# Pet Insurance: is it worth it/recommendations??



## Aberdeen00 (Jan 8, 2018)

After a bout of pancreatitis and 1,000 dollars later (a trip to a after hours emergency clinic) I have been thinking about pet insurance. If we hadn’t had the money who knows what would have happened, and it was still a big hit to our savings. This was about a year ago with my elderly russel/rat terrier who has since passed on, but we got that much more time with him. We have since recovered the funds but I would love to know of peoples experience with pet insurance and recommendations. We are bringing home a new (spoo!) puppy in about a month and I would love to have that squared away for her, especially with my bloat concerns it would help settle my mind. Thank you! 


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## Meekospeeps (Nov 12, 2017)

I use Nationwide for my pet insurance. It's a little over $30 a month for Meeko, and covers a huge amount. So for about $400 a year, you'll get a lot back if there's an emergency. I recently saw a mini who swallowed her owner's underwear, and needed it to be pulled out. The owner only ended up paying about 10% of a $2000 bill at the ER, and she has the same plan as me.


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## Aberdeen00 (Jan 8, 2018)

Meekospeeps said:


> I use Nationwide for my pet insurance. It's a little over $30 a month for Meeko, and covers a huge amount. So for about $400 a year, you'll get a lot back if there's an emergency. I recently saw a mini who swallowed her owner's underwear, and needed it to be pulled out. The owner only ended up paying about 10% of a $2000 bill at the ER, and she has the same plan as me.






Wow that’s super reasonable, thanks!


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

When Lily and Peeves were puppies our vet convinced us to put the money we would pay for premiums in a dedicated savings account. My recollection is that at that time premiums for the two of them were going to be about $100 per month (maybe more). Our vet also felt that many insurance companies would not reimburse for the things that were likely concerns for us since they would be breed related (preexisting) issues. We opted for savings. I now have a five figure (regularly growing) emergency fund and the money is mine, not an insurance company's.

And please don't spend your life obsessing about your poodle bloating. Lily has done all manner of dopey things but she has recovered easily and pretty inexpensively from all of her accidents. The boys have been relatively free of big problems. Peeves has benign prostate disease and Javelin had an ear infection recently, but I have never lost a minute of sleep over worrying about bloat with 2 standard poodles and a German Shepherd dog.


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## Aberdeen00 (Jan 8, 2018)

lily cd re said:


> When Lily and Peeves were puppies our vet convinced us to put the money we would pay for premiums in a dedicated savings account. My recollection is that at that time premiums for the two of them were going to be about $100 per month (maybe more). Our vet also felt that many insurance companies would not reimburse for the things that were likely concerns for us since they would be breed related (preexisting) issues. We opted for savings. I now have a five figure (regularly growing) emergency fund and the money is mine, not an insurance company's.
> 
> And please don't spend your life obsessing about your poodle bloating. Lily has done all manner of dopey things but she has recovered easily and pretty inexpensively from all of her accidents. The boys have been relatively free of big problems. Peeves has benign prostate disease and Javelin had an ear infection recently, but I have never lost a minute of sleep over worrying about bloat with 2 standard poodles and a German Shepherd dog.




That’s definitely what will be doing in the future - we are saving for a house and I can’t begin to save enough at the moment! I work at a vet and thankfully get discounted prices but an emergency surgery just wouldn’t be doable. I am not obsessive about bloat but do take the normal precautions (slow feed, 2hr wait period), I unfortunately have seen bloat as I have worked as a technician. Oddly mostly in labs, also a Doberman and Great Dane which are of course predisposed! Anything unforeseen is not my favorite lol 


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## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

You can also consider insuring your puppy from the start since it has no pre-existing medical issues until you have enough in a dedicated savings account. A PF member spent over $3K on a broken leg for her poodle; a diagnosis of Addison’s Disease was a significant monthly expense to another. The veterinarian who wrote the book “Breed Freak” estimated $10K of lifetime medical expenses for a poodle. (I wish he would write a 2nd edition because prices have gone way up and he needs to review more breeds I have PetPlan and a savings account, because I’m belt and suspenders. Everyone needs to decide what risk is acceptable and what kind of hardship a chronic or emergency vet expense will have on the family finances.


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## Aberdeen00 (Jan 8, 2018)

Mfmst said:


> You can also consider insuring your puppy from the start since it has no pre-existing medical issues until you have enough in a dedicated savings account. A PF member spent over $3K on a broken leg for her poodle; a diagnosis of Addison’s Disease was a significant monthly expense to another. The veterinarian who wrote the book “Breed Freak” estimated $10K of lifetime medical expenses for a poodle. (I wish he would write a 2nd edition because prices have gone way up and he needs to review more breeds I have PetPlan and a savings account, because I’m belt and suspenders. Everyone needs to decide what risk is acceptable and what kind of hardship a chronic or emergency vet expense will have on the family finances.




Have you ever had an emergency where you used PetPlan? I have been looking between them and Healthy Paws. I think you are right, it wouldn’t hurt to be doing both and it’s nice to have that net. She’ll hopefully be a service animal and there is so much time and money that goes into that, her health is the #1 concern. Breedfreak looks like a great read - and I am definitely expanding my doggy library with a pup on the way! 


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## Asta's Mom (Aug 20, 2014)

I had Healthy Paws but dropped them when the price went up on my dog at 2 yrs. old. I now have a dedicated savings account.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

I would always take out a really comprehensive, life time guaranteed policy for the first two years or so, starting before the puppy comes home if possible (in the UK it is usual for a puppy to come from the breeder with 6 weeks free insurance). My thinking is that if a pup is born with any issues, from liver shunt to hip or knee problems, these will become apparent during those early years; that puppies and young dogs are silly and boisterous and not yet trained, and therefore more prone to accidents; and that premiums are comparatively low for young dogs. Meanwhile I save to build a fund for later years, when the premiums can climb very steeply.


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## bigpoodleperson (Jul 14, 2009)

I would Absolutely get pet insurance for your new puppy! I am a technician and have seen way too many decisions be made because of lack of funds to save or help a pet. Wouldn't it be nice that if something were to happen, money is not an added stress and factor?

I have Figo insurance for both my boys, and have been really happy with them. Petplan nickel and dime me for everything, and made every issue a pre-existing item. I had let the insurance lap for a few years, and when I re-signed Draco back up they reviewed all of our records. Draco had a routine dental cleaning and routine chiropractic care when he was not insured. When I signed him back up they said they wouldn't cover any future teeth or back issues as they were "pre-existing". 

Draco started having seizures last spring. I am thankful I have the insurance now as we have done a big workup and saw a specialist. All covered and any future seizure issues are covered. If he needs a 4K dollar MRI in the future, then it will get done. No problem. I couldn't do that without insurance. 

You never know when you need it, but are so thankful when you already have it!


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## galofpink (Mar 14, 2017)

I'm a generally-anti-insurance type of person, so try to limit the premiums I pay to stuff I legally have to or big $ value assets. I've never had pet insurance. 

We have sufficient savings to deal with emergency situations and I set up a LOC of $5k (much cheaper than a credit card) for emergencies when we bought our house.


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## snow0160 (Sep 20, 2016)

lily cd re said:


> Our vet also felt that many insurance companies would not reimburse for the things that were likely concerns for us since they would be breed related (preexisting) issues. We opted for savings. I now have a five figure (regularly growing) emergency fund and the money is mine, not an insurance company's.



This was exactly my experience with Embrace and healthy paws. They pay for your first few claims but starts denying coverage for anything large by claiming preexisting condition even though they were covered since they were puppies. If you threaten to leave they will cover a large percentage of it but it is a massive hassle and I currently there aren’t any regulations with pet health insurance. The idea of pooled risk seems like a great concept however it is nothing like human health insurance. IMO pet insurance at least the two I’ve had has been a money pit where I didn’t see much of it come back. I’ve done exactly what Catherine has done by creating a sizable savings for my many furry buddies.


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## Aberdeen00 (Jan 8, 2018)

snow0160 said:


> This was exactly my experience with Embrace and healthy paws. They pay for your first few claims but starts denying coverage for anything large by claiming preexisting condition even though they were covered since they were puppies. If you threaten to leave they will cover a large percentage of it but it is a massive hassle and I currently there aren’t any regulations with pet health insurance. The idea of pooled risk seems like a great concept however it is nothing like human health insurance. IMO pet insurance at least the two I’ve had has been a money pit where I didn’t see much of it come back. I’ve done exactly what Catherine has done by creating a sizable savings for my many furry buddies.




This is what I am worried about, I am skeptical about what would be covered and the two that you mention are supposedly the highest rated ones I may still look for some coverage through my insurance for now until I am in the position to save that much. I work at a vet and we sometimes have trouble with our clients insurance claims and I see a lot of back and fourth. 


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## Aberdeen00 (Jan 8, 2018)

bigpoodleperson said:


> I would Absolutely get pet insurance for your new puppy! I am a technician and have seen way too many decisions be made because of lack of funds to save or help a pet. Wouldn't it be nice that if something were to happen, money is not an added stress and factor?
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Thank you so much, Figo has definitely won me over! Love their coverage- it’s number 1 on my list now, they even discount for service animals! 


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## snow0160 (Sep 20, 2016)

Aberdeen00 said:


> Thank you so much, Figo has definitely won me over! Love their coverage- it’s number 1 on my list now, they even discount for service animals!
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk




Check this out on figo. This review claimed Figo denied it as a preexistimg condition despite the vet performed a surgery to remove socks that caused intestinal blockage. Note they pay someone to give the same auto response that is not tailored to each review. 
I had the exact same experience when my dog Happy on Healthy Paws when he was going bald. Also this company makes up for low premiums by raising the price substantially the second year otherwise they can’t afford the type of coverage. I’m very skeptical especially when it comes time to renew.


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## Charleeann67:) (Nov 6, 2017)

Would anyone be willing to share how much they put into a dedicated savings account and how often? I think it is a wonderful idea!


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

I generally add $$ if I get a tax refund or some other sort of windfall (had a longevity bonus this year). I also try to add something each month. The grand total right now is about $15,000.


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## j4bs4209333 (Nov 24, 2017)

My vet (also an emergency hospital) recommends Trupanion. She said that their pet owners have had such good experiences that they are thinking about accepting direct pay instead of having the pet parents have to seek reimbursement. 


Also just a warning stay away from Banfield plans. I'm not sure if it's full insurance coverage or just wellness plans, but whatever you do stay away. My mother, brother and sister had to actually close their bank accounts and open new ones to get them to stop charging even though they cancelled the plans. My brother's dog had passed away and they still charged him after agreeing to stop. After opening new accounts the Banfield people kept calling the house trying to collect and they were so rude.


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## metoo (Jan 11, 2017)

Ack! This is so confusing! Do any of you have experience with dental claims? Our one toy Marcel was scheduled for a mandibulectomy in 2016, which turned into bone grafting instead. $8,000 all said and done. Is there a plan out there that actually has decent dental coverage? We have a new puppy right now. I'm debating on coverage.


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## TrixieTreasure (May 24, 2015)

galofpink said:


> I'm a generally-anti-insurance type of person, so try to limit the premiums I pay to stuff I legally have to or big $ value assets. I've never had pet insurance.
> 
> We have sufficient savings to deal with emergency situations and I set up a LOC of $5k (much cheaper than a credit card) for emergencies when we bought our house.



We have found that having a pet savings account at our credit union has worked really good for us. We started it somewhere around 16 or 17 years ago. At first, we would put $25 into the account every month. But then when we had problems doing that, we just started with an automatic deduction from our paychecks, and that was a lot easier. The last 5 to 6 yrs, we’ve been able to put $50 a month in. I like doing this better than having pet insurance because the money is all ours. Plus, there’s the interest.


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## TrixieTreasure (May 24, 2015)

Charleeann67:) said:


> Would anyone be willing to share how much they put into a dedicated savings account and how often? I think it is a wonderful idea!


I just posted about that. It’s working out great for us. I just posted that we started a pet savings account about 16 to 17 years ago, but after thinking more about it, it’s actually been more like 19 or 20 yrs ago. Trixie passed away in July of 1998, and I know we started it right before she passed away, or right after. It’s actually called Trixie’s Saving’s Account, even though it’s been used for all of our pets since then. $25 a month put into the account, and for the past many years, it’s been $50 a month. We’ve used it for emergency purposes, and for regular vet visits, and all related pet products. Trina was born in 1999 and had a life long medical condition where she needed regular anti seizure meds and blood work done on a regular basis, plus extra vet care. The money really came in handy for that.


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