cover common problems associated with breeds. ie. my min pin's knee wouldn't have been covered because it's a known problematic issue.

That pisses me off because to me, that is the purpose of pet insurance is incase that specific issue arises.

[R-Audi]

I have gotten my moneys worth out of Pet Secure from my English Bulldog... I almost cancelled it before my first claim... very very happy I didnt.
From rough calculations I saved roughly 3k. (As opposed to being out of pocket with out insurance)

[Tej.S]

For those of you that got insurance, how old was your dog/puppy when you got him/her insured? I have an 11 and a half month old black labrador and I plan on holding off until he's a year and a half or two years. Any thoughts?

[zipdoa]

Originally posted by Tej.S
For those of you that got insurance, how old was your dog/puppy when you got him/her insured? I have an 11 and a half month old black labrador and I plan on holding off until he's a year and a half or two years. Any thoughts?

Look into the policy requirements. I have a Malamute and in order to qualify for hip dysplasia coverage I would've had to insure him before the age of 6-months. This was the only big ticket item I was concerned about, and so I opted not to go with insurance because he was too old to qualify at the time.

Obviously different companies will have different policies, but definitely check into them to see if there's an advantage to getting it while they're still a pup.

[Tej.S]

Oh alright, thanks for the heads up!

[codetrap]

.

[reese]

Im with trupanion as well with $0 deductible since my great dane was about 6 months old.

90% is covered including prescription drugs. The only thing that it doesnt cover are exam fee and annual shots.

My dog requires average of $150 of prescription drugs per month (epilepsy/hypothyriod/athritis), let alone the surgery and accidents he's had in the past six years (ie dog bite, cuts from the park, eating foreign objects etc..)

Im glad I have insurance and I know my total claims uptodate have exceeded my monthly primiums by atleast a couple thousand

[summerlove.xo]

We ended up going with Trupanion with the $100 deductible. It works out to something like $41 a month, which is not too bad.

We didn't go with PetSecure because it doesn't give you the option of opting out of preventive insurance and other extras. If we wanted to go with a similar plan with PetSecure that was unlimited coverage for accidental and illness, it would have cost $100+ a month with a $250 deductible.

Has anyone been with Trupanion for a significant period of time? They mentioned that the premium could go up annually but they are writing a new rule to cap it to 20% per year. They said the increase depends on what the insurance cost is in whatever area you live in. Hopefully it's not a drastic increase.

[masoncgy]

I had Petsecure insurance for my dog for a few years. I ended up putting in a few claims early on and it was great at that time, but as more and more months drag on and the premiums increase, it became too costly and I cancelled it two years ago.

The dog is 8 now, not worth shelling out money any longer. Once it's her turn to go, she's gone.

[Cos]

.

[Squishy]

I have 3 dogs, only one has needed significant surgery. It was $3000.
My oldest one who is ten has been extremely healthy, my middle one is 9 and she suffered an accute injury going down the stairs which cost $3000, but she also has allergies & because of old age had some growths removed which was ~$280 (I call her my problem child) and my youngest is almost 4 and she had a weird tail injury which I don't think ended up costing more than a couple hundred for the check up and medication, and none have ever had pet insurance. In regards to their health, in hindsight, I was better off not having pet insurance because it would've cost me more in the long run I think.

[blairtruck]

my dog is 6 and so far only out about $900 to get a few growths removed and sent for testing. came back negative.
no insurance.

[Cos]

.

[C_Dave45]

I'll give you the other side of the coin Cos. I am very anti insurance. We get insuranced to death. Life, health, car, consumer goods, etc etc. Cant even buy a $50 radio without having some sort of insurance protection plan being pushed on. us. Is it cheaper to just save that monthly pet insurance premiums and have a savings account on the off chance you have an extreme circumstance? Of course it is. But you know you wont. No one does. Labs are very prone to health issues down thr road. Hip dysplasia is common among others.
When we got our Shadow, who is like our third child to us, my sister who works in insurance BEGGED me to get pet insurance. I was like you. But not even a year after we got her, there was an accident and she suffered life threatening damages. That cost me $6500. 4 years later, complications from that injury cost me another $3500. $10,000 so far!!! Sure, this was an extreme situation and the odds are against anything like that happening...but for only $50 a month I could have had that covered. Now I just consider that $50 a month a necessary cost that comes with the responsibility of having a dog. Just as food and vitamins are. Hell I drop a $50 on a work lunch at least a couple of times a month. My dogs health is certainly worth the odd lunch. Because if that time ever comes, God forbid, and your faced with the decision of money over that look in your dogs eyes as shes laying on a vet operating table...it sure would be nice to have coverage.

[BokCh0y]

Bumping this up for you Marino. Some stuff for you to read about for your Russell Griffon.

Dk.

[BlueHaloGirl]

I too was on the fence about pet insurance. When are you going to need to use it and how often to make it really worth while.
Once I stated thinking about how active our 2yo rescue Shepard mix is it was decided that it was a good idea. $50month and $100 deductible.
So very happy I did as she tore open her foot playing fetch while we were camping and needed 5 staples to close it. A $300 vet bill only cost me $100...hey I saved $200!! Then being the crazy active dog she is and having trouble resting for 2 weeks she ripped a staple out and we had to take her to the vet again while we were on vacation. Again pet insurance covered the visit and cost of re-wrap and drugs no questions asked since it was the same injury as previous.
So I think in the long run when she gets older and things could happen that at least I have peace of mind cause she is our fur baby and a very important part of our family.

[klumsy_tumbler]

@BlueHaloGirl who did you end up going with for the insurance? I'm going to be adding a pup to the family soon (also an active breed), and am trying to decide on a provider before we bring a pup home so that we have coverage from day 1.

Was the higher monthly premium just because of how old she was when you registered?

[BlueHaloGirl]

Originally posted by klumsy_tumbler
@BlueHaloGirl who did you end up going with for the insurance? I'm going to be adding a pup to the family soon (also an active breed), and am trying to decide on a provider before we bring a pup home so that we have coverage from day 1.

Was the higher monthly premium just because of how old she was when you registered?

I went with Trupanion, the higher premium was because I chose the lower deductible.

[JordanEG6]

Bump

Getting a pup pretty soon, so the GF and I are starting to look into the merits of getting pet insurance. I've heard most pros and cons from both getting pet insurance and not getting it, so I'm pretty torn. Some say it's worth putting aside money for medical expenses and skipping insurance entirely, others suggest it, just in case you have to foot a large bill (say $4K and up).

I've been reading previous Beyond posts and some reviews online, so I'm starting to look into getting a plan from Trupanion. Submitting and getting reimbursement for most claims so far doesn't seem to be an issue based on my findings. But what I find shady and in the 1-4 star review submissions is the massive increase in premiums, despite no claims submitted for healthy dogs. The site says no increase in premiums due to claims, but some dog owners are being hit with 50-100% increases annually depending on the dog. I understand the premiums are likely to be bumped up a bit as the dog ages, but from what I'm reading, 50-60% on average is ridiculous, especially if the dog is healthy.

Anyone have experience with this increase?
Also, if you have submitted any claims, how well was it handled and did you have to jump through hurdles to get your reimbursement?
TIA

[MalibuStacy]

Okay so I am playing devils advocate here, but I am a big supporter for pet insurance largely due in part to my gf being a vetmed student. Too many people simply choose to euthanize their animals because of cost or inconvenience. That being said, my cat has never needed anything over her 12 year life, plus I can barely afford my own health insurance haha. So I see the cost being difficult to justify if your animal is healthy, but as my gf has educated me on previously; using this mindset is wrong because you are removing the animal as a living being and simply holding it as a possession. Plus with the insurance, should anything terrible happen your animal is safe.

Again I am a hack hers because I would love to have it but simply cannot afford it presently.

[boarderfatty]

We have Trupanion for our English Bulldog and it has been a huge help for us. our premiums are ~$140 per month, but in the 2.5 years we have had her, we have had over $50k in vet bills and insurance has paid out over $40k. Our concerns with Pet Insurance were maximum claim amounts and total claim amounts allowed per year (we dont really care about invoices under 3k, but do care about ones over 10k). Most policies max out a $5k per incident and two incidents per year. with Trupanion they pay 90% of the invoice minus the deductible of your choice with no maximum claim amount and unlimited claims per year they also cover any genetic pre-dispositions which is helpful. Our premiums have gone up with our dog, we started at $110/mth, the following year it was $125/mth, this year it went up to $140/mth (That being said even if our premiums were $1000/mth we would still be in positive territory with our dog) I will admit that we have a lemon of a dog, but a lot of it is not necessarily typical of an English Bulldog her major bills have been as follows

1) Dog Attack ($800)
2) Urinary Track Infection ($1500) - likely from the breeder due to her eating something outside
3) Hiatal Hernia ($12,000) her stomach moved up through her diaphram and was pinched preventing any food from entering her stomach, basically she would chew then throw it right up
4) Esophagus Sphincter repair ($5000) - Due to the Hiatal Hernia the sphincter never developed since the diaphram acted in its place, so after the hiatal hernia surgery whatever she ate came right back up since there was nothing to stop it
5) Cherry Eye (Both eyes) ($3000) - typically not this costly but her glands protruded much further than most cherry eye and we had to see a specialist for the surgery where the glands were pinned back in two locations
6) Dog Attack ($1200) - in an offleash dog park at night a shiba came in ran over and attached her, a bunch of punctures around her face and eyes
7) Laser Surgery for distichia in both eyes x 2 ($2000) - ingrown eyelashes that rubbed her eyes and caused eye ulcers the first surgery was removing 30-40 per eye, the second was 5-12 per eye
8) Removal or fold in stomach lining and installing a funnel between the stomach and intestines ($8000) - her stomach lining had wrinkles and one folded over and blocked stomach contents from entering the intestines
9) Torn ACL + Physio Therapy ($6,000) - She enjoys jumping for frisbees and playing catch, noticed her limping, scope showed torn ACL, fixed that then 8 weeks pf physio therapy, hydro therapy and laser therapy
10) Ongoing Allergies ($2000) - Eye allergies leading to hives on her eyes causing bad tear stains and rawness in her face folds, needs eye drops twice a day

There are more bills surrounding the diagnosis of her problems like X-Rays, Ultra Sounds, GI Scopes, and follow up visits that make up the balance.

[taemo]

we have a non-spayed pug that is over 9 years old and never had insurance, so far all in all we have spent less than $1000 for her medications.

then my sister in law has a jack russell that is 10 years old and frequently at the vet so fortunately she got Trupanion insurance for the past 3 years as she doesn't have a lot of money either.

my sister on the other hand had a 10 year old bulldog mastiff that we put down earlier this year, he's been through an eye removal surgery and tumor for the past 2 and she had insurance (not Trupanion) and she said that honestly it would have been cheaper having money saved aside than going with an insurance.

so in short IMO, it's cheaper to put money aside, unless your dogs breed is prone to many diseases.

[sabad66]

If you're going to get it, get it when they are a pup and keep it on. I didn't, so now our quotes are crazy high for our 2 year old corgi.

When i was looking around at companies, trupanion was the best and mostly because they have no caps for payouts.

[max_boost]

When you pay $6k Christmas Eve because your cat swallowed a shoe string, yup you gonna wish you had pet insurance!

[Brent.ff]

What kind of dog are you planning on getting? It's fairly predictable which breeds are going to have the most problems (bulldogs for example, see above, are renowned as being unhealthy)

[Rocket1k78]

When you pay $6k Christmas Eve because your cat swallowed a shoe string, yup you gonna wish you had pet insurance!

DAMN! Its never a good time to have an emergency but thats gotta be the worst time lol

Unless you've got decent money in the bank dont kid yourself with the whole putting money aside thought lol. Everyone says that but i would bet 99% dont and youre also taking a huge risk if something happens within a couple years. Pet emergencies can be a simple check up with meds($200-$400) or like others have posted and me included well over the $5k mark if not more. We have the one where we submit and it does sound like a PIA from what my wife says but they've never really denied a payment or dragged it out.

[Seth1968]

When you pay $6k Christmas Eve because your cat swallowed a shoe string, yup you gonna wish you had pet insurance!

Except, why would an adult hold another lifeform as a "pet" to appease their emotional dysfunction

Oh wait, I just answered it.

I dare you to answer that more objectively.

[boarderfatty]

What kind of dog are you planning on getting? It's fairly predictable which breeds are going to have the most problems (bulldogs for example, see above, are renowned as being unhealthy)

You could base it on that, but there are a bunch of things that are not relegated to a type of breed. A car accident or something resulting in a broken leg can be $3-5000. Torn ligament is typically $5-8000. Twisted stomach $2-4000. Ingesting a foreign object $1000-6000 (depending on if surgery is required)

If you are paying $500-1500/year in pet insurance, you can often cover the cost of your insurance over the lifetime of your pet with a couple claims. Dont forget too, when you go to a vet, emotions often take control and logic is thrown out the window. If your companion of 7 years has hip dysplacia or cancer, or is hit by a car, good luck telling the vet to just put them down, most times you cant throw your money at them fast enough. Atleast with insurance it helps take some of the sting away.

Our neighbours dog is obsessed with chewing rocks, it is not breed specific, but requires $2-3000/year in dental work which Trupanion covers for them

[Brent.ff]

No i get that there is a lot that is not dependent on breed, however buying a breed that is well known for having health issues (bulldogs, berners, etc), would motivate me to buy insurance as i know i'd be more likely to use it

[J-hop]

No i get that there is a lot that is not dependent on breed, however buying a breed that is well known for having health issues (bulldogs, berners, etc), would motivate me to buy insurance as i know i'd be more likely to use it


I agree there are some breeds more prone to health problems but pretty much any purebred should have insurance. If you look at the breeding practices (especially labs) the gene pool is so disgustingly restricted you run a WAY higher chance of health problems with a pure bred.

[Rocket1k78]

What kind of dog are you planning on getting? It's fairly predictable which breeds are going to have the most problems (bulldogs for example, see above, are renowned as being unhealthy)

There are definitely some problematic breeds but this alone is not the way to base your decision on insurance or not. I had a mutt that required over $5k in work and tests in just one year alone.


Dont forget too, when you go to a vet, emotions often take control and logic is thrown out the window. If your companion of 7 years has hip dysplacia or cancer, or is hit by a car, good luck telling the vet to just put them down, most times you cant throw your money at them fast enough. Atleast with insurance it helps take some of the sting away.



Exactly, Our dogs are our just as important as our kids so even if i didnt have the coverage i would be paying anything to help cure them of their problem.

If you have money in the bank for rainy days and like to gamble i could see maybe not getting insurance but if you dont and are the type where you would spend whatever it took then i would totally suggest insurance

[max_boost]

DAMN! Its never a good time to have an emergency but thats gotta be the worst time lol

Unless you've got decent money in the bank dont kid yourself with the whole putting money aside thought lol. Everyone says that but i would bet 99% dont and youre also taking a huge risk if something happens within a couple years. Pet emergencies can be a simple check up with meds($200-$400) or like others have posted and me included well over the $5k mark if not more. We have the one where we submit and it does sound like a PIA from what my wife says but they've never really denied a payment or dragged it out.

yes sir! better off making small payments than one big one. us humans are will just blow the extra vs allocating haha


Except, why would an adult hold another lifeform as a "pet" to appease their emotional dysfunction

Oh wait, I just answered it.

I dare you to answer that more objectively.

I not dare lol the cat belonged to the ex at the time

[Tik-Tok]

You guys have some shitty dogs, lol. (health wise I mean). Had our Sib.Husky for 15 years, and only had one emergency and that only cost $800.

[J-hop]

You guys have some shitty dogs, lol. (health wise I mean). Had our Sib.Husky for 15 years, and only had one emergency and that only cost $800.


I think that's the point, it's hit or miss especially with pure(inbreds). You could have thousands of dollars worth of bills for say eye issues (a very common problem with Siberian huskies) or you could have one that lives 15 years with no problems. the gamble is up to you but I personally don't ever want to be in the position where I even question whether it's worth the cost.

[TomcoPDR]

When you pay $6k Christmas Eve because your cat swallowed a shoe string, yup you gonna wish you had pet insurance!

Parents never allowed any pets aside from fishies. I remember hearding about this incident when it happened to you few years ago, was surprise to learn the cost to maintain a little pussy.

[taemo]

Parents never allowed any pets aside from fishies. I remember hearding about this incident when it happened to you few years ago, was surprise to learn the cost to maintain a little pussy.

considering he mentioned it was his ex's cat, then he was maintaining 2 :rofl:

I love my dog and had her since she was a pup, but TBH the moment the bill is more than 2000 I'm leaning on putting her down.
It sounds heartless but no point on going broke for a pet.

[KPHMPH]

I currently pay $40 a month for our teacup yorkie. We have had her for 2 years ( $40 x 24 months = $960 )

We have unlimited coverage as long as we pay the first $250 per bill.

The first 4 months we had her, her back hip bone died which resulted in a $4500 surgery to remove it. Cost us $250 and we moved on.

We have also had 2 other $1200 vet bills with other things that went wrong.

All in all we have paid $960 + $250 + $250 = $1460

I recommend pet insurance because it's worked out for me!

[JordanEG6]

What kind of dog are you planning on getting? It's fairly predictable which breeds are going to have the most problems (bulldogs for example, see above, are renowned as being unhealthy)

We're getting a Samoyed at 8 weeks if all goes well.
The main issue with these dogs, as with many large breeds, is hip dysplasia. They are bred carefully by select dogs (based on health, temperament and coat) from a very reputable breeder in ON, but it's still a gamble as with any pure breds. And I am aware of this. I'm just hoping he'll be healthy.


If you're going to get it, get it when they are a pup and keep it on. I didn't, so now our quotes are crazy high for our 2 year old corgi.

When i was looking around at companies, trupanion was the best and mostly because they have no caps for payouts.

That's usually the advice I get, that is why I'm researching before he comes at the end of October.
Right now it's a toss up between PetPlan, Trupanion and Healthy Paws.

Based on recent reviews (2016 and on), we're likely to go with Healthy Paws provided that they have policies for Canadian pets. Like Trupanion, they also offer no caps on claims and with unlimited benefits. But the site doesn't have an option for "Postal Code" entry on the quote page so I had to inquire this morning via email, but there are people in Canada who have policies with them. Awaiting reply.

[ExtraSlow]

Can you get life insurance for pets? Maybe whole life? Maybe I need another coffee...

[Tik-Tok]

Can you get life insurance for pets? Maybe whole life? Maybe I need another coffee...

Whole life is terrible for most pets though. Stick to term life insurance on your fish.

[mzdspd]

Picking up our 8 week old labradoodle today.. Still on the fence about pet insurance..

Looks like it is either 60 or 30$ per month with trupanion. I have heard so many things saying to avoid insurance and just save your own money in the bank. Not sure what to do yet.

[J-hop]

Picking up our 8 week old labradoodle today.. Still on the fence about pet insurance..

Looks like it is either 60 or 30$ per month with trupanion. I have heard so many things saying to avoid insurance and just save your own money in the bank. Not sure what to do yet.

Labs are one of the top breeds known for hip dysplasia. You have a bit of an advantage with a mixed breed like that. Surgery options your probably looking $3000+ Should your dog need it. That's over 4 years worth of payments if you pay $60/mo. To me that would be worth it. Plus labradoodles are expensive so I assume you have deep pockets :rofl:

[R-Audi]

If you mke the committment to save, then go for it... I would rather pay for the piece of mind. My pet insurance has paid off....I wouldnt have a dog without it. Stupid expensive for most things..

[Rocket1k78]

us humans are will just blow the extra vs allocating haha


YUUUP! I laugh everytime i hear someone say they will just put money aside.


I think that's the point, it's hit or miss especially with pure(inbreds). You could have thousands of dollars worth of bills for say eye issues (a very common problem with Siberian huskies) or you could have one that lives 15 years with no problems. the gamble is up to you but I personally don't ever want to be in the position where I even question whether it's worth the cost.

That was my point exactly. Its just like car insurance, ive been driving for well over 15 years now and not one claim but that doesnt mean im not going to get insurance or suggest to people to not get it because ive never needed it.



I love my dog and had her since she was a pup, but TBH the moment the bill is more than 2000 I'm leaning on putting her down.
It sounds heartless but no point on going broke for a pet.

You know how i know you dont love your dog? Thats pretty sad that you would give up one of the most loyal things in your life for $2000. I would honestly not hesitate to sell my vehicles if i had to for my dogs

[max_boost]

Can you get life insurance for pets? Maybe whole life? Maybe I need another coffee...

lol nice

[mzdspd]

Another question for everyone.. So looking at Trupanion, Do you guys go with a higher deductible and lower payment or lower deductible and higher payment?

[boarderfatty]

Another question for everyone.. So looking at Trupanion, Do you guys go with a higher deductible and lower payment or lower deductible and higher payment?

I went with a $250 deductible, I cant remember what higher deductibles were like, but I remember any lower and they got quite a bit more expensive. with a $250 deductible I really didn't care since in the big scheme of things $250 wont kill me, and with 90% coverage, instances where I use insurance, the amount I have to pay to cover the 10% exceeds it anyways.

One thing to be aware of with Trupanion, and every other insurance company that seemed decent is that they will not pay for GST, and they will also not cover the cost of exam

[mzdspd]

I went with a $250 deductible, I cant remember what higher deductibles were like, but I remember any lower and they got quite a bit more expensive. with a $250 deductible I really didn't care since in the big scheme of things $250 wont kill me, and with 90% coverage, instances where I use insurance, the amount I have to pay to cover the 10% exceeds it anyways.

One thing to be aware of with Trupanion, and every other insurance company that seemed decent is that they will not pay for GST, and they will also not cover the cost of exam

Good call on the tip, I noticed that in the print lol.. I guess what I mean by high and low deductible is 250 vs 700$. The premium price almost triples so I was thinking of just going in around the middle with 400$ for 43$ per month. Seems reasonable.

[GQBalla]

There has been a few studies done that having dogs spayed/neutered before two years old have an increase in getting hip dysplasia.

Makes sense considering the process removes vital organs for hormonal balance.

[jabjab]

Trupanion was double the price as other quotes I got, how are they double better then places like PC etc?

[boarderfatty]

Trupanion was double the price as other quotes I got, how are they double better then places like PC etc?

The reason that we pay the extra for Trupanion was that most pet insurance policies have a max claim amount of $5000, and one or two claims per year. We have had our dog for 2.5 years, her one stomach surgery was close to $12k all said and done, we have spent a total of close to $50k over the whole 2.5 years. So in our instance if we would have gone for a cheaper policy that had a max claim of $5,000 and two claims per year we would be a minimum of $30k out of pocket if we were able to predict all her problems and pick and chose which invoices we would claim and not claim. With Trupanion we are less than $10k out of pocket based on the $25 deductible and 90% coverage.

So for us <$10K versus $30K makes Trupanion over 200% better than others

[mzdspd]

I ended up just going with trupanion. The price was only like 5$ more per month vs PC which had a 5k limit per injury per year.

[lasimmon]

So we got a puppy on friday, an 8 week old pure bred border collie.

We have looked into a couple options for pet insurance and depending on who you talk to you seem to get such a wide range of opinions. So I thought I would ask here if anyone has any opinions? What are you guys paying for a pup? With who? Should we skip on insurance?

TIA.

[firebane]

We use Trupanion.

No issues. Deductible can be adjusted.

[bjstare]

TL;DR - my vote goes to skip insurance.

We've got two dogs, no insurance. So far coming out way ahead of vet bills vs. insurance cost. We decided to take the educated risk, since neither of our breeds has common/expensive problems. We've only had one incident so far (cherry eye, was somewhat common to breed), and it was not expensive to fix.

Another data point, is the dog I had growing up lived for like 16 or 17 years. No insurance, no issues. I don't think I'd ever get pet insurance unless I had a dog with lots of common/expensive problems (e.g. great dane). Moot point, because I'd never buy an expensive dog that has lots of common problems.

[A2VR6]

We use Petplan.

Pretty good except the claim process is all after the fact and my vet has to send in medical records/paperwork manually before claims can be processed. Cheques take like 3-4 weeks.

We pay around $65 a month (malumute/chow mix) and this year we had to claim a fair bit (~2k) due to some dental issues with our pup.

[sabad66]

Don't use it either, but when i was shopping around and reading reviews Trupanion was the one i would have went with.

Purebreds generally have more problems than mixed breeds (or so i've heard), so probably not a bad idea to get it.

Pics of the pup?

[lasimmon]

Thanks for all the info guys, much appreciated.



Pics of the pup?

Here's a photo of the little terrorist

86159

[firebane]

TL;DR - my vote goes to skip insurance.

We've got two dogs, no insurance. So far coming out way ahead of vet bills vs. insurance cost. We decided to take the educated risk, since neither of our breeds has common/expensive problems. We've only had one incident so far (cherry eye, was somewhat common to breed), and it was not expensive to fix.

Another data point, is the dog I had growing up lived for like 16 or 17 years. No insurance, no issues. I don't think I'd ever get pet insurance unless I had a dog with lots of common/expensive problems (e.g. great dane). Moot point, because I'd never buy an expensive dog that has lots of common problems.

Pet insurance comes in handy for many things other than just insurance.

Getting pet insurance when a dog is a pup is great because if anything happens your ass can be saved. Also if something DOES happen to your dog and you try to apply later pre-existing conditions can cause an issue.

My dog is a big runner and likes to be be ruff and tumble with others and if she broke her leg there is no way we could pay out of pocket. At least with insurance we'd have something to help out.

100% totally a pet owners choice.. but I would err on the side of caution and get it. ESPECIALLY with a puppy.

- - - Updated - - -


Thanks for all the info guys, much appreciated.



Here's a photo of the little terrorist

86159

FYI tennis balls and rope toys are bad for dogs and I'd find a good alternative.. Not to self promote but I know a good company and if your interested PM me and I can give you the details.

[RX_EVOLV]

We use Pet Plan. We purposely set the deductible higher in exchange for a lower monthly payment (~$45/month) as we don't anticipate that we would actually use it until maybe near the end of my dog's life where she might need to undergo major surgery or what not. My wife's last dog had cancer at an earlier age (<5yo) and they ended up spending >$10K in treatment over times. Unfortunately she still didn't make it at the end. We don't want to be in the position where we have to have to put her down because we can't afford the treatments, so we see pet insurance as more of a forced 'saving' plan than anything else.

[finboy]

It depends....

If I had a single pet, wasn’t really sure about the background of the animal OR it was a breed with a lot of recurring issues (ex. Hips on labs, cancer in larger dogs, etc.) the yes. We have 2 cats and 2 dogs and don’t insure because it would probably cost us $200+ per month. That said, we have done a lot of research on our dogs specific health history a few generations, and had good vets check out known issues. Our dogs do a ton of dog sports but they also have a physio therapist to make sure they don’t wear themselves out early or exacerbate issues (me fiancé is a crazy dog lady, but at least I don’t have to have kids).

We have had some incidents (animals eating things they shouldn’t), but are still ahead by a large margin. We do have friends who have insurance and it has paid off big time, but their dog eats a LOT of things it shouldn’t.

[R-Audi]

We use Pet Secure..

I did the calculations, and as of the 10 year point, we are down $1,200 for the claims we made vs cost (Including monthly fees, our portion and deductibles) and generally ok with it. The big reason for us was when something went wrong, it was usually a big ticket item. ($5k+ which happened 3 times) We could have been closer to breaking even had we made sure to get teeth cleaning more regularly on the years when the deductible was already fulfilled. Id rather be safe than sorry but it also depends on your financial situation.

[dirtsniffer]

Holy hanna. these costs are crazy. Maybe I'm cold, but if my dog gets cancer or anytihng else that costs thousands of dollars it was good knowing them. I'm going to guess most people who get pet insurance don't have kids.

[dj_rice]

TL;DR - my vote goes to skip insurance.

We've got two dogs, no insurance. So far coming out way ahead of vet bills vs. insurance cost. We decided to take the educated risk, since neither of our breeds has common/expensive problems. We've only had one incident so far (cherry eye, was somewhat common to breed), and it was not expensive to fix.

Another data point, is the dog I had growing up lived for like 16 or 17 years. No insurance, no issues. I don't think I'd ever get pet insurance unless I had a dog with lots of common/expensive problems (e.g. great dane). Moot point, because I'd never buy an expensive dog that has lots of common problems.


This. My dog has been the same for the past 10 years no major issues. Only issues were last year he had acute pancreatitis and had to rush him to ER and then regular vet was $550 and then this year, he was diagnosed with Diabetes Mellitus $680 for diagnosis/bloodwork/urineanalysis and then about $80/monthly for insulin/syringes. But my vet warned me he could develop cataracts and go blind potentially, which getting quotes are around $4-6K/eye. But also seen blind dogs adjust to their surroundings as well.
I put money away every month for a rainy day fund. And as others have stated, they will not cover any pre-existing conditions. My co-worker bought a Italian Greyhound, and then it was climbing the close off barrier, and ended up breaking its leg. $6K he had to pay out of pocket. He then got insurance after that, and surprise, a few months ago it broke its other leg, but insurance paid the 2nd time. Him and his gf thought it was a great idea to get a 2nd one from the same litter again.


I tried getting a quote for insurance now, and it was around $90/month with $700 deductible. $277/month no deductible.

[AzNxHyDrA]

We use Pets Plus Us who have recently added a discount for Costco Members.

https://www.petsplusus.com/partner/costco

[sabad66]

I'm going to guess most people who get pet insurance don't have kids.

what do you mean by this? how do you figure the two things relate to each other?

[Kijho]

We use Trupanion.
No issues. Deductible can be adjusted.

+ 1 for Trupanion.

I think I'm paying around $60/Mo. but forget my deductible. I have a purebred Italian Greyhound which is a very prone dog to leg breaks (because they're very very thin). Biggest recommendation when I was researching the breed was to get insurance and make sure you get in writing about broken bone coverage, etc..

Here's the monster...

https://live.staticflickr.com/7904/32435458827_4f4351c870.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/RqdcSK)DSC01572 (https://flic.kr/p/RqdcSK) by Spencer (https://www.flickr.com/photos/kijho66/), on Flickr

Since sight-hounds don't have much fur, winter clothes are necessary haha... they literally shiver uncontrollably in the winter..

https://live.staticflickr.com/7838/47242530911_83ed137502.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2eYEjx2)DSC01504 (https://flic.kr/p/2eYEjx2) by Spencer (https://www.flickr.com/photos/kijho66/), on Flickr

[rx7boi]

Holy hanna. these costs are crazy. Maybe I'm cold, but if my dog gets cancer or anytihng else that costs thousands of dollars it was good knowing them. I'm going to guess most people who get pet insurance don't have kids.

Neighbor across the street got a new german shepherd pup that just finished chewing through a shit load of stuff and ended up needing $7000 of surgery after it got all cut up.

[Tik-Tok]

Purebreds generally have more problems than mixed breeds (or so i've heard), so probably not a bad idea to get it.


Show purebreeds are definitely more prone to problems due to inbreeding to keep the physical traits. Working purebreeds don't have many inherited problems because they've been bred out of the lineage.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Friends of ours have always had several dogs and always have insurance. Even the insurance is very expensive though at $45-60/mo. One of their dogs had over $10K of dental work alone over it's (short) life.

If you have a point where you would put the animal down instead of paying, I guess that is another thing, but otherwise vet bills can be absolutely insane.

I do think it's a very individual decision though, because the ratio of people who have been bailed out by insurance and those that haven't had any problems is always going to be about equal, and obviously if you gambled correctly, you are going to be an advocate of whatever worked out for you. Whether or not the next dog is as lucky (or unlucky) is totally up in the air.

[bjstare]

Holy hanna. these costs are crazy. Maybe I'm cold, but if my dog gets cancer or anytihng else that costs thousands of dollars it was good knowing them. I'm going to guess most people who get pet insurance don't have kids.

Yup, not a chance would I pay for cancer treatment for the little guys. Love 'em and all, but jesus. They're animals, not humans. You can just buy more, and the beauty is you'll love the next ones and they'll love you back (i.e. manipulate you for food and shelter) just the same.

[Toilet_X]

Anyone know where i can get gerbil insurance?