As long as we have owned pets, my parents have never provided veterinary care for them. As a result, my bird died recently. I think it’s unfair (and illegal, right?) to neglect to give someone in need health care, so I told my mom I was considering putting my last bird up for adoption just in case it got sick in the future.
I guess she felt a little bad about what happened to my last bird because she went to Petco and asked about their medical insurance program. Now I don’t know if she’s going to go along with the program (it’s called "Trupanion", anyone here familiar?), but the fact that she even did that is a HUGE step.
My problem is, I have NO experience in signing up for these kinds of things, nor do my parents (although I imagine this will be solely my mom’s decision since my dad is so careless) so I don’t know what to look for in a plan. We have one dog and a bird, and MIGHT get a small rodent in the future. Can anybody make any recommendations or give any advice?
Yes, pet health insurance is a great idea. Having good pet insurance takes the "I can’t afford that" nonsense out the the equation when facing a costly surgery or procedure. I have 4 dogs and 2 cats who all have health insurance. I use Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI) http://www.petinsurance.com. I pay approximately $200 per year (per animal) for coverage. My Doberman recently tore her ACL and had $2,600 surgery. VPI reimbursed me $1,400. My Corgi developed allergies and had a $535 allergy test. VPI reimbursed me $345. Ideally, you should get insurance as soon as you get the animal. I know that the older pets get, the more expensive the premiums are for the insurance, if they agree to insure the animal at all. When working at a veterinarian’s office, I had the chance to review several different pet insurance plans, and they are all different in terms of cost and coverage. Do some Internet research or check with your vet, finding the right company and right plan can save you hundreds when facing costly procedures.
#1 by Lyn B on January 26, 2010 - 12:37 am
You need to check out several. You can use the internet to do that.
I did not get insurance on my dogs but I did take out the "wellness" Program that PetSmart’s Banfield Clinic has. It takes care of the cost of their exams and vaccination and most of the lab work and cost runs from $20 a month and more of more services. I have the one that also takes care of teeth cleaning. My last trip for my Cocker was $398 and it was all covered (that is more than a whole years premium) My Queensland’s last visit was $989.00 and it was 100% covered that is more than 3 years premium. So it does save a lot of money and my guys get several check up per year and I know their shots are all up to date.
good luck
References :
#2 by suzyq on January 26, 2010 - 12:47 am
pet insurance is usually used for folks who travel alot with their pets or for pets who make the great escapes from the yard. Birds die. sometimes no one can figure out why, I sympathize your loss. I raise cockateils and once in a while they just poop out on me and die.There is no rhyme or reason for this. Try having your pets chipped. It’s a small chip placed under their skin and is monitored by your vet with a GPS built into the chip Its inexpensive and works well.
References :
all my 4 dogs are chipped and all my birds are chipped
#3 by letterstoheather on January 26, 2010 - 1:34 am
I have known someone who had health insurance on their dog. She tried and tried to convince me to get it for my dog, also, but i told her i felt it was a waste of money. She soon found out it was.
Her premium was $50 a month, and by the time she paid vet bills, and got a very small reimbursement, it wasn’t worth the price.
I think that, if a person wants to "insure" their dog, they might open a savings account and put the equivalent premium amount into it every month for medical care for their pet. It’s cheaper in the long run. These insurances do not usually pay much of a percentage for major surgeries, either.
I really feel they are a scam
References :
#4 by Frenchie Fan on January 26, 2010 - 2:20 am
Yes, pet health insurance is a great idea. Having good pet insurance takes the "I can’t afford that" nonsense out the the equation when facing a costly surgery or procedure. I have 4 dogs and 2 cats who all have health insurance. I use Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI) http://www.petinsurance.com. I pay approximately $200 per year (per animal) for coverage. My Doberman recently tore her ACL and had $2,600 surgery. VPI reimbursed me $1,400. My Corgi developed allergies and had a $535 allergy test. VPI reimbursed me $345. Ideally, you should get insurance as soon as you get the animal. I know that the older pets get, the more expensive the premiums are for the insurance, if they agree to insure the animal at all. When working at a veterinarian’s office, I had the chance to review several different pet insurance plans, and they are all different in terms of cost and coverage. Do some Internet research or check with your vet, finding the right company and right plan can save you hundreds when facing costly procedures.
References :