Pet Insurance

[aalvarez]

Hi there. I haven't posted on here for a while. New baby (human form) has kept us busy. Anyway, I know I've posted this same question a long time ago, but don't remember the responses. I wanted to know if pet insurance was worth getting. I researched it a while ago and thought about getting it. But, I thought I remembered that the coverage was very limited? And it doesn't even cover ailments like hip dysplasia that our dog would most likely be prone to. How much coverage does pet insurance really provide? We are in a situation now in which Yogi may need to have surgery for a "possible" obstruction. He had been vomiting, loss of appetite, and diahrrea (although this weekend he was eating, not vomiting, stools started to harden, and acting pretty normal--until this morning he started showing signs of illness again). Bloodwork tests came out normal and X-rays didn't show any obvious obstruction, but it does show a lot of gas bubbles concentrated in one area of his intestine. A possible obstruction that is causing a backup? He is scheduled for an ultrasound tomorrow. This procedure is already costing a pretty penny, and the thought of possible surgery--if there is an obstruction--makes me woozy. I question now if pet insurance is a must. I have heard 'yes, definitely' and 'no, doesn't really provide that much coverage.' Any thoughts? Sorry this post is so long.

 

[dreama]

Yogurt,sorry to hear of Yogi's problems. I hope it isn't anything serious or if it is an obstruction it can be dislodged without surgery.
You may want to click search option at top of page for past pet insurance responses; there are many posts listed.
Please update us on Yogi's condition and diagnosis after ultrasound.

 

[newfloverqc]

We have insurance for Ceilidh and got a plan that doesn't cover hip dysplasia. It would, however, cover the sort of surgery that you are talking about. All we would have to pay would be the exam fee itself and 10% of the cost.

We didn't want to have to make decisions based purely on financial reasons, seeing as we just a house and money is a little tight right now.

PM me if you want the website...

 

[FuzzyDustBunnies]

We have Petcare insurance for Owen. The policy we have is Sharecare. I think it's $25.60 a month with a 5% discount because he is microchipped. There are other policies that cover more than what we have...ours covers 70% after a $50 deductible. The policy we have does not cover pre-existing conditions, preventattive treatment, or anything relating to breeding, behavoral problems, and a few others. However, they will cover cardiovascular & respiratory, digestive, urogenital, musculskeletar, nervous system, eyes, ears, skin, endocrine, blood and lymphoid, enfectiour disease or illness caused by or related to cancer. When I signed up for this I specifically asked if it would cover orthopedic problems and they said yes. There is a max payout that the insurance compnay will pay.

We've only used it once...last year during an allergy outbreak. I turned in a claim for yesterdays allergy testing....so we'll see what they cover for that.

Hope I didn't confuse you!!

 

[IrishMist428]

I also have the same policy as Kelly. It covers all accident/illness/congenital/hereditary. All of which have to be after a 30 day waiting period.

Here is a link to a thread where dogger did research.

http://www.newf.net/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=002039

 

[aalvarez]

Thank you all for your help and information. I did search back through past posts for people's opinions on the various pet insurances.

For those of you that have PetCare insurance, have you been pleased with it? Some of you had mentioned that it does cover hereditary/congenital conditions? And preexisting conditions? Is this really true? I read the brochure that is posted on their website and there is a disclosure on there about not covering preexisting conditions. I'm curious at what any of your experiences are with this particular pet insurance. Yogi had xrays on his hips when he was a puppy (during the time he had surgery for neutering) and it showed that he had mild/moderate hip dysplasia. Of course, he was still young and could have been a part of his growth pattern. Does this make it an "official diagnosis" then? Just curious.

 

[IrishMist428]

I am not sure about that being a diagnosis. You can always call them and ask. They are very helpful. Pre-existing is not covered otherwise. I have the Petcare Gold and have been more than pleased with the company and coverage.