My vet recommended the ASPCA or VPI pet insurance, but when I went online and looked at reviews, neither of those did very well. The best reviewed ones were Embrace and PetPlan US. Does anyone have any feedback on any of these?

True, I have heard lots of bad things about aspca and vpi… most vets know about vpi because it has been around the longest but of course age doesn’t necessarily equal quality by any means.

I know that Petplan does some limitations on the policy depending on the breed. I am also pretty sure they do benefits schedules (though they make it very difficult to find their policy on the website).

Anyway, I did a lot of research before choosing Trupanion for my dog. They seemed to be the most straight forward and honest, they openly disclose everything they cover and don’t cover.

What I like about them is they have no claim limits or annual limits, which both Petplan and Embrace do (and its more expensive for a higher annual limit with these companies). Plus Trupanion doesn’t increase your premium as your pet ages which it seems like almost every company does. And you can enroll your pet up to age 14 and then it is covered for life!

Just be sure to read the policies (if you can find them) before signing up for anything. Good luck and don’t hesitate to ask lots of questions during the process!

I have a one-year-old, spayed female lab. Overall, she is very healthy (despite the occasional ear infection from swimming). As a young dog, however, she has experienced some "bumps and bruises." After a run of bad luck — giardia, kennel cough, and a broken toenail requiring anesthesia — I am seriously considering acquiring pet insurance. I have done plenty of research and confused myself thoroughly. Is it worth it?

Some articles suggest that putting money away into savings is essentially the same thing and that pet insurance is not cost-effective. Other articles suggest that it is well worth it and cost effective over time for most animals. I’ve read numerous reviews of insurance companies suggesting they nit-pick in order to avoid reimbursement and jack up rates after the first year or after an incident or illness.

You tell me, is it worth it?

Thank you.
She is up to date on all shots — the kennel cough was a blip. The vet explained that occasionally the vaccine doesn’t take — same thing in the human world.

Saving up money in a bank account only helps for lesser expensive treatments. It is not helpful at all if you have $200 saved up and receive a $2000 vet bill, which is why I think pet insurance is worth it.

Yes, lots of people say the insurance company "denied the claim for no reason" but this is because they didn’t fully understand their policy which seems to be the biggest problem people have. You should really read the policy and understand what is and is not covered before signing up.

So it seems your dog is sort of accident-prone, so I’d definitely recommend pet insurance, especially because she is young — she has a whole life of possible accidents ahead of her. Obviously anything related to giardia, kennel cough, and future broken toenails will probably not be covered.

Though it’s kind of a lot of reading, this site has some really good information about what to look for in a plan: http://www.pet-insurance-university.com/pet_insurance_guide_lesson7.html

My own recommendation for a company is Trupanion. They have very few exclusions and limitations – no claim limits per year, per claim, or per incident, just a lifetime limit. Also they don’t exclude breeds or hereditary conditions — the only exclusion is hip dysplasia (which coverage has to be added on before the pet turns 1).
They cover 90% of the bill with no benefits schedules, and you can choose a $0 deductible which is what I would recommend.
Also there is no increase in premiums due to pet aging, so since your dog is young, you’d get locked in at the lower premium.
They cover conditions for life, so unlike some companies, they will not consider a condition preexisting just because your policy renewed.

In all, yes pet insurance is worth it if you know exactly what you are getting.

I’m looking for reviews/comments/issues, etc.

Read the small print. They may not take care of everything. I think they are a rip-off and decided not to use it.

I just got a 8 week old chihuahua and am on the search for a good pet insurance for her. I have seen so many people who had to put their dogs to sleep because they couldn’t afford to pay for a surgery that could’ve saved the dogs life. I don’t want to get stuck in that situation so I want to get insurance. If been reading reviews on VPI vet pet insurance And have pulled away from it because most of the people who left a review left a bad one. Does anyone know a good pet insurance that I can get in California? Thank you!

I would recommend Trupanion Pet Insurance. It’s around $25 a month and there are no annual limits and no penalties for filing a claim which means your premium won’t go up every time you file a claim. It covers 90% of the veterinary bills for accidents and illnesses.
It’s good that you are reading reviews, because you should find the company that best fits your needs. I would suggest getting quotes from each of the websites to decide how much you want to pay and how much you want your plan to cover.

I have been looking into getting Insurance for my new puppy, Scout.
I know it sounds a bit strange, but I don’t ever want to worry about not being able to afford to take him to the vet if there is an accident or he gets sick.
Does anyone know of good Pet Insurance? I have been reading reviews and would like some first hand opinions.
Thanks!

There is a great review site at the link below. You can evaluate several different programs. Getting insurance when your pup is young will keep him covered for life. Best, Kate

Reviews on your pet insurance companys please?
i have a puppy who has had an accident and so we urgently need to get this sorted out ASAP so we can avoid major costs in the future.

thankyou

P.S. IM FROM THE UK

Any pet insurance at this point will probably do you no good as any thing related to the accident will be considered a "pre-existing condition".

I have VPI (which some say is total crap) and someone recently recommended http://www.trupanionpetinsurance.com.

Think about this: Each year people all around you spend hundreds
of thousands of dollars to travel to “exotic” destinations. What
makes these destinations “exotic”? The fact that they’re
different from the normal home environment. That means wherever
you live is an “exotic” locale for people in most of the rest of
the world. So, write about it. “Here? There’s nothing worth
writing about around here,” you might say about your hometown.
With the right focus on where to look, virtually any locale can
yield multiple gems suitable for articles and stories. Research
is the key. Here are offbeat and practical sources for
generating new ideas no matter how small or dull you feel your
hometown is. My colonial hometown of York, Pennsylvania has a
population of less than 60,000. Still, I’ve found numerous gems
just waiting to be dug up, polished and marketed. Here are some
topics and resources to stimulate your thinking in even the
tiniest, plainest, most remote towns.

Starting off: One indispensable resource is the telephone book.
These pages contain enough starting information for you to
produce reams of articles, if you know where to look. The front
pages often contain maps, contact data for government agencies,
museums, libraries, other reference sites and key organizations.
Listings under clubs, fraternities, and organizations yield
special interest groups just clamoring for promotional or human
interest pieces. Thumb through your directory, you’ll start
generating ideas right away.

Buy every postcard you can find related to your area. Key names,
dates and facts on local sites will be printed on the back. Be
sure to check out any available antique postcards of the area as
well. Assemble them into a future reference scrapbook. Enter
your town name and local sites key words from the postcards into
several internet search engines. By following up on the results,
points you’d never imagined can generate article ideas or new
slants on “old” stories.

You’ll doubtless be spending eons of time at the library anyway,
so get to know the reference department staff if you don’t
already. They are invaluable allies in your quest for all types
of knowledge. For the price of a cup of coffee rich rewards can
be reaped as you chat with staff members informally. Ask for
suggestions for article ideas. Don’t have a library card? Get
one – and use it. Readers may not be writers, but writers are
always readers. If you’re not scanning the daily papers and
historical archives at the local library you’re missing out on a
treasure trove of idea-starting news pieces.

The TV/radio news and commentary: Local events are often
mirrored at broader levels. Never assume that a seemingly
“local” problem is only of interest locally. When houseflies
became a serious problem in a small Latin American town, I
queried European and Asian magazines about possible interest in
an article on what the townsfolk did to not only solve the
problem, but make money from it too. An international magazine
expressed its interest almost immediately. Tune in AM band talk
radio broadcasts. Note the issues and contact information.
Scrutinize them from different viewpoints. Talk with the
station, friends, and family. Research radio or TV program
featured sites, locations or businesses.

Crime: What was the most publicized, infamous crime committed in
town? A robbery? Kidnapping? Arson? Murder? A modern re-telling
of the events or a follow-up on the aftermath might be of
interest to numerous crime magazines, police gazettes, law
enforcement and insurance industry trade publications. Ghost
tales can be both fascinating and profitable. Is a local site
reputedly haunted? Cemeteries are a veritable cache of
interesting ideas. Look for the unique, researching facts by
Internet or newspaper archives. Talk to caretakers too.

Food: Almost every place has a hometown recipe or concoction
they’re proud of. What’s its origin and special significance?
How long has it been passed down? Are ingredients only available
locally? Can people make it elsewhere? Can unavailable
ingredients be substituted? Hotel, restaurant and bed &
breakfast reviews are also marketable. In my hometown,
eighteenth century Pennsylvania Dutch specialties like shoo-fly
pie, apple butter, three bean salad, and chicken corn soup grace
our tourist- attracting menus. An informative or historical
piece, or perhaps a recipe collection might be just the ticket.

Celebrity appearances: Maybe Elvis didn’t sleep there (or maybe
he did), but if ANYONE of note passed through, stopped or
stayed, there are those who’d like to hear about it. The
celebrity can be historic or modern, represent any walk of life
from Art to Zen, or be their spouses, family and descendents.
With an advance schedule of events, you can profile upcoming
concert performers and try for interviews. Public relations and
publicity offices carry stock bios on celebrities, which you can
use as a start. Music is of worldwide interest; an unusual type
performed in your area could spiral into specialized pieces on
local artists, artisans or exotic instruments like the
accordion, harmonica, dulcimer, harp or zither. Where and how
are they crafted? Are lessons available? Why is the instrument
attached to the local area? If it exists elsewhere, compare your
area with any others.

Nature: Are there seasonal invasions of bees, butterflies, bats,
or other critters? Is your area home to an unusual species? A
haven for hummingbirds? A wildlife sanctuary? Wildlife and
environmental publications might like the story. Zoos, insect
museums, pet shops and university departments are good starting
sources. I discovered a family-run business that cultures
butterflies then releases them at weddings, parties and other
special occasions in addition to giving presentations at
schools, trade shows and environmental conventions. Have you
noticed a bizarre or curiously-shaped tree? Check with neighbors
and the city planning commission. See if there’s a tale attached
to that trunk or another natural wonders in the area.

Sports or Fairs: Cover city, county or state events with an eye
to unique angles and multiple marketing. Look for interesting
viewpoints. Talk to category winners. Are they elderly, ethnic,
or handicapped? Family secret sharers? View the events in
different ways. Take photos. Surely your area proudly hosts some
tournament, race, rally or marathon? How contestants prepare,
interviews with sponsors, family and fans are possible article
generating material. When a backyard row of huge collard greens
drew attention to my late grandmother’s fertilizing methods
winning her a mention at the county fair, I wrote it up. (She’d
used free elephant dung from a visiting circus as fertilizer.)

Whatever your writing genre, diamonds-in-the-rough ideas for
articles abound all around you. Continually note ideas,
brainstorm, observe, listen, converse and question everyone you
can. Keep a calendar of local and regional events. Stay abreast
of happenings. You’ll never again say, “Here? There’s nothing
worth writing about around here.”

Larry M. Lynch
http://www.articlesbase.com/writing-articles/10-tips-for-writing-exotic-articles-about-where-you-live-3016.html

I am getting new kittens and I am thinking of getting this pet insurance (especially because it also provides benefits for routine care). Has anyone purchased this insurance? What has your experience been in terms of claims?
I don’t see why I need to check if my vet participates in this plan? According to the website, I pay for all the services upfront at any vet I choose, and then VPI reimburses me.
I wanted to know about VPI pet insurance specifically, because Best Pets is not offered in my area.

Most vets do take insurance and VIP is the best rated and used insurance company i have 2 insurance policies on my 2 dogs, i have 6 dogs but 2 have cronic problems, i recently added my 2 older cats to it too. I have had no problems and its come in so handy with the 2 older dogs…. they paid on time and never give me a hard time… its about 10$ for each animal a month. its defrayed a surgery for a luxating patella and i only paid 50$ for a surgery that was about 1,300$