Anonymous wrote:If you have adequate cash cushion I think it’s better to “self insure” with pets. You’re unlikely to come out ahead in the end and the risk of catastrophically high costs is not the same as for people.

If you're willing to put the dog down instead of taking heroic measures to save/prolong their life, this is the way. I insure my puppies for 2 years (Trupanion) because they're stupid puppies and courting trouble is basically a puppy's job. But after that, once they're housetrained and have manners, I cancel the plans and just save the money.

I'm not the type to pay tens of thousands of dollars for a dog, though. I love them dearly, and they'll have a great life and a good death. But I'm not going bankrupt for a dog.

Pets Best. We started the insurance the day we got her home because you don't want ANYTHING diagnosed or even hinted at by a vet before you get insurance and there is a grace period before you can use it (the period varies based on the medical condition).

Very happy with Embrace. She was insured from the day we brought her home at 12 weeks old.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We got a puppy recently and I researched plans. All of them seemed like a horrible deal - high premiums, high deductibles, and not to be used for routine care. Seemed like you could just save the same amount of money per month and use it how you want.

Where did you purchase your puppy? Already having health issues at 6 mos is a red flag. Some places have a health guarantee.

We self insure for this reason. 5 years in there hasn't been anything that would have been covered by most policies. I expect we will have higher medical bills down the line but have a reserve to pay out pf pocket.

My dog has zero health issues prior to 7. Now he has a fair number. But he had a severe gastrointestinal infection that was totally curable but cost $14,000 for the hospital stay.

Very happy with Embrace. Over 20k paid out for my senior dog this year. They’ve never pulled any shenanigans. They’ll evaluate your dog’s medical records up front and tell you what the preexisting conditions are if you ask. They will not drop or reduce coverage of your dog due to age. It’s pricey but it’s paid off for one of our dogs and gives of peace of mind that we can make all veterinary care decisions without regard to finances.

Anonymous wrote:We got a puppy recently and I researched plans. All of them seemed like a horrible deal - high premiums, high deductibles, and not to be used for routine care. Seemed like you could just save the same amount of money per month and use it how you want.

Where did you purchase your puppy? Already having health issues at 6 mos is a red flag. Some places have a health guarantee.

We self insure for this reason. 5 years in there hasn't been anything that would have been covered by most policies. I expect we will have higher medical bills down the line but have a reserve to pay out pf pocket.

If you have adequate cash cushion I think it’s better to “self insure” with pets. You’re unlikely to come out ahead in the end and the risk of catastrophically high costs is not the same as for people.

We did a ton of research and decided on Pets Best

We got a puppy recently and I researched plans. All of them seemed like a horrible deal - high premiums, high deductibles, and not to be used for routine care. Seemed like you could just save the same amount of money per month and use it how you want.

Where did you purchase your puppy? Already having health issues at 6 mos is a red flag. Some places have a health guarantee.

I got Trupanion. We haven't had to use it yet, so I can't tell you it is worth it. I got it when our corgi was a puppy and she is 5 now. The price keeps going up. I think we have had a few increases over the 5 years. It started at $36/month and it is up to $64/month now. I am thinking of doing something else, checking another company or just dropping it.

I use Pets Best. I would get your dog covered now as the always coughing is a sign of collapsed trachea which is common with little breads. You do not want this diagnosed before getting insurance.

Puppy is six months old, she will need to have a retaining teeth taken out so I would like to enroll her in pet insurance. She always seems to be coughing etc., worried about future issues. She a mixed breed poodle.