# Poodle insurance



## Willowgirl (Jan 28, 2020)

Hi. I’ve read the pros and cons of having pet insurance. I think I need to get it for Willow. 
Can I get some feedback on why you love or hate an insurance company? The reviews online I feel like are fake for every company. 
thank you!


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## Raindrops (Mar 24, 2019)

Willowgirl said:


> Hi. I’ve read the pros and cons of having pet insurance. I think I need to get it for Willow.
> Can I get some feedback on why you love or hate an insurance company? The reviews online I feel like are fake for every company.
> thank you!


There was a thread on this recently where we talked about the pros and cons of it. I use Embrace because it is the most comprehensive I've found that is relatively affordable and I like the way they handle incidents. We haven't had to use it yet because Misha's been healthy. But everybody I know who's needed to had no problem getting expenses reimbursed. It's also the insurance recommended by our vet, though I had it before Misha even visited the vet for the first time. You pick your deductible and yearly maximum, and then your monthly payments are dependent on those choices. They do have some dental coverage, and don't have a per-incident maximum which is nice.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

And in the thread that Raindrops referenced advocated for self insuring. You need some discipline on your part, but if you put the money that would pay the premium away in an emergency account then you keep your money under your control and if you never need it then you still have it. We are fortunate enough to have our jobs still and because of that even with the vet bills in the last month we've just paid out of pocket (Peeves was limping then had an adverse reaction to an NSAID and needed other care and Lily had a big dental bill), but I would have been able to pay for everything from emergency reserves and that account would still have been healthy in its balance.


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## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

I got PetPlan when Buck was just a puppy. No pre-existing conditions and painless premiums. I am self insured, but got nervous when I read about a member spending $3k for a broken leg. Fortunately, she had insurance and it was a young dog so she hadn’t spent much on premiums. I spend a lot on human grade seizure medication and I’m ahead on the cost /benefit, but it’s close. I’m glad I kept it. Just plan so you will never have to be unable to provide your dog with whatever it needs.


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## JulianJohn (May 4, 2021)

Last year I have had insurance for my dog and it was hit by a car. The insurance company explained to me that it would not pay money for treatment, since this is not an insured event. I myself am to blame for this. When I signed the insurance contract, I did not read all the terms of the contract and was not attentive to the details. This insurance was the cheapest one offered to me and I decided that there is not much difference between inexpensive and cheap insurance for my dog. Now I understand how much I was wrong and when my dog is healthy, I will issue insurance from $750,000 Term Life Insurance Rates | 2021 Update!. I have chosen the best conditions for my pet and I hope that in a bad situation the insurance will be able to provide support.


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## Misteline (Mar 10, 2019)

Its very important to look carefully at your plan and determine what it covers. 

I'm insured with Pets Best. If I remember correctly I chose them based on what I could afford for the type of coverage I wanted, the types of complaints online, and payment method. I wanted a company that covered accident, illness, at least some dental, provided unlimited annual limits, and had an online claims portal with direct deposit. For complaints I looked at how reasonable the complaints were, volume, types of issues, and timeline. None of the companies are perfect so I just tried to find something I could live with at a cost I could consistently afford. Since most companies exclude preexisting conditions I wanted a policy I could keep him on for life.

I chose pet insurance over self insuring for a few different reasons. I'm still getting established in life, so my savings are limited and financial fluidity is very important for me. Evelyn is at a higher risk for hip dysplasia than I'm comfortable with and his genetic lineage is questionable at best. Just based on his risk for hip dysplasia alone saving the premium wouldn't be enough even if I saved for 10 years. I'm single and I have no safety net beyond my savings. With insurance I at least have a chance of reimbursement if I have to use my savings or get a loan, and since I chose an unlimited annual limit I'm working from a larger and more flexible pool of funds than I can save on my own.

As my savings grow, and I become more financially secure and established, my choice may change. Especially if the next dog is better bred and I'm working with better odds.


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## Vita (Sep 23, 2017)

JulianJohn said:


> Last year I was had insurance for my dog and it was hit by a car. The insurance company explained to me that it would not pay money for treatment, since this is not an insured event.


That's outrageous. What's the name of the insurance company? Please tell us so other members won't ever buy a policy from them or cancel if they have one.


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

I gave up pet insurance when the premiums were raised considerably after the first year. I now self insure and have a healthy balance in Asta's saving account.


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

I’ve insured both my dogs in the last year, after spending more in one month that I had been saving for more than a year. So far in about 6-8 months, with Beckie’s visits to the dermatologist, cytopoint injections and dental cleaning, the paybacks have more than completely paid off the premiums for both dogs for a whole year. Which means it’s costing me hundreds of dollars less than if I had not been insured.

In Canada our coverage isn’t as good as the US had, and premiums are higher, but it’s still worth it. I took 4k per dog per year, covering accidents and diseases.

I won’t be without insurance again, even if just for peace of mind.


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