In one week my 10 yr. old ruptured her second CCL and the very next day my 3 yr. old sliced open her paw on something sharp in a pond. This has been a traumatic week and an expensive one! Thankfully, both are on the mend, but does anyone have any experience with pet insurance?? Thanks in advance for any suggestion or info.
Years ago I had the pet insurance. But when I realized that all my money was going to the insurance company for a "might happen" event, I sat down and did some figuring.
I started a savings account and put the amount of the premiums that I would be paying the Insurance Company each month in there instead. I also put any loose pocket change that I have at the end of the week into a jar and add that to the account monthly. It added up quickly. By the time my 10 yo was diagnosed with cancer, I had more than enough there to pay for her care. I also have a debit card that is for the account, and a credit card that is for the dogs only. If we are having to leave the pups with a sitter and an accident happens, or they have to go to the vets, the expenses are covered and there is no questions about how the services will be paid for.
This may not seem right to some, but it has worked for us.
I have had very good experience with pet insurance. I use VPI--Veterinary Pet Insurance. They pay promptly and pay a reasonable amount of the charge and there are no hassles. I have it on each of my 4 labs and each year I've used it enough and received payments greater than what I paid in premiums. The earlier you insure the dog the better. The premium is lower and you don't have to deal with pre-existing conditions. I don't have coverage for things like well care and vaccines because those costs are manageable. I cover the bigger things and also have a rider for cancer coverage. The cancer coverage rider only costs $21 a year.
After paying for two TPLO's and a 4K bill for a bout of acute pancreatitis, I decided maybe insurance wasn't such a bad idea after all. I went with PetPlan because they cover hereditary conditions and don't call things like diabetes "pre-existing" when it comes time for renewal and drop your coverage like many do. You have to be careful, not all are created equal. The following site is a pretty good place to start if you're shopping for insurance: http://www.petinsurancereview.com/
