Pet Insurance

[Judith and Griffin]

Someone I trust really researched it for his dog and said that it basically came out as a slight loss (or more), for the typical owner/dog.  He didn't get buy it.  So far, we've not considered it for Griffin.  However, after watching Sophie's sudden illness and how the bills pile up, I realize maybe we should re-consider. Such things are unlikely to happen but when they do - wow.  

I'd love to hear others' thoughts on this. Thanks.

[Terri, Murfee & Emily]

Up until I got Murfee back in April, I had never given any thought to pet insurance. I am in the insurance business myself, and just thought of it as a gimmick of sorts. However, after watching my neighbor, who has pet insurance, spend thousands of dollars on the care of her Corgi due to cancer, I quickly reconsidered. I did quite a bit of research and was as confused as the next person. I decided on VIP, and sent in my premiums. I also have a 9 1/2 old Golden that I insured as well. Just 2 weeks after the policy went into effect, Emily is having some serious issues with her back, and I have already layed out $1,000 with more to come this week. I have not yet filed the claim, but am glad that whatever is ahead of us, it won't be dictated by cost. Insurance is a risk based business, and it looks like I will be on the receiving end quicker than I would like. 

[KLN]

This thread might just change my mind!!

[KLN]

I agree wth your friend as I came up with the same deduction after looking at all my pet bills over three years compared to the insurance deductible along with the percentage I would have been responsible for even with insurance. I came up with (what I think) is a better plan...I actually put $50 per dog (what I would have paid in insurance) into a "pet fund" (ie: a separate savings acct) each month. That way I have the money saved if emergencies come up and it also pays for their annual shots and anything else that comes up throughout the year that was not planned. I like this because I have control over the money but it also gives me the piece of mind that there are funds readily available in case of an emergency. If you don't have any emergencies (cross your fingers), you haven't paid a company the money and its still yours. ;0)

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

The problem here is that what if the accident occurs before you have money in your fund?  What if your 3 month old puppy eats a sock and has to have emergency surgery which can run $2000 or more? 

[KLN]

You are right! I think it's just a personal choice on what you can or can't afford in your first year. :0)

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

You know, I guess I could probably consider my homeowners insurance and my car insurance as a loss as well over the last 30 years, but if I were sitting in Oklahoma right now I would be darn happy that I had them.  That is what insurance is all about, you get it for the "what ifs" and then you hope that you never have to use it.  That is what you want.  You want to know it is there but pray that you never need to use it.  After what I've been through with my two girls in the last year, I would gladly pay those premiums every month and be one happy camper if I never had to file a claim.  However, that was not my reality.   Because I had pet insurance I now have little Miss AnnaBelle in my life.  If I had spent the $2200 on Lucy's CCL surgery and then another $2500 for Sophie's cancer treatments, there is no way that I would have been able to get a new puppy.  The insurance just does so many things for you.  It makes it so you don't have to worry about the what ifs.  It makes it easier to make the decisions that have to be made when the what ifs occur and God forbid you have a tragedy and lose your beloved Doodle you can just focus on your loss and heeling rather than also worrying about how you are going to pay the bills even though you no longer have a dog.   If a person is wealthy and has extra money in the bank that they can afford to shell out for $20,000 worth of medical bills and not miss it, then it is ok.  However, I think those people are the exception!  We have one member here who recently lost his little Doodle after over three years of cancer treatments.  If I remember correctly, he was reimbursed by PetPlan for over $25,000 in bills during that time.  Which means that was 80% of his expenses.  If you do a search on Pet Insurance you will find lots of previous discussions and there are some with some comparisons of the various plans within the discussions.

[KLN]

I think that's a good perspective...thank god I have not had to deal with cancer but you're right, without insurance that would be cost prohibitive for most people.

Not to change the subject (maybe this is a new post) but I've always had cocker spaniels and am new to doodles and the golden/lab/poodle breed. From everything I've read about goldens and labs, they have very high rates of cancer but in theory, this should be bred out with the poodle cross. Is this the case or are there still high incidences of cancer among the doodle breed? Is there anything in particular I need to watch for? Thanks guys!

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

I don't think it is possible to "breed out" the cancer gene.  It isn't even possible to test for it.  It is just a crap shoot.  I know for me when I found out about Sophie's lymphoma and started reading and found out that 66% of all goldens will die from some for of cancer I was personally shocked.  This played a very huge roll  in my decisions about getting another dog.  I researched breeds high and low before making a decision.  I just didn't think my heart could take going through it again if I lost the toss of the dice the 2nd time.  It seemed every breed had some health issue or personality issue.  So, after all was said and done, my heart belonged to the GoldenDoodle ... enter little AnnaBelle!  All of the love that I got from Sophie in those 4+ years just couldn't be forgotten.  If I had known that statistic before I got Sophie and chose not to get her, I would have missed so much.  I guess you have to say I'm a GoldenDoodle Girl. 

[KLN]

Oh my gosh, your story sounds just like mine, thank you for sharing and I am so sorry for your loss.  I have always had cocker spaniels and got my first one 8 years ago, Ellie.  She is awesome and just the best dog.  I decided to get her a brother when she was about two and got Cooper.  From day one Cooper had one genetic problem after another but I loved that little nugget more than words.  I spent thousands of dollars on him and didn't think twice about it.  I know that he was meant to come to me.  I don't have kids and was able to financially take care of his medical needs when most people would have had to let him go.  I thought we had dealt with almost every obstacle possible and then right before his 6th birthday he got really sick and we found out that he was in liver failure.  He hadn't eaten in three weeks (I tried EVERYTHING) and so I had to make the hardest decision of my entire life and let him go.  I was and still am devestated.  I can't think about him without still crying.  So while I think the cocker spaniel breed is one of the best out there, they are just perfect dogs for me, like you I could not go through that again.  I searched high and low for a cocker spaniel breeder that I felt comfortable with and just couldn't find one.  After talking with my vet, he recommended a doodle as well as a breeder that does extensive health testing.  I did a TON of research and found what you did, every breed out there has their own issues.  A cross breed was my best hope in getting the best genes possible.  I know there are no guarantees but do feel very comfortable with the breeder I chose as well as the breed.  And you are right...as sad as I am to loose Cooper, I wouldn't have traded the six years I had with him for the world!  :) 

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

Exactly ...so sorry for your loss and which you many many happy healthy wonderful Doodle years!

[Renee Hacker]

Like with any other insurance (other than human health insurance which is a WHOLE different ball of wax), pet insurance is something you HOPE you take a loss on.  I mean, nobody ever wants to file an insurance claim for their car, home, etc, right?  But if your dog gets sick, you will be so glad you bought the insurance.  Vet bills add up FAST.  Most of us never realize how expensive human doctors are as well because we never see the itemized bill in most cases.  With vets you see it all and you pay it all unless you have insurance.  There are a lot of companies and a lot of types of policies so you need to do your research and see what works best for you.  We ended up with PetPlan for Lily and thankfully have never had to use it yet.  You can get a quote right on their website and most other companies' websites as well.

[Jennifer and Luci]

Absolutely worth it in my opinion. I pay $130 / year and insurance paid 80% of a bill for an ear infection.  Already paid for itself ;).