Anyone have Pet Insurance?

[disraeli]

I have VPI, but I haven't had to send in anything yet. I will be sending in some receipts from their yearly exams soon, as I have the wellness plan which helps with that.

[Michael Romanos]

Pet (dog) insurance in New Zealand is very worthwhile, affordable and well above board.
There are two companies here. Both have choices of levels with the top level ('premier' or 'extra') carrying monthly fees of $28.00 and $31.00 = $330 - $370 per annum) and have an overall payout limit per annum of $6000.
In one of them, they do not initially insure dogs over five years old ie if you want pet insurance for the first time but you dog is over five years old - sorry. The other has no such limitation but charges a small excess for dogs over ten. One of these insurance companies insure also for funeral expenses and replacement pet expenses - but that particular one won't pay out for any inherited and congenital conditions.

[darci]

I too looked into it and the lack of coverage of certain illness didnt make it worth my while.

[Cheetah]

A lot of places around here don't seem to even take pet insurance, and I had a horrible experience with pet insurance, when I was on somebody else's plan, and they closed the plan without paying, and the people sent ME to a collection agency just because I was on the plan, and it wasn't even mine! So screw that. I have a credit card with a large limit. That is my pet insurance from now on lol...

[Michael Romanos]

Darci - that's one of the reasons I took time to check out the NZ versions and the exclusions are pretty minimal here - one of the reasons I said that both the NZ pet insurance schemes are very good value. You would think there would be at least one comparable insurance scheme in the USA or Canada. But perhaps not because it seems that insurances in those countries are not customer-friendly.

[Michael Romanos]

Darci - that's one of the reasons I took time to check out the NZ versions and the exclusions are pretty minimal here - one of the reasons I said that both the NZ pet insurance schemes are very good value. You would think there would be at least one comparable insurance scheme in the USA or Canada. But perhaps not because it seems that insurances in those countries are not customer-friendly.

In one of the pet insurance schemes here, there is an excess of selective breeds of dogs - namely the very large breeds, the breeds with nasal difficulties and the dwarf breeds (Dachshunds and Basset Hounds) but not Welsh Corgis. So it is great that this insurance company does not regard Corgis as any greater health and injury risk than any other 'normal' breed of dog. Vindicates what I have been alluding to on other threads re not wrapping up Corgis in cotton wool.

[Michael Romanos]

Ginger in Ohio has two Pem Corgis - Tegan and Tristan - and arranged Pet Insurance for them soon after their arrival as pups.

At six months, Tegan jumped out of Ginger's arms and broke her leg. Because of the injury, Tegan later developed arthritis. She is now on meds for this. Then she also had to battle anemia.

Insurance paid 70-80 percent of all of Tegan's vet/medical bills.

Pet insurance is well worth considering.

[Clogs]

I must say Rosie has cost us a small fortune over her seven years. She had multiple visits for a range of problems including a few vaginal infections as a small pup, (these cleared once she was speyed), gut infections, (she has a very delicate system...) back problems (requiring anti-inflamatories and acupuncture) and surgery for two eye ulcers. (one uber expensive, the other not so much)
By the time you take all the professional fees, plus the drugs etc, it tallies up to a significant amount.
But we have no insurance...