I posted earlier but we had a Chihuahua we just put down at 6. All of his health problems started when we took him in for a limp and doctors said he probably needed ACL surgery. The doctor gave him pills to take for pain-- and then everything spiraled from there. Small dogs, ACL issues are common. We will never know if the pills caused his autoimmune disease he then was diagnosed with.. most likely it was genetic. Good luck with the little guy would definitely recommend insurance especially to cover/help with major surgeries. Like I stated earlier, we spent over 10k in 6 years and just had to put him down.
OT: Pet Insurance
- Thread starter Nowucme
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Bottom line is, it's a gamble. Personally, we had to charge many of the vet bills because we did not have the cash upfront or saved. Depends on your situation I guess, however going forward if we ever get another one, we would definitely get insurance to have peace of mind.
They take every single note from every single vet visit and go through it with a fine tooth comb. The unstable knee will be a pre existing condition that will go through her life except if an actual injury happens to it. I am not sure how they handle rescue animals without a history- I am going to assume they will have a detailed physical they will want from your vet. Again- if you are like most of us- they will always be your 5 y/o child. So, you get the insurance just in case and if that "in case" happens, it gives such ease of mind to just tell a vet to do what ever the F they can to save their life or to make it more comfortable. :)
It is the saddest thing. Like I said- he was highly trained, original purpose was going to be the army. So he was trained for protection physical and service. And to top it off- just being a German Shepperd. He was the one to protect us- my wife and I used to not understand why everytime anyone stood up from the couch just to go anywhere, he would jump up and follow you until you came back. Until we realized, that is what made him happy. Now, for him to need help and there are times he wants to jump up and put his paws on our shoulder- and he cant do it. It is so sad for such a proud dog. But he does what he can and he is still happy.
Thoughts, recommendations.
Never had a dog until now.
Never had a dog until now.
Great-looking dog (for the half-second or so I can get a steady look,lol).
Owned two retrievers in the past and didnt have insurance. Did not end up needing it.
Did need to have the vet on speed dial through puppyhood for the weekly, "He ate X.... is he going to die?!" call. Whole knee sock proved the worst of those foraged snacks.
Have a giant breed now and have not had insurance. As she gets older am pondering it as worry about various health conditions.
Owned two retrievers in the past and didnt have insurance. Did not end up needing it.
Did need to have the vet on speed dial through puppyhood for the weekly, "He ate X.... is he going to die?!" call. Whole knee sock proved the worst of those foraged snacks.
Have a giant breed now and have not had insurance. As she gets older am pondering it as worry about various health conditions.
Be very thorough reading the fine print. Even though your dog has been healthy, if you ever brought her to the vet for anything minor, they may use it to not cover something else later.
Plus, insurance on an older big breed is the most costly.
For us, it did pay off. Our big guy went in for cold laser treatments every two weeks. And it was covered 80%
Mr Screw didn't have pet insurance for the last 2 cats. One ended up as a diabetic needing 2x/day insulin shots for 8 years & the other ended up with cancer & died after a short period oral chemo. $$$$$$ all out of our pocket
Current 2 cats, both rescues, he got pet insurance. One ends up with bladder crystals every other year. Insurance covers the meds.
We did a road trip after the USC game in October (LA to Fort Worth) Our cat sitter calls telling him cat is peeing blood, indicating a pretty serious bladder infection. She takes the cat to the local vet who says they need Northstar. She then takes the cat to Northstar who tells us cat needs emergency surgery. $5200 later cat is fine, we fly home a day early from vacation & pet insurance covers $3900.
Get the pet insurance
Current 2 cats, both rescues, he got pet insurance. One ends up with bladder crystals every other year. Insurance covers the meds.
We did a road trip after the USC game in October (LA to Fort Worth) Our cat sitter calls telling him cat is peeing blood, indicating a pretty serious bladder infection. She takes the cat to the local vet who says they need Northstar. She then takes the cat to Northstar who tells us cat needs emergency surgery. $5200 later cat is fine, we fly home a day early from vacation & pet insurance covers $3900.
Get the pet insurance
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What Mrs screw says. We have a 9 month old golden. We were warned prior to get insurance. Goldens are naturally curious and like to eat things they shouldn’t (socks underwear etc). 2 ER visits later the policy has paid for itself.
MetLife policy also covers well visits after small deductible. Something most don’t. Reimburse at 90%.
Did you get pet insurance and , if so, what would advise someone asking the same question you did?
Your dog is beautiful. How old is she?
1st get her trained, there's a very well regarded dog trainer here in Howell on my road Brown Rd., Kindred Souls. I would not go the PetSmart route. A trained dog is a great dog, not trained can become a pain in the ass. It's great solicitation for your dog to be around other dogs in a training environment. It also helps new dog owners as it teaches you as well. Don't worry, not all dogs pass obedience class. Great Pyrenees are untrainable we tried, we were the worst dog in the entire place. But they're LGD so they spend most of their time outside on the farm and already know their job.
2nd pet insurance, a small dog I don't recommend it, even if they get hurt, it's minimal cost. Medium size dog it's up to you, if you want to roll the dice (yours is medium). Large dogs we learned the hard way with a knee surgery, get it. Large dogs tend to have more problems with joints and man over $10k hurts. Savannah to this day still chases birds off the farm and every time I see it, I have PSD.
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Most times pet insurance is essentially paying in advance for treatment later in life. Most often, however, it is just lost money.
The cost is around $50 per month. Instead of paying the insurance company, just “self insure” - put $50 per month in a bank account. After 10 years you will have $6,000 saved (plus interest) should your pet need it. The procedure might be more than this, but most of these plans only pay around 80% and they have fairly low caps and won’t pay for all treatments. So if you have insurance there is a small chance you will save a few thousand $ but it is far, far more likely you will lose out. If your pet doesn’t need expensive treatments you will still have your money
We have had 4 dogs- two boxers and two German Shepherds
Insurance on all of them and thankfully, we had it.
Let's say over the life of a dog, it will average maybe $300-500 each year. But very important to get coverage as a puppy and make sure you select a reputable insurance carrier. You cannot carry over existing conditions to a new provider.
Let's say a dog lives 12 years- you will drop maybe $4-5k on insurance. 1 single surgery will usually cost you double that in surgery and medication, follow up visits. If your dog gets sick and they need to do a stool, blood or urine sample- each will cost you between $100 - 300
Ear infection, skin condition - drop another $300 or so
Sprain - another 300-500
And god forbid they get something serious- $20-50k
And if they live their life 100% healthy and you only do your yearly wellness- then be so happy your dog had such a wonderful life and you got to sleep at night for that $300-500 per year.
Coverage for one ER visit to Northstar or Red Bank late at night makes up for several years of premiums.
When we got our first dog we had Pet Plan. When he was about 2 years old he ate some poisonous mushrooms on a family vacation. Had to be hospitalized. The bill ended up being $1500. I was very skeptical that Pet Insurance was anything but a scam but I submitted the claim and sure enough a couple weeks later I got a check for $1200. So long story short they do pay!
From what I read from the experiences some on this thread talked about, not having a pet health plan should scare anyone that will want to keep their pet around them and willing to pay what it takes to do so.
If you're not willing to do the best you can for your pet and pay what's needed to keep them healthy, getting a pet is not for you. They are a commitment,, not a disposable toy
But also we don't owe our pets the same level of commitment as a human. If a vet tell you your dog needs a $6000 surgery it's actually OK to say no.
I'm calling BS on that...If you are a pet owner that feels this way- then again, a pet is not for you.
Most of us do treat our pets like a family member. While I get it- maybe not the exact level- but that decision not to spend the $6k- should be a decision that is felt down to your very soul.
Not what you were talking about but,
Sometimes I think people take it too far. We had friends who were having their dog at 14 going through cancer treatments. The dog looked miserable and at some point, quality of life considerations should be considered. The decision we made for our eldest Rawley was tough, but we felt the right one to put him down. Once they start getting to their life expectancy you have to start thinking, am I really helping the dog and what kind of life is he/she living or am I just fulfilling my own needs.
Great point
Quality of life is a major issue when deciding the best course to take , especial after your pet reaches his/her golden years.
But from when you first take on the commitment to bring a pet into your life, you must be willing to try and make sure they stay in the best of heath and do what's necessary for your pet to live a good healthy life until it becomes apparent they can't have a good life with the time they probably have left and what they would have to endure to live longer .
I understand this. But never an easy decision and it is made with love not $$$
A year and a half.
Forgot if I mentioned this last winter (when we got her), she was a rescue from Mississippi. She had great care down there. Arrived at 6 months already knowing to jingle the door to go out, sit, paw and great on a lead. Also wonderful with all her other dog cousins too. Spayed, chipped and all her shots as well.
Loves people and all dogs. She’s great with my 91yr old Mom. It’s like she knows my Mom is the matriarch.
We are very lucky. I was the last holdout in my whole family, on both sides, for a dog. If I knew it would be her I would have done this a long time ago.
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This is who and what Dixie is according to the dog version of 23&Me:
She is going to therapy dog school now with my Wife. They had a field trip to Tractor Supply the other day and she did fine.
She’s already gone to Home Depot with me many times as they are cool with any dogs. Has also visited my Mom at two different assisted living places and literally stopped traffic. LOL Staff and residents loved her and always ask when she’s coming back.
FYI…Dixie lives for and loves the attention.
She is going to therapy dog school now with my Wife. They had a field trip to Tractor Supply the other day and she did fine.
She’s already gone to Home Depot with me many times as they are cool with any dogs. Has also visited my Mom at two different assisted living places and literally stopped traffic. LOL Staff and residents loved her and always ask when she’s coming back.
FYI…Dixie lives for and loves the attention.
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No wonder she likes the snow so much. With that much Pyrenees she's got to be a good sized dog. Our new one Winston is 9 months old and is over 90 lbs. already.
Loves the snow, but not really a fan of the rain or the ocean. And we’re only a few blocks from the beach too.
She is over 60lbs now.
On a walk she notices and looks at squirrels, rabbits, birds, cats, etc. like they’re no big deal. But pity the fool of one of those who dare enter HER backyard.
That’s her and our backyard from last year.
This is from the most recent snowfall…
The polices I have read don't cover much of what you are talking about. They certainly are not paying for the $20-50K procedures. My brother has insurance for his dog that he is using now since the dog has some type of anal cancer. The insurance pays ~$80% for the surgery, but won't pay for chemo if that is neede.
Anyway, this is just my opinion. I will self insure. But I'm in a position where I can afford treatment for my two dogs should that ever be needed.
Just keep in mind that these insurance companies don't sell polices because they love your pets.
like everything else, you get what you pay for. ours covers even a portion of wellness visits. Chemo is covered as well as specialized services such as cold laser and acupuncture.
Good info you've provided. Thanks for sharing it.
What does a policy like the comprehensive one you're describing cost per month/year?
Think a little comparative math would be interesting.
For our 2 y/o German Shepherd, it is around $260 per year and our 6 y/o boxer, maybe just over 300.
But there are so many options- various deductibles, what % covered, max lifetimes etc.
I want to say our is unlimited lifetime, 70% and $250 deductible- plus, multi dog
Not too bad, thought it'd be more to cover some of the expensive and extra stuff mentioned.
Will have to look at available options. I just spent about $2,500 on my dog's teeth - having a chunk of that bill would have made it worthwhile but not sure it's something they'd have covered. It was a hereditary issue and ultimately might have been classed a non-essential.
Will have to look at available options. I just spent about $2,500 on my dog's teeth - having a chunk of that bill would have made it worthwhile but not sure it's something they'd have covered. It was a hereditary issue and ultimately might have been classed a non-essential.
Not sure what may be covered for teeth. Also, spayed or neutered- usually not covered. Or doing a chip.
