I am bringing home a purebred German Shepherd puppy in January, and am very interested in getting him health insurance. I don’t even know where to start in terms of looking online; there seem to be so many options. To all the dog owners with health insurance: what plan do you have, and how do you like it? Thanks in advance for your advice : )
i did just buy insurance for my new puppy … it is through petsecure and gives him coverage in canada and the united states … i have paid for the top coverage and then after the first year and all is well i will probably go to a cheaper monthly payment … but it is good to have coverage for the first year or so cuz if there are any problems it will not be a pre-existing condition and not covered … this company has four levels, and you can pick your deductible … i pay about 100 dollars a month but that covers everything possibly imaginable including all his shots, all regular check-ups, his neutering, any accident, dental every year, if i get sick they pay for the dog to be cared for, even alternative therapies are covered, and any health issue at all that the pup could develop (i am worried about the trachea) will be covered and could be covered for life by starting insurance so early … i thought it was a lot at first to pay but i will only pay for the first year and then i will go down to the 40 dollar a month option … i am not really a lover of insurance cuz i figure if you have credit, there are no worries about caring for your dog, but i am going to try it out and see if it is worth it …
I don’t think it is worth it. Most do not cover much (i.e. x rays and emergency testing) and if your dog is healthy it is cheaper to pay out of pocket for all of the medical visits.
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Looked into it…I have a sick pup.
IMO,health insurance for pets is not worth the money,you spend more money a month keeping the policy then you do actually spend on your dog.What I do is have a separate savings account strictly for vet expenses and nothing else,put money in it weekly or monthly and use that as your own insurance for your pets.
If your insistent on getting a plan,I have heard that VPI pet insurance is fairly good.
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Pet insurance is a tool to help pet parents avoid a financial crisis due to unexpected veterinary expenses from accidents and illnesses. There are many misconceptions about pet insurance, for instance, that it is a scam due to exclusions or that only pets with major medical incidents benefit from having it.
With the advances in veterinary medicine and the higher cost of treatments, pet insurance allows pet parents to give their pets the best care available while controlling costs. New treatments have been developed to treat diseases that previously resulted in euthanasia, but these treatments can be expensive. Pet insurance allows pet parents to not feel guilty because they are not able to afford their pet’s healthcare. With pet insurance, they can seek the care their pet needs because they know they will be reimbursed for the cost of the procedures and treatments.
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Everyone is saying it isnt worth it but it has been for us. I have a caviler and he as already started developing his heart murmurs. We have him listed in our health insurance (my parents did it, idk how but they did) and well basically they are helping us pay for his medication. if it wasnt for that then we would be paying 300 dollars a month
also, my boyfriends lab swallowed a tennis ball recently and he too was under their health insurance so the insurance helped them pay for the surgery.
Overall i think it is a hit or miss. if they breed is known to have health problems it may be a good idea.
Congrats by the way. :)
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i did just buy insurance for my new puppy … it is through petsecure and gives him coverage in canada and the united states … i have paid for the top coverage and then after the first year and all is well i will probably go to a cheaper monthly payment … but it is good to have coverage for the first year or so cuz if there are any problems it will not be a pre-existing condition and not covered … this company has four levels, and you can pick your deductible … i pay about 100 dollars a month but that covers everything possibly imaginable including all his shots, all regular check-ups, his neutering, any accident, dental every year, if i get sick they pay for the dog to be cared for, even alternative therapies are covered, and any health issue at all that the pup could develop (i am worried about the trachea) will be covered and could be covered for life by starting insurance so early … i thought it was a lot at first to pay but i will only pay for the first year and then i will go down to the 40 dollar a month option … i am not really a lover of insurance cuz i figure if you have credit, there are no worries about caring for your dog, but i am going to try it out and see if it is worth it …
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When my parents bought our puppy he came with health insurance.
To be honest, it was pointless.
It only lasted 6 weeks.
I wouldn’t suggest it. Just save up in case of emergencies.
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Pet insurance is good for unexpected accidents and illnesses. They can get expensive quickly, so it’s nice to have insurance to cover the costs. Pet insurance does not cover pre-existing conditions, so if your pet is already sick or injured, it is unlikely that pet insurance will cover the costs to treat it.
For other costs like regular exams and vaccines, it’s best to self-budget since these costs are expected. Some pet insurance companies offer coverage, but it is typically not cost-effective. (Imagine paying an extra $200 per year on your premiums for $200 worth of routine coverage…)
A few good questions to ask when researching pet insurance are:
1. Does the policy cover everything? Hereditary and congenital issues?
2. What are the payout limits? Will it be enough money for my worst case scenario?
3. How much does it cover for each condition?
4. What are the pricing and deductible options?
5. Is it an ongoing policy? If my pet has an illness during my first policy year, will it be covered the next policy year?
Be sure to do thorough research – Some plans don’t pay based on your actual bill, but have lists of predetermined dollar amounts that they will pay for each condition which can be shockingly low in many cases. I would recommend getting an actual insurance plan that covers based on your bill so that you are never faced with a difficult and expensive situation when you *thought* you were covered.
We cover 90% of the actual bill for diagnostic testing, treatments, surgeries and medications including emergency and specialist visits. Trupanion is also the only provider to offer a $0 deductible option.
Feel free to give customer service a call and get a no-obligation quote to ask all the necessary questions and find out what’s best for you.
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