Vet bills: How do you pay for them?
Hi everyone,
So this isn't exactly a "corgi health" question, but as I'm starting to seriously look into getting a puppy, one of my major concerns is of course, healthcare. As we all know, vet bills can be insanely expensive, and I don't make that much money that I can just pay it all so easily. So I was wondering what all of you guys do about vet bills?
Of course, there's pet insurance. For those of you that purchase that, how much coverage is enough? Do you get the full coverage, with all the preventive care and stuff covered? Or just the accidental/disease coverage? Are most insurance companies pretty good about following up on claims? I've read that with pet insurance, you have to pay up front first, and then they reimburse you. That would really suck if you had to pay for a very expensive procedure and they take forever to reimburse...
I've also heard some people say it's better to just put what you'd pay monthly into a savings account. But then I'm worried about what to do if something happened to my puppy. Obviously if I just started putting money into the account, I won't have much saved up yet. On the other hand, it would kinda be nice to have that money just in case, instead of having to pay for the insurance if my puppy ends up being super healthy and doesn't need much besides the basic vet care...
Then there's CareCredit... But then in the end I'd still have to pay for all of it. So I don't know if it would be good to rely solely on that.
Anyway, so please tell me what all of you do about paying for healthcare. Thank you!!
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by rae on
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It's difficult knowing what the criteria is. I was approved for an account (mainly because of vet ER stuff, which thankfully they accept) but my boyfriend wasn't. And maybe credit isn't the best idea, but it's nice to have another backup option if necessary.
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Permalink Reply by Shou on
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Thank you for your comment, Raelynne. I guess maybe my post came off the wrong way. I didn't mean that I wanted a cheap way out of all my vet bills. I'm mainly just worried about unexpected things that come up. I've never owned a dog (or a cat) before, so I don't know how much any procedures cost. And it seems like pets either end up staying really healthy, or they get really sick. I'm just not sure what would be a better option when it comes to paying for healthcare. But after reading your post, I guess I should be more like you! Your pets must be really lucky to have you. :] I'll definitely make sure I can take care of my puppy when I get him too. Thanks again!
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Permalink Reply by Chelsea and Wyatt on
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I pay out of pocket for all the preventative stuff (heartworm meds, vaccinations, exams, etc.), and for emergency expenses (like the $1,100 vet bill we just incurred due to Wyatt eating decomposed granite at the dog park), we have a $3,000 care credit line. We're fortunate in that our emergency vet offers a 6-month free interest plan.
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Thank you for your comment, Chelsea. Wow that doesn't sound like it was a fun experience for Wyatt or you guys! I'll definitely have to check with the vets in my area to see if they do any kind of payment plans.
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Permalink Reply by Melissa and Franklin! on
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I pay out of pocket for most things but for huge vet bills, like Franklin's $2000 vet bill about 1 1/2 years ago I got a Care Credit account. You have 6 months to 1 year (depending on what the vet offeres) to pay it off with no interest. I don't think it is reasonable to think you will get a dog and not have to pay for vet bills in full. Even if you bought insurance you are paying monthly and many make you pay a deductable so in the end you are paying for whatever happens. At my old job I started polling clients on their favorite pet health insurance policies because I was considering one for my dogs. I would say almost ALL of the clients were unhappy in one way or another about their health insurance policies and several said they wish they would have just put the money aside each month. This is especially true if you are considering getting the full preventative insurance. Those policies cost a MINIMUM of about $50+ a month from most insurance companies and if your dog spent the first 2 years only needing annual exam and vaccines you just threw away $1200 in monthly insurance payments to get a few shots done.
I think until you are willing and able to pay for an entire vet bill, you shouldn't be considering getting a puppy. I can't tell you how many dogs I see every week turned into shelters, put on craigslist, or euthanized because owners weren't able (or were unwilling) to pay for unexpected vet bills. If you can't afford to pay for one now, don't get one, because you will be spending at least a couple hundred in the first few months on basics like food, toys, beds, and first vet visits and that's not including any unexpected health problems or the cost of the puppy.
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Thank you for your comment, Melissa. I guess maybe my post came off the wrong way. I'm able and willing to pay for the normal routine stuff. That shouldn't be a problem. I'm just worried about unexpected stuff. Which is why I wanted to ask everyone else's opinions. I've never had a dog before, so I'm not sure how high pet healthcare bills can be. I just know that people healthcare can become insanely expensive. If it's a few thousand dollars, I would be fine with paying it off on a care credit account, or just saving up monthly. But if it goes into tens of thousands, I'll be the first to admit, no, I can't afford that right out of my pocket. And I think probably most of us can't either. In which case, then it might seem like a good idea to get the insurance?
I've known irresponsible pet owners, and I've browsed through all the shelter listings because of people like that. Heck, I've had to live with people that I would probably consider irresponsible pet owners. Trust me, I will never be one of them. If it really comes to things being that bad, I'd rather go hungry myself than not be able to take care of my puppy. Plus, luckily I have a brother that's really good with money. So if worse comes to worse, I can always borrow from him and pay him back later. My family is more eager to help me now that I'm living on my own and don't need/want their help. Haha. I appreciate your concern though. Thanks again. :]
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I don't think you will have to worry about the tens of thousands. Even Franks bills aren't that much Lol. Many insurance companies have an annual cap and it is usually around $8000-12000. Id just do care credit and monthly payments to a savings account. Care credit is nice because its no interest so you have 6-12 months to pay it off.
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Permalink Reply by Chris West on
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We pay out of pocket at our house. We have emergency funds in savings as well as credit lines. Also want to mention, I waited 15 years to get my corgi so I was financially stable and vet bills were not a concern. Perhaps you should consider waiting to get a puppy until you have more money saved or you have a better paying job? Have you read Jessica's post about the costs of owning a corgi just in the first year? (see here http://www.mycorgi.com/profiles/blogs/actual-costs-of-a-puppy).
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Thank you for your comment, Chris. It's actually been at least 15 years since I've wanted to get a dog. Haha. Of course, the first 10 or so years, I was kinda hoping my dad would pick up the tab since he was the one that promised me he would get me a dog. (Hasn't happened yet, unfortunately.) I have read Jessica's post, and even referenced to someone who was planning on getting a corgi. I have enough savings and earning to pay for the normal routine stuff. My main reason for posting this topic was because I wanted to be prepared for the unexpected bills as well. I really appreciate your concern though, and I'll definitely make sure before I make my final decision on a puppy, that I'll be able to take good care of him. :]
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Permalink Reply by Chris, Kadi & Brodie on
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We pay out of pocket here, and actually changed vets a couple of years ago because of rising costs. We found someone closer, cheaper, and just as thorough. We live on a farm and have 4 cats and now 3 dogs, so just routine health care adds up quickly!
I might add that when I was single, I didn't have as many animals and my solution was to work for a vet! I got a great discount that way! LOL I could never have afforded my animals any other way.
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Permalink Reply by Priscilla, CARLY, and Frankie on
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I too had to change vets , they do not all charge the same. When i had carly spayed it was $200.00 and i said wait just a minute , my hubby had a cow! So i knew i could do Frankie cheaper so i looked around.
Other than that its not been to bad, no major cost but many times ive taken Carly for diarrhea and vomiting, which is $100.00 each time X-rays. Now i have them on a probiotics the vet told me about and i order it on line, that has stopped her issue..We go on to many out side excursions and theyed pick up stuff..:(
Also order Flea meds on line now. Im sure the older they get i may run into other expenses, for now im glad i have it somewhat contained. For now ..
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Thanks for your comment, Chris. I guess I got (hopefully) lucky that I found a vet really close to my house that has mostly excellent reviews, and they're suppose to have low prices too. I'll have to call them up to check on the exact pricing, but I'm hoping that will work out for a normal routine vet. I'll have to check emergency hospitals just in case too... But I'm sure the cost for that will be high either way.
I might look into the working for a vet thing again too. Haha. I did consider it actually, before getting my current job. But most of them require experience or a license, since I'd wanna actually be taking care of the animals instead of doing paperwork. But who knows, maybe if my current job schedule will allow it, for the sake of my beloved puppy, I might put up with my dislike of filing paperwork and answering phones. Haha.
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