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Comment by rosemary on February 27, 2013 at 1:55am

I carry a Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI) policy on my two dogs, which is deducted from my checking account monthly.  They have different options like including yearly vaccinations or not, etc.  You fax them a copy of the bill and an easy to fill out form and they reimburse you about two weeks later.  You can use any vet you like also. My golden retriever jumped up on an old fence and totally tore his foot pad from a nail, the surgery and visits after were like $1,200 and was reimbursed around $850. They have a schedule of what they pay for each procedure etc you can look at before you subscribe.  I pay $32 month for my corgi with no yearly vaccinations ins. and $45 for my golden with yearly vaccination insurance.

Comment by Melissa and Franklin! on February 18, 2013 at 10:49pm

Also remember, insurance or not you will need to pay for the expenses up front so either way you will still need the money. I would guess that, as Beth mentioned, if you had a $5000 procedure and were going to have to euthanize because if it, you would likely not be able to pay for the procedure upfront anyway so the result would be the same, this is where Care Credit is nice, you can pay for everything up front depending on your credit limit. 

Franklin is by far my most expensive dog but I still don't think insurance would have covered half of his expenses and I don't regret not getting it for him. I had a dog who needed a TPLO which was about $3000 and even over the course of his life I didn't spend anywhere near the $8300 Beth calculated for typical insurance over the life of a dog, he lived to be 11. 

Comment by Melissa and Franklin! on February 18, 2013 at 10:44pm

When I worked reception at a vet hospital and now as a technician I have talked to many clients about insurance. By far most of them wish they would have just put the money aside each month. Many who have it don't use it, many who try to use it get denied claims for stupid reasons and it ends up being a HUGE fight just to get any part of a bill paid. Many companies will put a cap on each "incident", meaning they won't pay more than $100 or $200 per issue and many of those issues will cost several hundred to thousand. I opted for Care Credit and it has worked well for me. That way I don't waste money paying into insurance that I likely won't use or if I use it I will still probably lose money on it over time (remember you still have to pay the $50 to $100 deductible despite having to pay $60-$80 monthly for the insurance). Care Credit allows me to have a no interest credit option to use in case of an emergency. Pet Plan is by far our clients favorite insurance company and the easiest one to get claims from based on client recommendations. VPI is probably the worst yet the largest insurance company.

Comment by Beth on February 18, 2013 at 10:29pm

@Tait, my cat had two x-rays in 2006 (chest) that were $50 (total for the two).  She had two x-rays (hips and spine) in 2007 that were $50 (total for the two).  She had bloodwork for kidney function in 2009 that was $12.  We lost her in 2010.

My ER vet trip was just a few months ago, included complete exam, dilation, antibiotic drops, and cone for $168.

I think you say you pay $58 with a deductible.  Is that a month?  That's $696 a year, $8352 over the typical life span of a dog.  I have never in my life owned a pet who we spent close to that in medical costs on, including my parents 75 pound Chessie who had the fishing line surgery on her knee.  

It is up to each person how much financial risk they can take.  I just think it's important to work out the math.  I am a homeowner so I always have an emergency fund plus money on cards with low interest rates, so if I needed a $5000 emergency surgery I would not be happy but could pay for it.

For someone who a $5000 surgery would mean euthanasia because the money isn't there, it might be worth it.   But keep in mind you'd have saved enough for a  $2000 surgery by the time the dog was three, if you start putting the money aside when he's a pup.

Comment by Beth on February 18, 2013 at 10:14pm

Please remember that many pet health care items cost a lot less than equivalent human items; a couple x-rays might be under $100 at the regular vet, more at emergency vet for instance.

Out of all the many pets (mostly dogs, a few cats) my family has owned, only one needed major care and that was knee surgery.  It was a few thousand dollars.  If you added up what we would have spent on insurance over all the pets and figured out what the surgery cost, the surgery was much cheaper than the insurance would have been.

Jack was recently to the emergency vet late at night for a scratched cornea (cat being silly).   The total cost, including drops, was $168, plus $24 for a follow-up with our own vet.  

The only other major issue we had was a positive for Maddie on Lyme which required a $100 specialty blood test.

When my cat had cancer the meds in total probably cost under $200 over several months.   Maddie is 8, Jack going on 6, and the cat lived to be 17.  My current cat is 3.  Don't get me wrong, we could have a major expense tomorrow, but if insurance averages around 360 a year, over the life of a dog you've paid for one major orthopedic surgery.  Put the money in savings and chances are, over all the pets you own in a lifetime you'll work out cheaper.

Comment by Catherine Robertson on February 18, 2013 at 9:26pm

Thanks Tait. I looked into Trupanion and it's on the top of my list.

Comment by Scott+Nicola+Brody on February 18, 2013 at 8:25pm

My vet in san diego gave me some helpful info... 

he told us not to opt for insurance and to put the same amount of money aside into a special bank account for your pup. apparently some insurance companies will not cover all procedures. 

Comment by Kelly J on February 18, 2013 at 2:12pm

Hi, I have a new puppy too, we are going to get him on a health plan, as our cats have been on it and it's been worth in in my opinion. After having a cat who I did get from a reputable breeder end up very sick and the bills for his medical care were huge, the insurance seems like a very small price to pay. It's piece of mind for us. :)

Comment by rae on February 18, 2013 at 1:55pm

there's quite a few postings on here detailing the pros and cons of pet insurance.  we have it right now, and have had it for years for our cats, but are re-evaluating our stance on it in terms of return on investment and making a better contribution to pet health costs.  we also have care credit for veterinary expenses as well.  some advocate savings over pet insurance monthly deductions.  searching the forum may be your best bet.

i mean, you never know, but ultimately have to make your own decision regarding pet's health.