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Should I buy pet insurance?
I have a healthy 2 year old Golden Retriever and am trying to decide if I should get health insurance for him.
My parent's 7 year old golden is currently being treated for cancer. My brother-in-law has spent a couple thousand dollars treating his cat's intestinal disorder. I'd hate to be in the position of deciding between spending a thousand dollars and saving my pet.
So, is pet insurance worth it? Is it difficult to get claims paid? What are the most reputable companies and the best plans? Would I be better off putting $20/month in a savings account set aside for pet care? What else should I consider?
My parent's 7 year old golden is currently being treated for cancer. My brother-in-law has spent a couple thousand dollars treating his cat's intestinal disorder. I'd hate to be in the position of deciding between spending a thousand dollars and saving my pet.
So, is pet insurance worth it? Is it difficult to get claims paid? What are the most reputable companies and the best plans? Would I be better off putting $20/month in a savings account set aside for pet care? What else should I consider?
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Personally, I do think that pet insurance is worth it and I have some for my kitten. The key here is to choose a good plan that is right for your budget. There are several different ones, and always read the fine print- many will not cover hereditary disorders (such a hip displacement in breeds that tend to develop it) or other serious illnesses (such as cancer). Those are primarily preventative plans that cover basic care- doctor's visits, annual vaccinations, etc.
I have my insurance through the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) and I am very satisfied. I can submit claims online (though it's essentially just reimbursement) and there are various plans- from basic care to coverage if there is a serious illness (cancer, etc). In addition, there is also Care Credit which is like a pre-paid credit card and is accepted by almost every veterinary clinic. You may want to use one or both.
I also recommend that before you choose, you talk with your veterinarian. He/she can tell you what problems your pet might experience based on medical history. You can also find out if you have to submit claims or if they are willing to submit claims on your behalf.
I hope this helped! Best of luck to you and your pet. :
I have my insurance through the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) and I am very satisfied. I can submit claims online (though it's essentially just reimbursement) and there are various plans- from basic care to coverage if there is a serious illness (cancer, etc). In addition, there is also Care Credit which is like a pre-paid credit card and is accepted by almost every veterinary clinic. You may want to use one or both.
I also recommend that before you choose, you talk with your veterinarian. He/she can tell you what problems your pet might experience based on medical history. You can also find out if you have to submit claims or if they are willing to submit claims on your behalf.
I hope this helped! Best of luck to you and your pet. :
source(s):
Care Credit: http://www.carecredit.com/vetmed/whycc.html
ASPCA Pet Insurance: http://www.aspcapetinsurance.com/
PetCo Pet Insurance: http://www.petco.com/Content/PetcareInsurance.aspx?PC=petcareinsurance&...
VPI Pet Insurance: http://www.petinsurance.com/
PetSmart Wellness Plans: http://www.banfield.net/optimum-wellness-plans
Care Credit: http://www.carecredit.com/vetmed/whycc.html
ASPCA Pet Insurance: http://www.aspcapetinsurance.com/
PetCo Pet Insurance: http://www.petco.com/Content/PetcareInsurance.aspx?PC=petcareinsurance&...
VPI Pet Insurance: http://www.petinsurance.com/
PetSmart Wellness Plans: http://www.banfield.net/optimum-wellness-plans
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I think it depends how susceptible the breed is to disease. Pure breed dogs are almost always more prone to health problems than mixed breed dogs (next time, adopt a mut!) but certain breeds have better odds than others.
The link in my source states, "The life expectancy of the Golden Retriever is around 10-14 years, and there are a number of health problems that have been linked to this breed. This includes cataracts, entropion, allergies, thyroid problems, cancer, epilepsy, OCD, HD, and vWD. Parents of the Golden Retriever puppy should have OFA and CERF certificates."
I'm pretty sure that hip dysplasia is also common among manymedium to large sized dogs.
20 dollars a month seems pretty reasonable, but you should research the insurance and other people's experiences with using it. Much like our own insurance, when it comes time to actually cough up the money, the company might try to find countless ways to ditch the bill by saying "we don't cover this, we don't cover that," etc. Shop around before you commit.
The link in my source states, "The life expectancy of the Golden Retriever is around 10-14 years, and there are a number of health problems that have been linked to this breed. This includes cataracts, entropion, allergies, thyroid problems, cancer, epilepsy, OCD, HD, and vWD. Parents of the Golden Retriever puppy should have OFA and CERF certificates."
I'm pretty sure that hip dysplasia is also common among manymedium to large sized dogs.
20 dollars a month seems pretty reasonable, but you should research the insurance and other people's experiences with using it. Much like our own insurance, when it comes time to actually cough up the money, the company might try to find countless ways to ditch the bill by saying "we don't cover this, we don't cover that," etc. Shop around before you commit.
I think that pet insurance is a good idea, especially if you are not the type of person who is great with savings.
For example, If you were putting only $20 a month away, each month, for 8 years, which means your dog is 10 years old, you'd have just under 2,000 to take care of any problems. That's small potatoes if you wind up treating your dog for a chronic disease. See source links for some estimates of pet health care costs for serious conditions.
On the other hand, I agree with the others on this board that it's important to shop around. My local grocery store has flyers on different kinds of stuff, one being pet insurance. And the insurance has a $5,000 lifetime maximum for the pet. For a serious condition that requires extended and extensive treatment, you could easily blow past this limit.
Cancer alone could run you about $10,000 for surgery, chemo and radiation.
So, pick your plan wisely.
Also, a lot depends on the preventative care and screenings you are getting. If you don't know the pet is sick until it's too late, then even the best treatment won't help.
Two anectodes, one mine, one a friend's. Friends lost their cat due to a congentical kidney defect. Cat seemed fine for the first few years of life. They'd just had a radical family change and attrubited the cat's change in behavior to adjustment. When they started to realize it was serious, there wasn't much that could be done. Even so, they did not have the resources to do kitty dialysis, which is what they would have had to do.
Now, ine: My family owned Goldens and I know they are prone to cancer. We lost our Molly to cancer because we did not know anything was wrong until the cancer was too far gone to be treated. Even if we had insurance, it wouldn't have helped because we didn't know she had cancer until it was too late.
I really like that you are thinking about this stuff now, while the pup is young and healthy.
For example, If you were putting only $20 a month away, each month, for 8 years, which means your dog is 10 years old, you'd have just under 2,000 to take care of any problems. That's small potatoes if you wind up treating your dog for a chronic disease. See source links for some estimates of pet health care costs for serious conditions.
On the other hand, I agree with the others on this board that it's important to shop around. My local grocery store has flyers on different kinds of stuff, one being pet insurance. And the insurance has a $5,000 lifetime maximum for the pet. For a serious condition that requires extended and extensive treatment, you could easily blow past this limit.
Cancer alone could run you about $10,000 for surgery, chemo and radiation.
So, pick your plan wisely.
Also, a lot depends on the preventative care and screenings you are getting. If you don't know the pet is sick until it's too late, then even the best treatment won't help.
Two anectodes, one mine, one a friend's. Friends lost their cat due to a congentical kidney defect. Cat seemed fine for the first few years of life. They'd just had a radical family change and attrubited the cat's change in behavior to adjustment. When they started to realize it was serious, there wasn't much that could be done. Even so, they did not have the resources to do kitty dialysis, which is what they would have had to do.
Now, ine: My family owned Goldens and I know they are prone to cancer. We lost our Molly to cancer because we did not know anything was wrong until the cancer was too far gone to be treated. Even if we had insurance, it wouldn't have helped because we didn't know she had cancer until it was too late.
I really like that you are thinking about this stuff now, while the pup is young and healthy.
source(s):
http://www.marconews.com/news/2008/dec/31/pet-talk-cancer-and-your-pets/
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/01/24/earlyshow/contributors/debbyeturn...
http://www.costhelper.com/cost/pets/dog-cancer-treatment.html
http://www.marconews.com/news/2008/dec/31/pet-talk-cancer-and-your-pets/
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/01/24/earlyshow/contributors/debbyeturn...
http://www.costhelper.com/cost/pets/dog-cancer-treatment.html
No. Don't waste your money. It's a dog, not a child, a dog. Take that money and make a difference in a child's life.
I have a 13 year old chocolate lab that I love dearly. She's a member of the family. But, if it had a serious health problem I wouldn't hesitate to have her euthanized. It's that simple. Don't over-value an animal's life when there are starving and abused children in the world that need your help.
I have a 13 year old chocolate lab that I love dearly. She's a member of the family. But, if it had a serious health problem I wouldn't hesitate to have her euthanized. It's that simple. Don't over-value an animal's life when there are starving and abused children in the world that need your help.
I do not want to sound harsh or cold, but with so many pets being euthanized every year I feel that the most humane way to deal with a serious pet illness or injury is to have the animal put down, thus making room for the adoption of a healthy animal that otherwise would be killed. I have shed tears over this decison myself, but looking back over it, it was the right choice. So no, no pet insurance. And to open myself up to even more ridicule check out the SNL video for a "humorus"? take on the subject.
peace,joe
peace,joe
If your pet is a pure breed then I would definitely get pet insurance for it around 8 yrs old. From my experience no pure breed has ever got away with not developing some sort of problem. If you don't want to have to make the decision about putting your animal down or forking out the mullah then, yes, get the insurance. I really would worry about it till 7 or 8 though.
We have 3 Rottweilers, a mid size mixed breed and a jack russell, (and are looking for another female) as you can imagine their health cost are enormous, not to mention the proper food for each dog. We do breed our female rott once a year. Her health is more important than money. We sell the puppies for only $450, per the economy plus the fact I just would never pay 1k for any dog. We are choosy about who gets our puppies and most families looking for a good companion and protector just can't afford that much for a dog. We breed because we love the breed.
Having looked at several of the recommended sites listed here and at the cost per dog for each rott for payment of 80% of any problem, regular checkups, excluding prescription meds is $67.51 per month for all dogs. You would think the smaller dogs would be less.
Now we just had a check up for each of our dogs. The vet bill was about $475. Two were recommended for surgery. One male needs an eye tuck because his eyelid is turning in and the female needs dental surgery. I have to be honest I did not request an estimate for these surgeries, but I am in the process of doing this. The cost of the eye surgery I have seen on the internet is around 1200 average. I do not know this to be the case in our area though.
Now the heartworm pills (800 petmeds), monthly flea treatment, 1 capstar for each dog and extra for one dog who has a flea allergy, pain med for the male who sprang his leg, the cost for all dogs was $1135. So the total visit and meds were around $1600.
If we paid $67 x 6 = 402 per month. 402 x 12 = 4824. Even if the eye surgery cost 1200, + the annual check up of $475 is a lot less than the cost of the insurance per year. I do admit in an emergency it probably would pay off, and in time of low funds. But I think I am beginning to prefer the idea of putting some money aside for the dog care, as we do now, and if the money isn't used, we still have it, not the insurance company.
Just do your research.
Having looked at several of the recommended sites listed here and at the cost per dog for each rott for payment of 80% of any problem, regular checkups, excluding prescription meds is $67.51 per month for all dogs. You would think the smaller dogs would be less.
Now we just had a check up for each of our dogs. The vet bill was about $475. Two were recommended for surgery. One male needs an eye tuck because his eyelid is turning in and the female needs dental surgery. I have to be honest I did not request an estimate for these surgeries, but I am in the process of doing this. The cost of the eye surgery I have seen on the internet is around 1200 average. I do not know this to be the case in our area though.
Now the heartworm pills (800 petmeds), monthly flea treatment, 1 capstar for each dog and extra for one dog who has a flea allergy, pain med for the male who sprang his leg, the cost for all dogs was $1135. So the total visit and meds were around $1600.
If we paid $67 x 6 = 402 per month. 402 x 12 = 4824. Even if the eye surgery cost 1200, + the annual check up of $475 is a lot less than the cost of the insurance per year. I do admit in an emergency it probably would pay off, and in time of low funds. But I think I am beginning to prefer the idea of putting some money aside for the dog care, as we do now, and if the money isn't used, we still have it, not the insurance company.
Just do your research.
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