Pet Insurance

[gd44]

I was curious to see how many have pet insurance? And if you have pet insurance what company did you go through? Are you happy with it? How much money has it saved you?

[duckbuster]

I use Pet Plan's Silver policy. I have not had a claim yet, knock on wood, but have not heard any bad reports.

GOOD LUCK

[TylerS]

I've heard good and bad things about pet insurance. It's all about who you decide to go with.

Some horror stories revolve around the basic insurance garbage of not wanting to cover basic costs that were assumed under the plan.

After Remy ate his $1,500 sock, I looked into insurance. I came to the conclusion that I would be better served stashing away cash in a Remy-oh-dump fund than giving it to an insurance company that may or may not live up to its end of the bargain.

[nofishfisherman]

I've talked with a few vets/vet tech folks about pet insurance and most that I talked to were of the opinion that you are better off taking the money you'd pay for insurance and stash it away somewhere to cover any medical expenses that pop up. If you need it then the money is there, if you don't need it well then you get to buy yourself something nice down the road.

I haven't heard many personal accounts of pet insurance but the ones I have heard haven't been overly positive. If you do opt to go with it make sure you are clear as to what is covered and what is not. Also find out if there is an age when they will deny coverage and suggest putting the dog down instead of treating. Will they still cover the dog when its 12, 13, 14...

[cavalierowner]

I looked at it many years ago and decided against it: too much money for too little coverage. From what I have heard from others, don't look at just what it does cover (including the dollar limits), but also what it doesn't cover. And don't forget they will not cover a pre-existing condition; if you're going to get insurance, get it before you ever see a vet. You never know what the vet might have put in their file.

[pikehunter]

I accidentally signed up for a free trial of pet insurance when I registered my dog with the AKC as a pup. Long story short: He broke is leg at 8 weeks and it saved me a couple thousand bucks. I've carried pet insurance ever since.

Like any insurance policy, you need to weigh what fits your situation best. My pet policy doesn't cover maintenance care, just the unexpected things we all come across. Basically, it's a safe-guard for my own sanity -- I don't ever want to ever be forced to make a decision on whether or not he needs to be put down solely on whether or not I can afford the treatment he needs.

That doesn't make having pet insurance right or wrong, by any means. I think the idea of putting money into a dog care fund is an awesome one and probably comes out better than pet insurance in the end. I pay about 40 a month and I've made two claims in four years. But the re-imbursement has been quick and efficient each time. And when the dog starts acting funky, I take him to the vet a little more quickly than if I didn't.