Yoshi has a question - Pet Insurance?
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So in my last thread @connorbush recommended pet insurance. Yoshi wants to know if he should be insured. He is a shit tzu, and there are a number of problems that can develop with this breed (as with many breeds). I have been doing a little research on it, but I want to see what all you knowledgeable people have to say on the subject.
What are your general thoughts on pet insurance? Good/Bad?
Do you have pet insurance? If so, what have your experiences been.
What plan levels do you recommend?
Are there companies that you recommend?
Yoshi thanks you in advance for your input.
- 9 comments, 24 replies
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Hi Yoshi, you are very cute. The savings from Leila’s one accident paid her monthly insurance bill for years to come. I never want to be in the position where I would remotely need to consider paying a vet bill or putting my dog down due to care costs. We have snakes, cars, raccoons, coyotes, etc in my area that could seriously harm my pet. Just eating a few raisins from the kitchen garbage cost $1,800 and a 3 day vet stay.
Some dogs go their whole life and never need care. Better to have it and not need it then need it and not have it. We use trupanion, they covered 90% of the bill minus a flexible deductible.
@connorbush Yoshi says thanks. That’s crazy that a few raisins could cause such a problem. I am glad she is ok. And I agree with you that I would never want to be in the situation where I would have to make the decision to put my pet down.
I just had a neighbor whose dog died from ingesting mushrooms in the back yard last week. He spent an entire night in a pet emergency room. I can’t imagine what that bill will cost knowing what other people have paid for just an hour visit there.
@mfladd "Simply put, we provide one simple plan that covers 90% of your unexpected veterinary costs. This includes hospital stays, diagnostic tests, medications, surgeries, and other treatments that arise when your canine friend is sick or hurt.* The 90% coverage kicks in after you meet your deductible, and there are no limits on the amount we reimburse.
Basically, almost every type of injury or illness is eligible for coverage, so long as it is not considered pre-existing. We do not exclude any conditions or breed-specific ailments. We even cover hereditary and congenital conditions, provided signs were not evident before your enrollment date. That means if your dog pulls a muscle, develops allergies, or is diagnosed with hip dysplasia or lymphoma, we’ll be there. Tears a CCL? We’ll cover it. Arthritis? We’ve got it covered. Eats chocolate? We’ve covered it before and we’ll do it again. Hit by a car? We’re there for you."
The coverage statement for my insurance provider, Trupanion.
I recommend it if you can afford it. Some people with multiple pets find it easier to just save up for routine care and emergencies, but now that we’re down to one dog that is a notoriously expensive breed, we bought insurance. It costs us $50 a month and has a $250 deductible, but it covers everything from major surgeries to well checks, to heart worm and flea/tick preventatives. It reimburses at 90% after the deductible, so it’s not a bad deal in the long run, especially if you typically spend more than $700 or so in routine care annually anyway.
ETA: We have insurance through Nationwide.
@PurplePawprints I appreciate that view. That is why I was asking about different plans. What they cover varies wildly. The fact you get well checks and preventatives is nice. The costs do add up. It would be nice if I found one that covers teeth cleaning. Shit tzu’s have a major problem in that area.
@mfladd insurer comparison: http://trupanion.com/pet-insurance-comparison
@PurplePawprints You’re covered through Nationwide? Is that a specific policy for pets or is it a rider on your homeowners’ or rental policy?
@mfladd See what your vet thinks about OraVet chews. We’ve been using them for a few months with our dogs and my wife says she’s noticed a difference. (I tend not to pay attention unless things get really stinky.)
@mfladd I’m not positive about teeth cleanings, but the plan is “whole pet with wellness” and claims to cover pretty much everything, so I would think that it does. You’d have to ask though. We only just got coverage in the last month, and the only claim I’ve had to submit so far is for his heartworm preventative. He’s going to get his nails trimmed soon, and that should be covered, too.
@magic_cave It’s a specific policy for pets. We have home and auto through another company. https://my.petinsurance.com/
@SSteve Thanks for that info.
@PurplePawprints Is your deductible annually or per incident?
@mfladd Annual, and as far as I can tell, it’s not “calendar year” but policy year, which is nice when you start mid-year like we did.
Deductible info
FAQs Section
@mfladd Oh, and by the way…I wish we’d bought this when he was still a puppy. In his first year we put close to two grand on the Care Credit card due to emergency vet trips. Puppies can be unexpectedly expensive and you’re less likely to run into pre-existing exclusions when they’re insured from the beginning.
@PurplePawprints I am looking at Embrace that has a wellness option that actually works as a Health Savings Account.
See the pet insurance review site I posted below.
@PurplePawprints The question: is $250 of routine care (deductible does not apply to this) and RX medication, worth an extra $24? Total cost would be $55.87 with $200 annual deductible and 80% reimbursement.
There is also HealthyPaws, but they do not have a wellness option.
Also I agree with your statement of getting it while they are young. Mine is thought to be 1yr old. Coming from an unknown past and with an unknown back scar it would be nice to have.
@connorbush, @PurplePawprints do the pet plans cover medications?
@sassymango Leila just came home from the doggy hospital and had to get some antibiotics and probiotics. They were covered given it was part of an incident that was over the cost of our deductible. Not sure about others.
@sassymango Yes, but I’m sure there are some exclusions.
@PurplePawprints, thank you for the information
@connorbush, thank you for the information.
Shameless plug: Heard of medical insurance for pets? I recommend @Trupanion to help your pet get the care they need. Check it out! http://trupan.in/1AcNzG2
To insure or not to insure . . . that is the question. Actually that’s just the beginning of a conversation. It’s not a fun conversation but better to have it now than later. You need to have a conversation with the family (perhaps not the child) about what lengths/expenses you are willing to go in order to keep the dog alive and well. It’s mind-boggling what medical procedure/drugs are available to dogs today. When I was a kid, the neighborhood dog with a leg injury was simply known as Limping Fido. Fast forward to now . . . I know of three dogs who had ACL replacement surgery and one that had leg lengthened. I’ve known dogs that were on antidepressants and mood stabilizers. Sit down and think through where you draw the line. Then have a conversation with your vet about the treatment/costs at the very end of your limits. Confirm that the insurance will cover those costs. Some won’t for certain breeds. And then you can make an informed decision.
Be aware of that “pre-existing condition” clause. My in-laws are all dog people and had pet insurance, but the story they told us was that when they made a claim the insurance co denied on the basis of pre-existing.
$50 a month works out to $600 annually so IN THEORY you could set aside your own rainy-day fund - but you know thyself! Best wishes to all your beasts,
I had Simba, Great Dane, insured from puppyhood, but by the time he was 8 it had gotten up to over $120 per month and I dropped it and just kept an empty Visa on hand for vet expenses. What really killed it for me was that on my plan the deductible was per incident rather than annual, so I always had to lay out several hundred dollars on top of the monthly insurance. That’s an important thing to be aware of when evaluating pet insurance. Also remember that you pay up front and submit for reimbursement, so your cash flow has to be able to handle paying for the insurance plus the vet and waiting for the insurance check minus deductible.
@moondrake Deductible per incident, rather than annual. Thanks. That is huge - it’s all in the fine print.
I would say if you consider them a member of the family go for it. But as always, if you have a favorite vet, ask them (not the vet, their staff) if they have seen any positive or negative experiences. Some are too well trained to tell you, but others will.
When people think of the high cost of Vet care, they forget that it cost that DVM just as much to go to school as it did that MD who does your annual physical or monitors your illnesses. They have the same student loans, work incredibly hard to get through their classes, and typically make less than the nurse in the local hospital.
Please note I’m a nurse
My daughter is a DVM
So yeah, I know all this first hand.
Would she tell you to get insurance? Absolutely. Because 1 set of labs or x-rays will just about cover it. but look for a plan that meets your needs and you can afford.
I’ve seen dogs on dialysis because they ate something that was poisonous, diabetic dogs requiring insulin, cats on chemotherapy, and even helped treat a snake for pneumonia. Trust me it adds up.
@Cerridwyn I do appreciate the time and money a vet puts into their education. I believe they must have a true love of animals for the reimbursement they receive.
Thank you for your advice. I am currently looking into plans and seeing what I am able to afford at this time.
While a wellness option would be nice, I really am focusing on those unexpected big bills.
Interesting Pet Insurance Review Site (let me know if anyone finds any others that reputable.
https://www.petinsuranceu.com/pet-insurance-reviews/
I’m a veterinarian. I do HIGHLY recommend getting pet insurance, particularly when you your pet is young and healthy to avoid issues with pre-existing conditions not being covered. Some reimbursement is better than none when it comes to expensive unexpected veterinary bills. I like https://www.aspcapetinsurance.com
They seemed to have a decent plan and rates. Not saying this is the best plan for everyone, so please do your own research, and make your own decision, but this was my personal #1. Also, many employers are beginning to offer pet insurance as a benefit for their employees. Sometimes its available but you are unaware of it, so its worth inquiring about to HR. Shih Tzus can have back problems, allergies, and ear infections, to name a few, so again, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Cheers and hope this helps someone.
@dagirlgenius Thank you for posting. I am a the point after doing research and reading posts such as yours that I am going to purchase insurance,
Right now I am strongly looking at HealthyPaws which has been rated #1 for four years straight.
@dagirlgenius Learned something testing out that website. Because there are no questions about size or weight and he’s a mix (Irish Wolfhound, Scottish Deerhound, Borzoi Hound and Greyhound so I entered him as a “hound mix”) Zephyr isn’t getting the giant breed cost boost. His insurance is $26 month with aspca for the most basic plan while Great Dane Tempest’s is $42, even though they are essentially the same size with many of the same potential health issues. I wonder if the first time I use it and they see his weight they’ll boost the fees.
@dagirlgenius My wife’s last employer offered subsidies pet insurance and we enrolled. Otherwise I’m not sure we would have.