[mudpuppymama]

I was wondering if pet insurance is a good idea. I would welcome feedback from others on this subject...pros, cons, etc. Is it worth it? Here is an article from Karen Becker on pet insurance. Thank you.

https://healthypets.mercola.com/sit...pet-insurance-worth-the-cost-of-premiums.aspx

My main vet expense is wellness exams twice a year for two dogs which is now costing $1200. My only other expenses have been occasional dental cleanings. I have been lucky but my dogs are getting older so may need more care.

 

[EvaE1izabeth]

I didn’t even think it was possible to insure a pet after puppyhood, but DH found a policy that will insure major expenses after a period of good health and an exam. We don’t expect it to cover yearly checkups, though. Sundance is our first dog, and we have found our feelings on treating major medical problems have changed significantly, and we also didn’t know how much these treatments can cost. We thought it was something we could cover with emergency savings, or by setting aside a little every month. But paying $30 a month for a policy that covers major surgeries and cancer treatments seems like a pretty good deal now that we’ve had a few big vet bills. It’s not something Sundance can qualify for right now because of his injury, but we hope to do it next year.

 

[mudpuppymama]

I didn't even think it was possible to insure a pet after puppyhood, but DH found a policy that will insure major expenses after a period of good health and an exam. We don't expect it to cover yearly checkups, though. Sundance is our first dog, and we have found our feelings on treating major medical problems have changed significantly, and we also didn't know how much these treatments can cost. We thought it was something we could cover with emergency savings, or by setting aside a little every month. But paying $30 a month for a policy that covers major surgeries and cancer treatments seems like a pretty good deal now that we've had a few big vet bills. It's not something Sundance can qualify for right now because of his injury, but we hope to do it next year.

BTW, how is sweet Sundance doing? I hope he is on the mend!

 

[BoosDad]

I did not buy pet insurance, when Boo was younger, as there were only a few options at that time. However, the plans seem to be much better now than offered in the past, and I would definitely purchase one for a young pet. Although Boo does not have any terminal problems, he does have those geriatric issue, which require more care and treatment. I looked at my bills for the past two years, and his veterinary expenses averaged $300-$400 per month. It saddens me to hear from friends, who are veterinarians, that more and more people choose euthanasia because they are unable to afford veterinary care for aging pets.

 

[mudpuppymama]

I did not buy pet insurance, when Boo was younger, as there were only a few options at that time. However, the plans seem to be much better now than offered in the past, and I would definitely purchase one for a young pet. Although Boo does not have any terminal problems, he does have those geriatric issue, which require more care and treatment. I looked at my bills for the past two years, and his veterinary expenses averaged $300-$400 per month. It saddens me to hear from friends, who are veterinarians, that more and more people choose euthanasia because they are unable to afford veterinary care for aging pets.

Related to this, here is an article that came out today on rising vet costs.

https://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2020/12/27/help-with-vet-care-costs.aspx

 

[krandall]

I was wondering if pet insurance is a good idea. I would welcome feedback from others on this subject...pros, cons, etc. Is it worth it? Here is an article from Karen Becker on pet insurance. Thank you.

https://healthypets.mercola.com/sit...pet-insurance-worth-the-cost-of-premiums.aspx

My main vet expense is wellness exams twice a year for two dogs which is now costing $1200. My only other expenses have been occasional dental cleanings. I have been lucky but my dogs are getting older so may need more care.

Hate to tell you, but your dogs are likely too old to be able to get reasonable premiums...

 

[mudpuppymama]

Hate to tell you, but your dogs are likely too old to be able to get reasonable premiums...

I suspected that would be the case!

 

[Melissa Brill]

pet insurance

I was wondering if pet insurance is a good idea. I would welcome feedback from others on this subject...pros, cons, etc. Is it worth it? Here is an article from Karen Becker on pet insurance. Thank you.

https://healthypets.mercola.com/sit...pet-insurance-worth-the-cost-of-premiums.aspx

My main vet expense is wellness exams twice a year for two dogs which is now costing $1200. My only other expenses have been occasional dental cleanings. I have been lucky but my dogs are getting older so may need more care.

As far as I know, most policies won't cover regular annual exams, expenses, etc. so check the policy before you sign it. That being said, it can still be worth it - it just depends on your personal circumstances. Some people choose to self-insure - putting enough money aside to make sure you can cover major expenses, others get insurance. Whether it becomes worth it or not really depends on if something major happens.

I did get it for Perry - and since he needed major knee surgery ($4000 bill, the insurance covered about $3000 of it, plus about 80% of the pre-surgery visits and scans, etc.) it basically has paid for itself so far, and if we need it again then it will definitely have paid for itself... however, when I look at another dog (like my Mom's scotty for example - he's been fine and hasn't needed anything, so for him it would have been a "waste").

If you can't self-insure and might face a situation where you don't have it and have to choose between treating or putting down your pup, it would (in my opinion) definitely be worth the monthly expense, but if you can afford an unexpected vet bill of thousands, then it might be fine to self-insure. really hard to decide.

 

[ShamaMama]

My best friend had a rescue who got very sick, and she was SO HAPPY she'd invested in pet insurance. We followed her lead and got an insurance plan with Healthy Paws. Given that Shama ended up being diagnosed with chronic kidney disease at age five, we think we're going to be happy we got the insurance.

If anyone uses this link to apply to Healthy Paws, they will donate $25 on my behalf to help homeless pets. (No pressure, obviously I hope, but if anyone is planning to apply anyway, here's an easy and good-for-homeless-pets way.)

 

[Heather's]

I signed up for Healthy Paws Insurance when Scout and Truffles were puppies. There is always the chance you may never need insurance. Scout's ACL ruptured and surgery was necessary. Then eight weeks later the other ACL needed surgery. Like Mellissa mentioned the surgery is very expensive. The insurance covered everything, except my $500.00 deductible. Recently they decreased the monthly charge. The policy does not cover yearly exams.

 

[Mando's Mommy]

This is a great thread. We're thinking about pet insurance as we wait for the arrival of our puppy. It sounds like folks have a lot of good things to say about Healthy Paws. Based on this article, it sounds like there are a lot of different options available: https://money.com/best-pet-insurance/