Pet Insurance

[Tara]

As we await the birth of our future doodle (should be any day now) we are trying to get as much info as possible to get ready for our new addition.  I have heard mixed things about pet insurance.  I was just wondering what your experiences were with pet insurance.  Did you find it to be worth the cost?

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I have definitely found it worth the cost.  I have one Doodle with IBS and another with IBD.  We have spent thousands in vet bills, most of which was reimbursed by our insurer, Pet Plan.  It has more than paid for itself, and I have the peace of mind of knowing that no matter what injuries or illnesses they happen to come down with we will always be able to afford the best treatment.

[Stella]

I always recommend people get pet insurance. While it might seem like a lot of money each month (depending on the type of plan you opt for), it is so worth it. You never want decisions about your dogs healthcare to be based on money and if you can afford it, these decisions should be based around what is best for the dog, not money. I have two doodles, and with just the every day adventures they get themselves into I have claimed back more than I have paid in. It is called insurance for a reason, you buy it with the hope that you will never have to use it. If you do go ahead with insurance, you want to sign up for it as soon as you can as there is often a waiting period, and if your dog gets sick during this period the insurance company could deny any future claims related to that condition by saying it was pre existing. I signed up as soon as I had chosen the puppy, so that the waiting period was almost up by the time we collected him.

[Nicole and Teddy]

Definitely worth the cost! It helps with routine appointments as well as the unexpected ones. Teddy has had a bad tummy on and off and I'm super thankful we've got the pet insurance to help mitigate costs. Plus it can really be the deciding the factor if you're ever in the camp of, 'he's not thaaat sick, should I take him to the vet or not?' Having the pet insurance gives me peace of mind knowing that there will be some assistance with fees! Good luck with your new doodle- they are a blast!

[Amy and Annabelle]

I have it, but have never had to use it. I have Healthy Paws. I only got it for the unexpected illness or injury. I don't really care about the routine office visits, it's the major stuff that I got it for.  I hope I never have to use it, but it is a peace of mind knowing I have it.

[charlotte bednarsh]

I absolutely recommend pet insurance.  My beloved australian labradoodle, Paz, who is a registered Pet Partner Therapy dog, was diagnosed with lymphoma in November 2015; , we live in New York City and have access to state of the art care at Blue Pearl Animal Hospital in Manhattan.  Thank goodness I have Trupanion Insurance which is covering 90% of all Paz's treatment costs, and there is no cap on how much Trupanion will pay.   Paz's costs to date, are about $25,000 and Trupanion has been absolutely wonderful;  all the claims are paid the day they are submitted.  Paz has achieved early remission, and in addition to chemotherapy protocol, he had two radiation therapy treatments which clinical trials have proved substantially increase the prognosis for dogs with lymphoma who achieve early remission.  The radiation treatments cost in excess of $7,000 and Trupanion immediately approved the treatments and issued payment.  Please, please get your beloved puppy pet insurance; I encourage you to look at Trupanion, because they have no cap on an illness or in the lifetime of a pet.   

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

We have had MANY discussions on pet insurance so do a search and you will find a wealth of knowledge. Most of us seem to have Pet Plan , and if you go with them I think they are still giving a discount to DK members so ask for it.

I have 2 doodles and it costs about $600 a year for two. I don't use it often and have only had one claim during Murphy's ear infection treatments and they paid exactly what they said they would and quickly.

When I got Bella and saw what she would eat, I knew it was just a matter of "when" not "if" she will need surgery someday.

So far so good, even though she is 5, I still think we've just been lucky so far that she has passed everything without injury. 

I figure even if I saved $600 a year for 10 years, I still wouldn't have enough to cover one serious illness or injury or surgery so it's worth the peace of mind. 

[Samantha & Bennett]

I was debating the same thing last year. I decided not to get pet insurance as I wasn't sure I'd use it or not. Since bringing Bennett home last summer, he has gotten a skin infection ($250), had an allergic reaction ($300), broken his front tooth down to the pulp ($1500), swallowed a sock ($500), nonstop vomiting and needed to be seen after hours ($300), and a few more that I can't even bring myself to continue adding up right now.

My opinion? Get the pet insurance. 

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

I think it is worth every penny. Thankfully, I haven't had to use it much over the years, but I feel better knowing my dogs are covered.

[Marie and Hoka]

ABSOLUTELY get insurance. I never had it in the past, but I changed my mind after my 2 older dogs got sick and passed away within months of each other.

When Hoka was a puppy I signed him up with Healthy Paws and it was the BEST decision. He ended up with over $10,000 in bills from eating a squeaker out of a toy. He would have died without the 2 surgeries, and who can afford $10,000 in vet bills?  I pay about $30 a month for the insurance and they have been awesome. They have not fought me on a single bill and I can file right from my phone. 

I also started up my Moxie, who was a five year old little rescue and costs a bit more per month- it goes up with age. She had one very bad episode of bloody diarrhea about a year after we started. Her ICU care was $3000. 

Both plans have paid for themselves several times over, and neither one even has any chronic illnesses. 

[charlotte bednarsh]

I can't stress enough, the benefits of getting health insurance for your dog, and after my experience, I would suggest an insurer that has no max on the benefits it will pay out per illness or for the lifetime of a pet.  I have Trupanion, and as I wrote in a previous post, it has literally made it possible for my beloved Paz to receive life saving treatment for his lymphoma diagnosis.  Paz's treatment costs, to date, are almost $30,000, and Trupanion pays 90% of all costs (excluding exams).  Trupanion has no limit or cap, so if a pet has a diagnosis such as cancer, Trupanion will not limit the amount it will pay for the treatment.  I'm blessed that Paz is in remission, and is scheduled for his last 12 chemo treatments which are estimated to cost almost $9,000;  Trupanion has already issued a preapprova benefit statement indicating they will pay 90% of the entire bill (excluding exams).

[Tara]

Thank yo so much for the information!  I am going to start looking into various companies and policies! 

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

Charlotte -- Wow, I'm just amazed at the cost of Paz's treatments and that the insurance isn't balking at the payments (please know I'm not saying this in any sort of bad way).  I have just never seen one that ran up this much so quickly.  There is only one other dog I'm aware of that was even close and that was the little doodle Rusty in California.  His bills were over $25,000 I think, but that was over a few years.  I thought that was probably because he was in California ... but NY, whew.  There is absolutely no way the average family could pay that if they didn't have insurance.  You are definitely a walking talking advertisement for Trupanion.