I chickened out on pet insurance: UPDATE

[Breanna]

I had called VPI and set up a plan. I was all excited until I saw several reviews saying that they did not get reimbursed for a variety of reasons. They said that the insurance companies will find any way out of paying a claim. I just can't afford to risk investing in insurance and then not getting paid for a claim. I cancelled the insurance before I was charged. I read that some people open savings plans instead of insurance and I will do that for now until I figure it out. If I open a health savings plan then I could at least have it for health care in an emergency for either of us. 

Update:

I did a little more reading and decided on PetPlan. It's much more affordable than VPI because it doesn't cover vaccinations and wellness exams (you end up paying the same over the course of the year anyway). 

I talked to my aunt about pet insurance recently and she said she doesn't have it but will rely on credit cards or payment plans if anything happens. Well, on Christmas day her dog got hit by a car and now she is asking for donations to pay for his treatment. That helped me finalize my decision that I need pet insurance. I just signed up online for the bronze plan-$10,000 a year with an 80% reimbursement and $200 deductible. I feel pretty good about that. 

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

How is your Aunt's dog BTW? Sorry to say, but this is good example of why credit cards, payment plans and trying to keep enough in saving set aside for a Pet emergency is just not a viable option for a lot of people.

[Breanna]

He will live but he has a lot of surgeries and things going on. He needed a pin in his hip and his lungs were damaged. 

[Debbie & Gibbs]

I had VPI for about 5 years and insured 3 Westie's at the time. My premiums were approximately $600.00 - $700.00 a year and the only reimbursements that I got back was some vaccination money. I can see where it would certainly pay off if there was something catastrophic, but we decided to bank the premiums and thankfully we have never had to use it. This is our first doodle and our vet warned us that we need to keep socks, coins, etc., picked up as doodle like to eat just about anything. So, that being said are doodle accident prone, and should we take a second look at insurance on our doodle?

[Breanna]

I know that labrador retrievers are notorious for intestinal blockages due to rocks, socks, toys, and other objects. My parents labrador had to have a ball of tin foil removed from her intestine, which she fetched from the garbage can. My labradoodle sometimes gets into things but I haven't noticed her eating things that she shouldn't. She did accidentally swallow a piece of a toy once but thankfully it came up through vomit and didn't get stuck. All dogs are different and intestinal blockages are only one out of hundreds of things that could happen. That is why I got insurance. PetPlan is for emergencies only and the one I signed up for is $20/month. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

It's not only eating something they shouldn't. Doodles are prone to all of the same diseases as their purebred ancestors, despite what you may have heard to the contrary. Hip dysplasia, heart problems, knee problems, bloat, allergies, epilepsy, Addison's disease, and the list goes on. Most of these do not show up until a dog is well past 2 years old. My labradoodle has two immune-mediated diseases and a ruptured lumbar disc; his veterinary expenses since November 2011 are over $20,000 and ongoing, as the treatments are for life. Diagnostics for one of the diseases alone were $5000. Annual bloodwork is $800, for life. There is no way to know ahead of time whether your doodle will be one of those who is diagnosed with a serious disease at 2, 3 or 4 years old. IMO, if a $3000 bill for diagnostic tests would be a hardship for you, pet insurance is a must. 

[Melissa Lowman]

Wow, Karen! So sorry you and Jack have had such a difficult time. Having said all that you have, how much has pet insurance actually covered and what has been your out of pocket expense, if you don't mind me asking? This info is very helpful to me when trying to look at the possibilities of what may come down the pike for us and our pup. We are new to the financial ramifications of dog ownership, so the reality of all your stories and researching the various insurance plans are helping me to make best educated decisions I can. I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed I must admit.

I want the equivalent of Blue Cross Blue Shield - PPO!!!!! Because now I'm a bit freaked out lol!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I don't have pet insurance. I've had to pay for all of JD's bills myself. Fortunately, because I'm over 59.5 years old and retired, I can draw from my retirement account without penalty. I don't know what would have happened to him if he had a young owner without substantial savings.

I cannot tell you how many people have contacted Doodle Rescue asking to rehome doodles with health issues because they cannot afford the medications or treatments. Beautiful young dogs who can live normal life spans with good quality of life, but they need $200 worth of medication per month for the rest of their lives, or they need hip or knee surgery that costs $5000-10,000. We have had fund-raisers right here on DK for some of them. 

From what I understand from those whose dogs have had serious illnesses with major veterinary bills, Pet Plan is excellent. But get some kind of insurance. Once your dog has an issue that has been recorded in his vet records, it's a pre-existing condition, and insurance will not cover it.

[Adrianne Matzkin]

We have PetPlan for all 4 of our doodles. TG I have only had to use it once - for Samantha and recurrent UTIs. Just understand that it is per incident/per insurance year so if there are 2 illnesses/accidents the deductible has to be for each. With a high vet bill what is another $200??? 

I am sorry about your Aunt's dog! How is he doing?