Pet Insurance

[onelilspark]

Hi all, we're looking at getting a dog in a couple weeks. I know pet insurance is out there, but I'm having trouble deciding between different companies. It's hard to see exactly WHAT each company covers.

Right now we have it narrowed down between Gold or Silver "Petplan" Insurance or VPI's Standard Plan with CareGuard Core. Both would run just about the same cost, so I'd love any advice!

One of the first things we want to do is get the puppy micro-chipped. Petplan gives a 10% discount if they're micro-chipped, so should we wait to start coverage until after that?

Thanks in advance

 

[STLDisney_Freak]

Hi all, we're looking at getting a dog in a couple weeks. I know pet insurance is out there, but I'm having trouble deciding between different companies. It's hard to see exactly WHAT each company covers.

Right now we have it narrowed down between Gold or Silver "Petplan" Insurance or VPI's Standard Plan with CareGuard Core. Both would run just about the same cost, so I'd love any advice!

One of the first things we want to do is get the puppy micro-chipped. Petplan gives a 10% discount if they're micro-chipped, so should we wait to start coverage until after that?

Thanks in advance

Save your money on the pet insurance and just stick what you would pay on premiums in a savings account. We used to have pet insurance and it is more hassle than what it was worth. What they fail to tell you is they will reimburse you for some of the charges. So that pretty much means you need to come up with the money to begin with to pay for the vet costs and then you can send the paperwork in to maybe get your money back. .

 

[stashbin]

Truth of the matter is, you will never pay out in vet bills what you pay in premiums for vet insurance. Plus, if your animal gets so sick that it is going to cost thousands of dollars to save it, most vets would recommend putting it to sleep to keep it from suffering.

We have a cat and we have spent anywhere from 150-250 annually since we got her depending on what needed to be done. (Yearly vaccines, spaying, teeth pulled, etc.) I think the premiums on the insurance is more than that.

Hope this helps and good luck with your new puppy!

 

[onelilspark]

Thanks for the opinions. I'm pretty certain I'm going to go ahead and get the Pet Insurance. I mean, I have insurance for myself in case I get sick or have an accident that injures me, so why wouldn't I for a pet? We had a dog growing up that blew out her knee and needed surgery. Not something you'd put a dog to sleep over, but expensive none the less. My boyfriend's family has a dog that ate something funny and it cost over a grand to get the dog better. So for me, it's not really a matter of if we'll get pet insurance, but who we'll get it from and what plan we get. I still appreciate you answering and sharing your thoughts. And I'd love more opinions.

 

[The Princess]

We have VPI for our insurance and have had no complaints...ya you do have to pay first then they reimburse you but we put it on our credit card (that gets paid full each month) and I get my check from them before my bill is even due!! I agree I'd rather have insurance for my dog just in case something happened I'm covered~just like myself and family.

 

[disneycruising]

You are very smart to look into pet insurance. I wish we would have done it as soon as we got our dog. With the money I have up into our yorkie in the past 3 year....I could have bought 4 or 5 new puppies.

In the first year you will have to do all the expenses for the shots and your spayed or neuter. Some Vets will have a package for all this.

For us what hit us the most was the unforseen expenses...

Our dog has an on-going ear infection. We have to clean his ear & put in medication 2x a week. This has been going on for more then a year. Which means more money for ear cleaner & medication every few month. About $50 every time I need more.

Then there was the time that he got so sick and we were not sure why. All his test came back negative! It cost me a few thousand dollars to get him well...because he is a part of the family...what else can you do.

 

[Jockaroo]

Pet insurance is a toss up. You may want to examine when the premiums begin to rise. As the dog ages, gets to senior status, premiums skyrocket. Many health issues that end up being costly show up in the senior years.

Also, see if your breed has any exclusions for breed-specific health conditions. An example would be back or spinal conditions for a dachshund or hip displasia for German Shepherds.

I didn't get insurance for my dogs. My poorly bred rescue ended up costing a fortune, but her health problems didn't really escalate until age 10. I asked about whether insurance would have helped following an emergency surgery and I was told that she would not have been covered for the procedure due to her age. Also, my oldest dog who passed at age 14 1/2 was healthy as can be up til his last two weeks. It is a gamble, but I personally prefer a savings account to use if needed. Everyone is different though, but please check into the conditions listed above so you can make the best choice. And good luck with the new pooch!