Pet insurance?

marc515

OK, how many of you guys have pet insurance?

Do you find it worth the money?

Which have you found to be the least expensive with the best coverage?

Thank you,......marc

Dutchie

I purchased VPI for Petra when I got her. I cancelled it after I found it to be a waste of money. Over time I didn't feel it was worth it. I only have one dog and put money away incase of an emergency. I did hear that 2 other companies are better that VPI - which I found out had very poor customer service. Here is a site that rates animal insurance and tells you about them if you are still interested. Also, I found none of them cover hip problems.

http://www.petinsurancereview.com/

salask

I agree with Dutchie. I had all of my four dogs on doggie insurance and after 2 years I realized the savings were not great and it was a complete rip off. Others might say otherwise but that was my experience with pet insurance.

WicketLeia

Same thing here.. Both my dogs are currently under VPI, but I will be cancelling it as soon as I get the reimbursement check for my puppy's spay. Combined, I was paying about $75/mo! Instead, I have set up a money market account where I will deposit $50/mo into the account just for my dogs.

At least that way the money is still mine..

Jennifer Price

I have a plan from Banfield (which is the vet inside Petsmart) so far I have had to have surgery, have him neutered, all shots and it has saved me about $1000 dollars, most of that is due to the surgery he had to have. The plans are good for the first year you have a dog, but after that unless you have an emergancy you are better off paying. This plan entitles you to free wellness visits and includes shots and gives discounts on many other things. Hope this helps! I think they start at 19.95 a month and go up according to what plan you chose. Mine is about $35 a month and I think I have the highest plan. Once you sign up though you have a year before you can cancel!

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Sarah Park

I didn't have insurance until my dog turned 9 years old. Within 3 years, he had 2 surgeries to remove 5 tumors. Each surgeries cost over $2000. On top of that, probably several visits regarding it as well.

It saved me about half of what I would've paid. Most of all, I didn't end up with huge credit card debt. Depending on your dog's age and breed, I would recommand getting an insurance.

misspr85

After my bro's dog had it's first surgery and it left him with steam coming out his ears, he got the pet insurance. It's been great for them. She's continued to have problems with her legs and the surgeries have been paid for by the insurance. Since she has recurring medical problems, it's been good. I'm still undecided if I'm going to follow in his footsteps.

nlkeple

I do not have pet insurance. It seems that it is only cost effective if you do encounter some sort of problem. Instead of insurance I keep between $3,000-$5000 in an account set up for pets. Usually there is close to $5000 in there but we just got Lady and had to get a full exam, vaccinations, and blood work and everything to see where we are starting at. She also got Kennel cough and had to be taken in for that, plus we had a stray cat show up so we had to bring her in for vaccinations and a spay, so we are down to about $4000 right now. Having money put aside (specifically for the animals) and a vet whom I have been with for years (there is no question that if I needed a payment plan he would give me one) gives me peace of mind. But I would think that if I didn't have that peace of mind, then insurance might be a good idea in order to get that peace of mind.

TomN

Pet Insurance when you really think about it is no different than any other insurance you would purchase. You hope you never have to use it, but glad you do have it when you really need it.

For someone who is unable to keep a large sum of cash on hand for such emergencies, I think pet insurance gives piece of mind. I myself have a plan from PetPlan which by the way allows you to select a plan which fits your budget by letting you pick the deductible and or co-insurance, or combination of each that that fits your budget. I picked a $200 deductible only plan for $25 a month. I could have selected a smaller deductible, but figured this will be for emergency purposes mainly. Vet costs are on the rise as many procedures used in the human medical field are now being used successfully in the veterinary field as well. It doesn't take long and a series of expensive procedures can wipe out a savings account in no time.

I think it still boils down to personal preference. It may not be for everyone. Some may think that If I have to plunk down $2000 to save a dog, than the dog is better off being put down. To each his own, but I don't want the sum of my bank account to be the determining factor if he needs an expensive procedure to save his life.

MrTrag

I think imma stick to the one inside petsmart.lol I know i need to get his shots..beecause i got got him..the distemper and some othe rshot in the next 2 weeks.

Willowy

Since I have a lot of pets, I've found it better to put away a certain amount every month instead of getting insurance....I would say to put away the same amount that you would be paying in insurance premiums, but for me that would be prohibitive. I think it's better this way, because the money is still mine, and if one dog never has an emergency but another dog does, I can use the money for the sick dog, whereas insurance isn't transferable. Of course, it only works if you have the discipline to not spend the money you've put away.....

TomN

I'm not going to knock anyone who wishes to do it your way, but I would like to make a point....

If I put away the same amount of money that I pay in premiums each month, the total for the year would be roughly $300 dollars annually. If an emergency were arise where I needed upwards of $2000 or even more, where is the extra money going to come from? Believe me if you have an athletic dog for example, and he ruptures his ACL, the surgical procedure (TPLO) will run you approx $3000 give or take. And on top of that your right back to square one. What if another issue arises one month later? As I stated previously, insurance is insurance, this is no different than any other form of insurance.

This is not an exact analogy as most people with a car are required to have insurance but...If you were to have an accident with your car tomorrow, would you be able to save enough to repair all of the damages? I see no difference here with regards to insurance is insurance...

If you are able to keep a sizable amount of money on hand liquid, then pet insurance may not be an issue. But for others it one less thing to worry about.

Most of the plans that I have seen give discounts for multiple pets.

True. I wonder how many people would be able to hold themselves to that.....

Willowy

When I say I have a lot of pets, I mean it. I have 6 cats, 3 dogs, 2 rabbits, and 2 ferrets. Those are just the insurable ones---I also have salamanders, fish, hermit crabs, and tortoises.....OK, I tried it, and I can insure the tortoises, too. I ran the "quick quote" on the VPI website, and even with the multi-pet discounts, I would be spending $2836.50 annually on premiums. If I also insured the tortoises, that would add another $528.00 per year, so......$3364.50. I'm sure I could afford just about any procedure if I put that much away every year, instead of sending it to the insurance company. I don't actually put THAT much away every year, but I do have a Discover card I never use with an $8000 limit available. So I think I'm prepared. Pet insurance might be a good idea for people with only one or two pets, but not for me .

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