# Pet insurance



## rla1996 (Feb 3, 2016)

Does anyone have, or have had in the past, insurance on their dog? I've never really thought of it before as my dogs have always been healthy, but my mom's dog recently got sick and I've been considering it. How does it work? Is it worth it? What does it cover and what doesn't it? Any advice would be appreciated.


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## Moonfall (Nov 16, 2012)

I have considered it too but decided against it in the end. I put money in a savings account instead.

Most insurance will not cover genetic things or "pre-existing" conditions. It also will only cover things once usually, so if your dog is prone to tummy trouble, it'll cover it once but never again.

If you opt to get it, do lots of research about the company first.


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## Suki1986 (Nov 21, 2015)

Theres 4 different covers you can get for insurance so it's best to read up about it. I've got lifetime cover for Archie. I know he's fit and healthy but if he gets run over and needs an operation with ongoing meds then I won't be able to cover it financially every month - I pay the excess and the insurers pay the rest, even on a long term medical condition.
I'd say it's worth having.
Best to research the different covers and see which suits you best. I'd say pay more and guarantee you're covered.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## SinisterKisses (Sep 20, 2015)

Moonfall said:


> It also will only cover things once usually, so if your dog is prone to tummy trouble, it'll cover it once but never again.


I'm not sure what companies you looked into, but that's not something I've ever heard.

No, they won't cover pre-existing conditions that have been documented on your dog's vet file. So, with Finley and Gizmo, we signed them up for insurance as soon as we brought them home - to make sure that almost nothing could be considered a pre-existing condition. With Tink, we don't have insurance - by the time we really thought about getting it (when we got Gizmo two years ago), she was already 9 years old - the monthly premium was hefty due to that, and she already had some conditions that wouldn't be covered as they were pre-existing.

However, with our policy, illnesses that are not pre-existing and covered are absolutely NOT a one-shot deal. Finley was just diagnosed with micro vascular dysplasia, a liver disease, at 7 months old when he went in for his neuter. The insurance company covered our costs for anything to do with that issue - blood work, in this case - minus our deductible. And absolutely everything to do with his liver condition for the rest of his life (or as long as we have this policy) is now 100% covered. The deductible was a one-time deal, so we never have to pay that again - even if the next issue isn't for another five years.

I am in love with pet insurance.


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## aundy (Dec 30, 2013)

I was just looking up the same thing for my parents chi that recently got sick. I have 4 on Petplan and some times it pays and some times its a hassle. There's a deductible for each illness/accident that starts over yearly. Considering how high a vet bill can become I like having it in case of emergencies. While I was researching I came across Nationwide Pet Insurance. I think is fairly new pet insurance but its well known for other insurance. They have different plans and one that's a little higher than my parents need but covers accident and wellness, so much more than Petplan. Now I cant switch because of pre-existing. Worth checking into!


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