# Do I need pet insurance?



## prasanna1157 (Jun 26, 2015)

Following on from my previous question, http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com...ssion/399842-getting-new-puppy-things-do.html, do I need pet insurance?

What are some of the best options for pet insurance? I am totally new new to all this, so any advice is appreciated.


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## dezymond (May 3, 2012)

You don't *need* it, but it'd sure be good to have should a situation arise where you wish you had it. 

I have Maverick insured through VPI. I don't pay too much a month, and have used it twice already. The major one was a removal of a foxtail which required surgery, and I got almost half my money back. Was definitely happy I had insurance then and I will continue to pay for it so as long as he lives.


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## ceegee (Mar 26, 2015)

I agree, you don't need it, but you may decide you want it.

I didn't have insurance for my last golden, and she, like many, many other goldens, was diagnosed with cancer. Hers wasn't treatable, but even so, her last week of life cost me several thousand dollars, and if chemotherapy had been a viable option, it would have cost several thousand more. Having financed one catastrophic event, I'm thinking I'd like some kind of financial safety net with my new pup.

Having said this, my friends are divided about half-and-half on whether or not to take out insurance or set aside the equivalent of the monthly premium in a savings account (kind of like self-insurance). I'm a bit torn, but am coming to the conclusion that, for me, I'd just feel better with an insurance policy. If I had a breed other than a golden, I'd probably go the self-insurance route, though.


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

I did my own emergency vet savings for my first Golden. I thought I had a good amount. It was gone in the first week after her cancer diagnosis. Thankfully, I had other savings that I used for her subsequent surgeries and chemo.

I now have catastrophic illness/accident insurance for my current Golden. No cap on annual or illness pay out (that's key). I hope I never need to use it, but I'm glad I have it.


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## MsStatement (Dec 9, 2015)

We purchased insurance through Trupanion, after a 30 day trial from our breeder. We haven't used it yet but it covers accidents/illness, including any chronic conditions that may come up (although we would not have been able to use it for any preexisting conditions). Our puppy is 15 weeks old. The insurance isn't all that expensive but doesn't cover well checks and vaccinations. I'm hoping we won't really need it but it's a comfort to have.


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## murphy1 (Jun 21, 2012)

I had it for my dogue de bordeaux . He contracted Leptosporosis which was as I recall close to $5000.00 to save his life. They covered most of it.


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## migs (Nov 8, 2013)

Get it. When the time comes that you're sitting at the Vet for a serious issue, its nice to know you don't have to worry about the cost & your baby will get any & every possible option to help them.


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## prasanna1157 (Jun 26, 2015)

Thank you very much, everyone. I think I'll get the insurance, at least for the couple of years and then see how it goes.

Any suggestions as to which insurance to take and what kind of plan/policy? What are some of the things to look for? 

VPI and Healthy paws are just two names I've got from reading a few threads on this forum.


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## migs (Nov 8, 2013)

I have petplan insurance. I pay $36 a month & they cover 100% of the vet bill up to $20,000. I pay the first $200 and they cover the rest.
I had VPI but did not like the process in filing a claim. I felt it took too long & I felt like I was fighting to get them to pay. 
Petplan has been incredibly easy & no nonsense.


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## West1134 (Nov 3, 2014)

We didn't have pet insurance when we first got Kona. After the first few months, and a few emergency vet visits due to him ingesting things he wasn't supposed to, coupled with an extremely sensitive stomach that we finally got under control, we had dropped a few thousand dollars.

So we then signed up for pet insurance for $30/mo via PetPlan, and its essentially catastrophic insurance, meaning it won't cover most day to day things, but should he be hospitalized it'll cover us up to like $10-12k. Like you would expect, after buying it, we've never had an emergency trip back to the vet since, and haven't had to use it. I've thought a couple of times about cancelling it, but for $30/mo its cheap insurance to have should something big happen.

Can't speak to how well PetPlan is since we've never used it, but again, I like the peace of mind. If I could have done it all over again, I would've gotten the insurance the day we brought Kona home.

Hope that helps!


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

prasanna1157 said:


> Thank you very much, everyone. I think I'll get the insurance, at least for the couple of years and then see how it goes.
> 
> Any suggestions as to which insurance to take and what kind of plan/policy? What are some of the things to look for?
> 
> VPI and Healthy paws are just two names I've got from reading a few threads on this forum.


If you get it "at least for the first couple of years and then see how it goes" you will probably cancel it. With luck, you won't actually use it in the first few years of your dog's life. I look at it as a long-term plan (though I have actually made a claim twice). I hope to pay into it for many, many years before I need to use it again - and I will be happy if I never need to use it.

That's why, to me, no annual or illness cap on payout is the most important. I don't care about it covering annual wellness exams. For me it's catastrophic illness/accident insurance. And the costs for a cancer diagnosis can be thousands and thousands (tens of thousands) of dollars.


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## murphy1 (Jun 21, 2012)

I have VPI and pay around $40 a month. Never had a problem with them,,,,they always pay up. Just be sure on the dates of vaccinations. If you're off by one week they won't pay. Be sure they are a year apart.


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## prasanna1157 (Jun 26, 2015)

Thank you, everyone. I looked at the options and I am now down to Healthy Paws or Petplan.

I like Petplan because it has a 100% reimbursement option upto $22,000 a year, with a $200 deductible but I wasn't able to find out if they had limits on payouts based on the kind of problem. Does anyone have any information on this?

Petplan also covers vet exams for illness/accidents. Is this significant? Is the cost of a vet exam higher for illness/accident as compared to a regular visit? How much approximately is the cost of a vet visit?

As far as Healthy Paws, I like that they have no upper limit on coverage, and that they seem to have less exclusions than Petplan, but I am not able to decide if 80% (no limit)
coverage is better than Petplan's $22,000 a year coverage with 100% reimbursement.


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## GoldinPNW (Jun 23, 2015)

I went Healthy Paws because they cover holistic. I want all options for treatment if needed. I also took it because for a small fee I will never have to have the family discussion on the 10K that my friend just spent in a week trying to save his dog from a sudden onset illness. I figure I have insurance for me, my car so it makes sense for my dogs.

All plans get you if you sign up late in life. Everything that the dog was treated for can be considered preexisting. Sign up as a pup is my advice or when young and healthy.

I meant to add insurance to your other list. Healthy Paws was started by 2 guys that left Trupanion. They have a good on line interface and easy claims form.


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## prasanna1157 (Jun 26, 2015)

Thank you.

"I went Healthy Paws because they cover holistic. I want all options for treatment if needed." - Are you saying this in comparison to Petplan? Could you please tell me what you mean by holistic and what options you're thinking when you options for treatment?


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## Vettegirl (Jan 26, 2016)

I've had it on my two Weimaraners their entire lives, used it a couple times, it cost more than I have recovered, but now that one of mine is having heart problems, I'll be recouping at least several years worth of premiums. I just bought insurance on my new Golden puppy, especially knowing the predisposition to cancer that this breed has. It's really more designed for catastrophic care situations, but I can tell you, vet bills add up fast. An abscess on one of my cats involved close proximity to anus and urethra and a 2" diameter hole, compounded by a slight heart murmur - needed surgical, cardio - one day hospitalization - total cost, over $3000!


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## Panama Rob (Nov 26, 2015)

I plan on using Healthy Paws. I recommend insurance. My ex gf's dog was bitten by a cottonmouth and it was nearly $3,000. I don't ever want finances to play in a treatment decision. I want my dog to have the best care possible so I'll always have insurance


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## roonie (May 1, 2015)

We have Healthy Paws and submitting a claim couldn't be easier. You use their app and take a picture of your bills and send. Easy as that.


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## prasanna1157 (Jun 26, 2015)

I am still confused which one I should go with - Healthy Paws vs Petplan. For those of you using Healthy Paws, even if you had 90% coverage, would a $3000 or so bill cost a lot out of pocket, as against being covered 100% by Petplan for up to around $20,000 a year? That's the question that's still making me think!


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## CnCFusion (Feb 15, 2016)

prasanna1157 said:


> I am still confused which one I should go with - Healthy Paws vs Petplan. For those of you using Healthy Paws, even if you had 90% coverage, would a $3000 or so bill cost a lot out of pocket, as against being covered 100% by Petplan for up to around $20,000 a year? That's the question that's still making me think!


I guess it all depends on how many "bills" you will rack up. Total up the amount that you would be paying for both premiums, and see what the difference is. I am all for peace of mind, so would probably go for the unlimited benefit coverage but that's just me...


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## pattysnyder (Jan 27, 2016)

Just educate yourself before you spend any money. There is a huge amount of good and bad information online about pet insurance and you can check each company's reputation, read reviews, compare coverage and look at sites like BBB and Yelp to make sure their customers are happy. I'll include some goldie-specific resources below that you can reference if you're interested. Hope this helps!

Golden Retriever Pet Insurance | EMBRACE
https://www.petinsuranceu.com/golden-retriever-pet-insurance/
Golden Retriever Pet Insurance


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## rabernet (Feb 24, 2015)

I recently chose Healthy Paws, after feeling I was pretty firmly in the PetPlan camp - that was the one I was leaning towards originally. 

What swayed me in the end was: No claim limits, unlimited benefits with Healthy Paws. 



> For those of you using Healthy Paws, even if you had 90% coverage, would a $3000 or so bill cost a lot out of pocket, as against being covered 100% by Petplan for up to around $20,000 a year? That's the question that's still making me think!


PetPlan will only cover up to a certain dollar amount per year. Say that the coverage you pick is $22K, but your bills are more than $22K in a year? You are responsible for any care over that $22K a year. 

In your scenario for Healthy Paws, 10% of $3000 is $300 (remember you have to meet your yearly deductible first too - we chose $250 and 90% coverage). 

With PetPlan, the deductible is per incident, with Healthy Paws, it's per year, regardless of the number of incidents. 

While the 100% coverage was appealing to me for PetPlan, the unlimited coverage with Healthy Paws is what finally made my decision for me.


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## Hootie821 (Apr 15, 2016)

We just signed up for Healthy Paws for our 13 week Golden puppy after reading many of the positive posts about them here on the forum. I pray to God we never need to use it....but it will be there if we do. :smile2:


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