Insurance for dogs

[Kegman]

I have VPI and am getting frustrated with it. When you look at their pamphlet, they say they offer to pay for your dog's neuter, teeth clean or one other.

They fail to mention they will only pay $65 tops of that neuter that cost me 400!!! I might not have got him neutered if it wasn't for free.

This sort of misguiding behavior is repetituous with them and I'm about to dump them all together. I have money in the bank for emergencies.

Convince me why i should keep the insurance or tell me to dump it please.

[Novel]

I've always heard good things about VPI, and am always planning on signing up.
Is it something you could talk with one of their representatives about?
Did you get the emergency type plan, or the one that includes the vaccinations?

[mulroony]

I think it is useless. I would just set up a savings account and put $x dollars in every month that is solely for vet fees.Yes when you need that surgery it is expensive, but heck putting $25 away each month over 10 years is $3000. Not figuring interest or anything I would think this would get you through routine visits easily, and even help if something big comes up.

[fireworksinjuly]

Originally Posted by Kegman

They fail to mention they will only pay $65 tops of that neuter that cost me 400!!! I might not have got him neutered if it wasn't for free.

This sort of misguiding behavior is repetituous with them and I'm about to dump them all together. I have money in the bank for emergencies.

It actually very clearly states they allow $65 for neutering...

http://www.petinsurance.com/coverage...4EF2016257BAED
Vaccination & Routine Care Coverage Benefit Schedule

Procedure
Annual Benefit Allowance
Comprehensive physical exam
$10
Professional consultation (office call)
$10
Fecal Test
$10
Deworming
$15
Microchip Identification
$5
Choice of one of the following benefits:
FeLV/FIV test (cats only)
$15
Heartworm test
$15
Heartworm preventive medication
$15

Plus your choice of one of the following benefits:

Spay/Neuter
$65
Teeth Cleaning
(includes polishing, scaling, anesthesia and antibiotic treatment)
$65
Comprehensive health screen
(such as blood panel, urinalysis and EKG)
$65

Vaccinations Canine
DHL-P
$10
Parvovirus
$9
Rabies
$10
Bordetella
$8
Lyme Disease
$10
Corona Virus
$6

Vaccinations Feline
FVRCP
$15
FeLV
$15
FIP
$13
Rabies
$10
Prescription Flea Control
January - June
$15
July - December
$15

[cszmommy]

I like Banfield Hospitals pet care plan. It is affordable and they have different levels. Banfield Vet's are located in Pet Smarts

[shandoggy1]

I just got VPI for my boy, the superior plan which covers diagnostics, blood work, and all types of surgeries. I opted out of the routine care coverage because they only give back like 10 dollars with shots. They do say they only allow up to $65 for a neuter or spay so you may have read the brochure wrong and besides why was it so expensive to get him fixed $400 seems a little extreme for a puppy, an older dog I can see but not a pup. My vet charges $240 for a male and $300 & up for a female but again it depends on the age and weight of the dog. I personally got insurance on my pup after a friend of mine put over $8,000 into there GSD, if they had had insurance it would have been half the cost. I would stick with it I only pay $17.33 a month and to me it is worth it .

[Crossfire Bulldogs]

Originally Posted by mulroony

I think it is useless. I would just set up a savings account and put $x dollars in every month that is solely for vet fees.Yes when you need that surgery it is expensive, but heck putting $25 away each month over 10 years is $3000. Not figuring interest or anything I would think this would get you through routine visits easily, and even help if something big comes up.

I agree. Can you imagine how much of a monthly premium I'd be paying for 9 Bulldogs? I'll stick with my savings account.

[PawNclaws]

We were thinging about signing up..still thinking but we havent really thought about the monthy pyments and by reading I think it would cost a pretty penny for 5 dogs(sooon to be 6) and 2 cats- so maybe-maybe not.... Anywho A person we talked (a year ago) to said her cat was attacked and beaten by some teens(with a baseball batt), she said she had her cat on insurance and she only payed $1200 for the vet care which would of cost twice as much. We seen her cat was walking funny so we asked and the reason was because of metal plates in her rear legs(which were shattered) and thats when she told us what had happend and how much it cost. It was very sad what had happend to the poor baby(she was rather young) but I was very(very) happy to see some one take that action instead of putting the cat to sleep and giving up...So I'm with the pet insurance, it save money for such little a month for a pet or two... . But with more then two- well thats a bit of monthly there- With the new year we have vet checks and booster shots to get done not to mention our new puppy/show supplies/show expence account we will be starting/training/ and making sure no one feels left out/we are re-doing our back yard and patio/re-doing our play area(Blackie and Ajs play area)/re-seeding our frount yard/planting/kennels/ trying to get Bud trained (I'm thing of going for CGC first then hunt test next)- just swamped this year- so busy... Oh what a start to a new year....*sigh*-opps went off topic again- I say yay for Pet insurance for a few pets/savings for more then 2(we have 5 dogs/2 cats ) and we have $150 out each month so I say go with what ever you feel would benifit you and your companion. We just may not go with it- re-reading posts I think maybe it would be better for us to stick with the savings plan instead`

[Pugdawg1]

Ditto.. instead of paying monthly fees, I put money aside every single payday.. sometimes a lot, sometimes only a little. It's my method to the madness. LOL

And WOW on a 400.00 neuter!! The most I've paid for a neuter was 110.00, which included all the bloodwork prior to the surgery.

[shandoggy1]

I'm sorry for the people who think a savings account is better than the pet insurance. I guess it depends on how many dogs you have. Personally, I think $17 a month is nothing for a single parent who has a hard time saving at the moment, so I would rather stay with the pet insurance. I have heard nothing but positive things about it and working at the bank I see quite a few checks come in over the past year so alot more people are getting it. I mean I also have a credit card with quite a few grand on it in case of an emergency so I'm all set . I look at it this way, I have health insurance for me and my daughter so why not the dog. Vet care can cost thousands and thousands of dollars because of the technology they have today with cat scans and MRI's and all the other hightech equipment they have. I learned a lesson and didn't think twice when I saw my friend cashing in bonds and depleting their savings account to nothing to save there beloved friend who by the way is up to about $10,000 in vet bills If they had had insurance it would have been far less. I would hate to have to be faced with the decision of putting my dog to sleep because I can't afford the vet care so I will stick with the insurance

[Crossfire Bulldogs]

I think alot of it does depend on how many dogs you have Shan. I can see where in some situations it would be a great benefit for those with only one of two dogs.

When my big guy Ty was diagnosed with renal failure I know it would have helped, heck his meds alone per week were almost one hundred dollars and that didn't include his IV stuff. But, in my case ( multi dog household ) the cost per month for the insurance alone would have made it impossible for me to have continued coverage for my dogs or pay for the things Ty needed if I attempted to keep the insurance when he became ill.

[aspen]

after paying for a whole year of VPI premiums, i felt i was giving my dog a peace of mind in case anything should happen to him. a couple months ago he wasn't able to walk after our stroll in the park and i took him to a vet.

turns out it he sprained his back. well, VPI has it pretty much figured out how they didn't have to cover any of the $200 vet bill. for a sprain, they only cover $46 and the deductible was $50. their rep kept saying that if i had upgraded to their superior plan, it would have covered a lot more. i insisted on their doing the math, and it turns out it would have paid out a whopping $20.

so, save your premiums, as it would have covered the vet bill in my case. but what i really hate is how they advertise themselves as giving petowners a peace of mind with comprehensive coverage with a 90% payout for unexpected illnesses and accidents. it's just misleading.

what you need to be aware of with using pet insurance is that not only are certain preconditions not covered, any condition that is not listed in their pamphlet is also not covered. since we don't know what ailments will beset our dogs, it is a gamble that the insurance will pay off, if at all.