Yes. 1 yr old had bilateral TPLO and I saved 7K but having insurance (not counting rehab costs).

We got health insurance on our new Lab puppy the second we got her for precisely the reason that we spent thousands of dollars on our last Lab in his old age. We've already had one emergency vet visit because the new puppy ate something she shouldn't have. We went with Healthy Paws.

We have a 3 year old and while we haven’t gotten it yet, we’re planning on enrolling after his next annual check up. A friend’s dog caught whatever the dog version of pneumonia is and her treatment cost $10k. We have that kind of money, but I wouldn’t want to be faced with that.

We currently have our first dog and went with insurance. Possibly because we were dealing with large vet bills for our cats as they got older and then I did a lot of reading about dogs and having to operate to remove obstructions when they eat what they should not.

If you are able to self insure by banking the premiums, no.

It's a no for me. I think if you're committed to a pure-bred dog with known health issues it might make more sense.

That said, I've never done the math before taking my dog to the vet (even when I was very poor), so maybe I don't have the same perspective.

I have mixed feelings. We have had it on our dog (now 3) since she was a puppy and have only used it for one small reimbursement, so the premiums we have paid have been way higher than any benefit so far. I’m kind of tired of paying $400/yr for nothing, but I keep hoping at some point it will come in handy.

Anonymous wrote:If you can’t afford to take your dog to the vet, you can’t afford to own a dog. Pet insurance is more comparable to extended warranties or service plans on all the Stuff around your house than it is to people’s medical insurance. Some people by all those plans too, but we firmly self-insure against all that stuff too. Insurance is for catastrophic losses you can’t afford.

I can afford to take my dog to the vet. I prefer to not pay 5000 when he breaks his leg and needs surgery. Luckily I didn’t have to because I had pet insurance.

Anonymous wrote:If you can’t afford to take your dog to the vet, you can’t afford to own a dog. Pet insurance is more comparable to extended warranties or service plans on all the Stuff around your house than it is to people’s medical insurance. Some people by all those plans too, but we firmly self-insure against all that stuff too. Insurance is for catastrophic losses you can’t afford.

I disagree, but I also think everyone should have heath insurance. Since when was health insurance a sign that you couldn’t be alive? Nuts.

If you have a young pet, animal medical expenses are outpacing inflation just like human medical expenses.

If you can’t afford to take your dog to the vet, you can’t afford to own a dog. Pet insurance is more comparable to extended warranties or service plans on all the Stuff around your house than it is to people’s medical insurance. Some people by all those plans too, but we firmly self-insure against all that stuff too. Insurance is for catastrophic losses you can’t afford.

Anonymous wrote:THank you for your feedback

Yes, highly recommended. Like other insurance the hope is to pay the premium and do not have to use it. But just a couple of small incidents or even just one larger one and it pays for itself.

It gives you such a peace of mind too. Not having to do the math on your head of when or not to take the dog in.

I have a lab, and just a GI issue that require x-rays and a follow-up ultrasound was more expensive than the annual premium.

Careful with "pre-existing" conditions, though. In our case we for the insurance at 8 weeks and no medical issues until then, so everything is covered.

For another pet that was a couple of years old, with a couple of vet visits, it was not worth it. E.g. if you had an ear infection, then ear infections, or other ear issues deemed as part or related to the condition are not covered.

I use Trupanion. I got it when my kitten was very young, so the premiums are extremely low. I'm a very happy customer.

Shop around, do the math, but it is highly dependent on your pet as to whether or not it is worth it.

No.

Yes! Pet insurance from Prudential. I get reimbursed more than premiums paid every year. Some years considerably more. Partially covered illnesses, accidents, surgeries, MRI, etc. We have 2 larger dogs. Have had pet insurance on all dogs for 20 years.

THank you for your feedback