# Pet Insurance



## Ennui (Apr 10, 2011)

Hi! I never purchased pet insurance before. Is it a good thing, or worth it? How much has it cost you for a standard Poodle?

Also, what brand? I have been scoping the web, found so many and since they all want to promote themselves they all sound good. I just know how much pet bills can add up.

Any advise will be appreciated!:adore:


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## Siskojan (Mar 13, 2011)

We had never bought it before we got Sisko, but I was worried about GVD etc and did not want potential big expenses to be a cause for any hesitation in getting to the vet ASAP. I chose Trupanion and got it as soon as we had him at 8 weeks. It costs $37 canadian + tax per month. I chose about a $300 deductible. I am prepared to pay all his usual health care costs but did want to be fully covered for anything major. Their plan seemed to be best and I found the comparison chart on their site to be helpful in making my decision. We have not needed to make a claim in 2 and a half years, but I'm glad when he makes one of his giant flying spinning leaps in the air that he's covered!


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## katbrat (May 8, 2011)

I plan on watching this thread. I had never considered pet insurance before, but I know that when our toy poodle had knee surgery and then physical therapy afterwards, the bill was almost $2000 and that was four years ago.


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## schnauzerpoodle (Apr 21, 2010)

This topic has been discussed quite a bit. Have you looked at this thread?

http://www.poodleforum.com/5-poodle-talk/10112-dog-insurance.html


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## PaddleAddict (Feb 9, 2010)

We signed up for Petplan a few months ago. I am really glad we did. Jäger recently had to have surgery on his paw. We submitetd a claim and recieved our reimbursement one week later. We have the bronze plan with a $200 deductible and 0% co-pay. After our $200 deductible, they paid 100%. This one reimbursement alone is twice as much as our entire year's premium.


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## schnauzerpoodle (Apr 21, 2010)

We have Petplan since the first day Nickel came home. Submitting a claim is easy and straightforward. Reimbursement is processed efficiently. They also cover holistic medical expenses. There's no lifetime reimbursement limit or a disease-based limit (some insurance companies only reimburse you a max of certain amount on cancer, for example.) The deductible is incident-based. In Jager's case, the surgery itself hit the $200 deductible, and any follow-up visits/treatments regarding this same incident will be paid 100%.


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## SusanG (Aug 8, 2009)

I have never had pet insurance either, until I got my new mini pup three weeks ago. After just a wellcare visit, I couldn't believe how much vets now cost. I went over all of the quotes on line and picked Trupanion. They seem to offer the most coverage for about the same or less than the others, plus they don't raise rates as the dog ages. I didn't get the wellcare part since it seemed a little expensive. Mostly I was concerned with unplanned things like accident or sickness.:act-up:


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## kris6332 (May 14, 2011)

I have Carecredit. It is basically just like a credit card. I have used it a couple of times and it has been well worth it when you may be a little short on cash and an emergency comes up with your pet. The interest rates are a little high so we only use it for an emergency situation, not for annual check ups, vaccinations, etc.


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## katbrat (May 8, 2011)

Our vet offers Carecredit. I have heard that if you pay it off within the promotional period(and that can vary) there is no interest charged. If you make payments after that, then the interest rate is pretty high.


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## kris6332 (May 14, 2011)

Yep, you are right. Both times we have used it - we paid the balance off early and had no interest charged. Sure didn't want to have to pay 26% interest.


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## fracturedcircle (Aug 19, 2010)

Llama is also on Petplan, while Vlada is uninsured. both of my hedgehogs are insured too. I'm getting really, really paranoid about not being able to pay for vet care if the disaster strikes.


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## Ennui (Apr 10, 2011)

Thanks for all the info. I have looked at the PetPlan, it looks very nice. I have also gotten a recommend for Petsmart's program. It is a flat fee that covers all the basics including unlimited health visits and spaying or neutering the first year. My concern would be a vast quality difference between stores, but a friend here has been very happy with the one closest to me. Anyone used it?


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## schnauzerpoodle (Apr 21, 2010)

Ennui said:


> Thanks for all the info. I have looked at the PetPlan, it looks very nice. I have also gotten a recommend for Petsmart's program. It is a flat fee that covers all the basics including unlimited health visits and spaying or neutering the first year. My concern would be a vast quality difference between stores, but a friend here has been very happy with the one closest to me. Anyone used it?


Do you mean the Banfield plans?


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## Ennui (Apr 10, 2011)

Yes! That is the one....


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## fracturedcircle (Aug 19, 2010)

Ennui said:


> Yes! That is the one....


I hope someone more knowledgeable will chime in. I've heard negative things, but they were vague.


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## PaddleAddict (Feb 9, 2010)

The Banfield wellness plan is not insurance, it's a wellness package for routine preventive care and doesn't cover illnesses or emergency. It's actually the opposite of insurance. I believe it covers well visits, vaccines, fecal exams, heartworm tests, etc.


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