Do you have pet insurance for your dog?
I now have two dogs who recently had blood in their stool and I had to takem both to the emergency room. I ended up forking out 0 that day and I’m now thinking about getting some pet insurance.
What has been your experience with dog insurance? What are the best companies to go with?
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Tagged with: Dog Insurance • emergency room • insurance • Pet Dog • pet insurance • two dogs
Filed under: Dog Insurance
I tried the method of putting money away….and it backfired big time when one dog tore her ACL and required surgery and another of my dogs had a complication with her spay surgery right around the same time. I forked out thousands. Since then, I’ve had insurance on my dogs and I have saved much more than I have paid in premiums. The trick is finding a good company though. Many companies have a pay schedule that they think is reasonable and that’s how they pay out…..so even though you may pay $500, if their payscale only allows $200 for that service, you only get the 200 bucks.
I highly recommend Petplan Insurance. They pay you based on what you actually pay your vet and have always paid me in a timely manner and 100% of what they promised to pay. They cover ER visits as well as specialists and everything from hip dysplasia to cancer treatments.
http://www.gopetplan.com/
Instead of pet insurance what i would recommend (and this is what I do) set up a savings account that is just for your pets that you never touch. every paycheck put a small deposit in. it doesnt have to be huge to add up fast. especially if u never touch it. this way you dont have to worry about paying premiums on an insurance plan. and should u ever have to run to the emergency room you will have the money there.
When I looked into pet insurance (4 years ago so it may have changed) I found it had to many restriction like most stopped covverage at a certain age and only covered so much for differant emergancies etc. After figuring the math it made more sense to me to set up a savings account and monthly put the money I would pay to an insurance company in there. Unless you have an emergancy right in the begging you should build a large emergancy fund other benifits is it never expires, works on any pet and when your pet does pass the money is still there for another pet. I set aside 15 dollars per pet each pay check. Now I have a little over 4000.00 for an emergancy and like I said no restriction things could be differant now maybe policies cover more now not sure
nup, to me there is no point, you are paying for premiums and in some cases not even covered, it makes more sense to me to have a savings account for emergencies, but also make it a non–interest account, as you will end up paying probably a quarter of your savings in tax.
I have looked into it. for some things it could be useful but they don’t cover things such as hip dysplasia, and that’s what we needed it for. They do cover a lot though if you find they right plan. I have seen that some prices go up as the dog gets older. So I’m not sure it’s really worth it I agree and do the same as the first answerer I put a little money aside into a "vet bills" savings account. It really helps out, before you know it you got 200, 300, 400 dollars depending on how much you put in there, I’ve been doing this for quite awhile now and it was one of the best things I’ve done, I don’t have to worry so much about a large bill cause I already have money put aside
Research says that pet insurance is a waste of money and that the owner should just suck it up and pay an average of 400.00 dollars for a dog and 350.00 dollars for a cat on an annual basis.
I have insurance for my dog and I think it’s worth it though. I have it through "Banfield Animal Clinic" in my city. My dog has allergies and has been treated trying several drugs so visits have been increasing. In addition, when I first adopted him he needed dental surgery and X-rays. All the blood-work and dental surgery is included in the plan I pay. On a routine basis, I pay for the meds, but not for the visit.
The downside is that you have to pay a premium every month even if the pet doesn’t have to go to the vet. It’s a binding contract and even if the pet dies or else you have to keep on paying. You could appeal it, but the contract is clear.
if your dogs are healthy and only need annual vaccinations I’d recommend to save and pay the money out of pocket. Paying for insurance they don’t need is indeed a waste of money.
no but i pad 1.000 for one dog and 6 to 7 00 and that dog did not evin make it.and same i meet 1,400 and the dog did not make is so 400 is not bad
I do for my Lab. I haven’t had to use it, but I figure with all the things he eats that he shouldn’t it is a matter of time before I will.
It isn’t that expensive for me and one surgery will still be more than the premiums so far.
I am in Canada, which I doubt you are so I won’t bother with the company part of the question.
One note though. When my dog was a pup, I took him to the vet because he was throwing up alot one morning. When I applied for the insurance, they would not cover stomach issues at first. When I called to clarify which stomach issues specifically, they told me to resend his medical charts, if he had no more issues, they would lift that clause, which they did. So you may end up having somethings not covered because of this recent issue. Make sure you ask and clarify exactly what won’t be covered and if they will reconsider in the future.
I have pet insurance and it has come in handy. It makes it far more easier to get the appropriate care done and not worry if I can afford this or not. Yes some say its a good idea to put money away in an account but I say each to their own. It really comes down to what you want in able to provide the best care for your dog. Myself, I chose pet insurance. Be for warned though as many have too many restrictions. I did my homework and read and read till I found the best one that suited my pocket book and my dog.
I wouldn’t have pet insurance…
At the beginning of every month when I figure out our finances… (how much we can spend on things other than bills) I figure in $100 for a vet bill, just in case of an emergency. That way in 6 months time I have $600 just for pet emergencies.
I have had dogs most of my life, I did buy dog insurance twice,and it was a joke. It barely covers anythng. When your pet is very ill, and needs medical help right away, it can be very expensive and most tests are not covered. I would say it’s better to save your money by not buying the insurance cause it hardly covers anything. I don’t have any insurance anymore, and my dogs only go for their regular shots once a year unless something else does happen. But I would say forget about the insurance it is a rip off.
I am glad you asked this question. The savings plan, if you have the resolve to NOT touch it, would be great. But if money is there and you REALLY need it, It isn’t a guarantee you won’t touch it. Some people are that good at savings, I on the other hand am not. I have been thinking about insurance plans all night. That is what I have decided to do after this first year with Rose. She has had to have two sugeries and a series of dips. More and more vets are getting away from ER situations in rural areas where there is no ER Vet especially. I have insurance on my children, so I am gonna get insurance on my best friend also.
Some of the best companies are on this comparison grid / chart: http://www.pet-insurance-information.com
You can also get free quotes right from that chart and a free pet insurance guide.