[Basil Brush]

Hi, I have had my 7 month old puppy now for 3 weeks. When I got him checked over by the vet they gave us 4 weeks free Petplan insurance. It is nearly coming to the end of the free period so I have been looking around getting different quotes and to be honest with you, I am totally confused and don't know which is the best to get. Petplan seem to be very expensive and I can't afford the amount each month but then again I don't want to go for the cheapest insurance in case, there are any problems if I ever had to use it. The vet told me the best insurance was the lifetime cover, but what else do I need to take into account??? Thanks

 

[melundie]

We have pet insurance for both of our dogs. It's paid for itself many times over and I definitely think it's worth it, especially if you get it when your dog is young.

Thinks you'll want to take into account:
1. Coinsurance and deductibles;
Is there a yearly deductible or is there a per incident deductible?
2. Payment schedule;
Some companies pay a set amount for a specific accident/illness/injury, despite what you pay, while others pay a percentage of your actual bill.
3. Whether the company covers genetic conditions;
4. The company's policy with regard to pre-existing conditions

I really love the company we get our insurance through. PM me if you want more information.

 

[Willowy]

I always thought that pet insurance was a bad deal. But after a discussion on my cat forum I do think some are worth it. I was looking at Pet's Best: http://www.petsbest.com/pet-insurance-plans and it looks pretty good. But look around at all the options before deciding.

 

[JulieK1967]

We have Healthy Paws for Molly. It's $28/month and pays back for illness/injury related expenses at 90% after the $250 deductible. Wellness checks, vaccinations are not covered. I've been very pleased with the service I've received and my claims have been processed quickly. I love the peace of mind knowing that our pet fund will always be replenished. I know people say to just sock away some money to cover an emergency and that's a good idea but without insurance, that money is gone after paying for the emergency while with insurance, you can put most of it back into the bank.

 

[Basil Brush]

Thanks for all your replies. I have decided to take out Insurance as I really want the peace of mind and had a really good quote from a company called More Than and they were really helpful. I took into account all of the things you all said and went for the lifetime cover. So fingers crossed that I won't need to use it but I have got it in place just in case. Thanks again.

 

[gingerkid]

The thing about insurance is that it is there just in case something goes wrong. People who never end up using it may think it is a bad deal, and people who end up using it all the time will think it is awesome. For example, my fiance's aunt has a golden retriever who they've had since he was a puppy. When he was about 8 months old he started having seizures, and sure enough he has epilepsy and is on 3 different meds, 5 times a day. His meds alone are close to $1000/month, let alone trips to the vet and other health problems that have been exacerbated by being on so many meds. FI's aunt and uncle would've kept the dog without insurance (they're DINK household - Double Income No Kids - and they're both doctors), but if that happened to us we'd have to give the dog up - $1000/month is 1/3rd of our monthly income!