# Pet insurance advice in Canada?



## Hiroko (Oct 29, 2009)

How about VetInsurance? This pet insurance covers 90% of the bill and there is no claim or yearly limit (some other pet insurance company limit to $2000/year). I am very happy with what they have provided me when I lived in Canada. Now I am with Trupanion pet insurance since I live in the US.

I hope this helps. Let me know if you have other questions. I want your puppy to be happy


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## esSJay (Apr 13, 2009)

zephyr said:


> Hi all, just wondering if anyone has any recommendations about pet insurance options in Canada (we live in Ontario). Oscar is our only dog, and just a puppy right now -- but you never know what could happen!!
> 
> Some options I have looked at include:
> 
> ...


We don't have pet insurance for Molson or our cat Mindy, but we do set aside money every month to help with vet costs. I'm sure there are some other Canadian members who will jump in on the topic soon. I think that *arcane* sends her puppies home with petsecure, she may be able to provide you with some advice.


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## New Golden Mom (Dec 17, 2008)

We have Petsecure. Rufus came home with six weeks of insurance and we extended the coverage when the six weeks were up. We have had two claims and he's not quite 11 months old. One was for surgery he needed when he ate a piece of metal at the age of 4 months! The other was for a sprained ACL he got at the dog park about 6 weeks after the surgery. Both claims were dealt with very quickly and efficiently...we had a cheque within 10 days. Hope this helps.


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## KiwiD (Jan 14, 2008)

Another Petsecure member here. Have had it since 2002. There are various levels of coverage, which I'm sure you've discovered in your research, so that you can select the level that works best for you. We did have a exclusion placed on the policy for gastro intestional problems when we first purchased it back when Maddie was a puppy but it was removed after a reasonable amount of time when our vet confirmed there were no further issues. I live in Winnipeg where Petsecure is based so I usually get a cheque within about 5-7 days of faxing in my claim. 

The best advice is to get the insurance before any problems arise. We only bought ours way back when after we incurred an $800 vet bill after only having Maddie as a puppy for a few short days. After that incident I made up my mind to buy insurance and we haven't looked back since. We wouldn't really ever be able to change insurance providers now even if we wanted to (not that we do) because of all the pre-existing conditions she has.


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## zephyr (Sep 29, 2009)

esSJay said:


> We don't have pet insurance for Molson or our cat Mindy, but we do set aside money every month to help with vet costs. I'm sure there are some other Canadian members who will jump in on the topic soon. I think that *arcane* sends her puppies home with petsecure, she may be able to provide you with some advice.


Thanks for the advice! We do have money set aside and will continue that, but it's those really BIG costs that scare me! Oscar has had multiple "small" costs (coccidia treatment, some other parasite, now he has a bladder infection... poor guy!), which we have been fine to cover so far... though they do add up!



New Golden Mom said:


> We have had two claims and he's not quite 11 months old. One was for surgery he needed when he ate a piece of metal at the age of 4 months! The other was for a sprained ACL he got at the dog park about 6 weeks after the surgery. Both claims were dealt with very quickly and efficiently...we had a cheque within 10 days. Hope this helps.


Oh no poor guy! Eating metal-- SO scary!!! Oscar tries to eat EVERYTHING so that is very much a fear of mine...  (We are working on the "drop it/leave it" buuut it is slow going.) Thank you for your input, that is very helpful to hear. And I'm so glad your guy was okay!



Maddie's_Mom said:


> Another Petsecure member here. Have had it since 2002. There are various levels of coverage, which I'm sure you've discovered in your research, so that you can select the level that works best for you. We did have a exclusion placed on the policy for gastro intestional problems when we first purchased it back when Maddie was a puppy but it was removed after a reasonable amount of time when our vet confirmed there were no further issues. I live in Winnipeg where Petsecure is based so I usually get a cheque within about 5-7 days of faxing in my claim.
> 
> The best advice is to get the insurance before any problems arise. We only bought ours way back when after we incurred an $800 vet bill after only having Maddie as a puppy for a few short days. After that incident I made up my mind to buy insurance and we haven't looked back since. We wouldn't really ever be able to change insurance providers now even if we wanted to (not that we do) because of all the pre-existing conditions she has.


Thank you so much for sharing your story. I'm glad the insurance is working for you, and getting it early before any big health problems is definitely good advice and something we are hoping to do soon. It sounds like Petsecure is a good option; I am glad I asked the GRF community!  We aren't really sure about the coverage level at this point, it feels like such a "gamble" guessing what some future issue might cost, and I hate that -- BUT I don't want to look back later and wish we had paid a bit more over time to get more coverage when we really need it.

Thanks everyone for your advice!!


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## ILoveMyGolden (Oct 19, 2006)

Oh I was doing a search and wanted to bump this back up rather than start a new thread.

I am looking between:

*PC
PetCare
PetSecure
TruPanion*

I also googled VetInsurance as mentioned above, that is parented by TruPanion, so that's out!

So many options, all have pros/cons and varying fine print.

I would love to hear what other Canadians are paying and if they're happy.

I was all for the doggy savings account and was saving $65 into that. When you get a puppy in June...

$65 x 7 (June>Dec) = $455

Vet Bills for Nov/Dec "incident" was $948, I start at scratch again and there was for a short while a chance (and a good chance) we were going to need surgery (I don't need to guestimate that for you all). I have parents with a Golden who's been just over $20K in vet bills and I know I would go that far and pay (heaven forbid), but know how much of a burden that would be on me and my Fiance.

I have a $12000 Line of Credit I keep at $0. It was my emergency "fund" when I had my horse and I will use it as such for personal or Finlay emergencies -the money is there if I need it. However, that isn't "my" money, it's just a safety net that will still leave me owing.

One of my bajillion New Years resolutions is to get insurance for Fin. He went home with PetSecure Insurance which we did not renew. Both PetSecure and TruPanion have offered to waive enrollment fees.

I will be calling a few vet offices tomorrow to ask who they prefer to deal with/what insurers are best to their customers.

Looking to hear any and all from a Canadian Perspective.

Editing as I go.... I won't go into the full blah blah and edit pros/cons to each as I go!

PC -$44.81/Month, $100 Deductible, $5000 Per Accident/Illness
Bilateral condition limitations
Age Based Deductible Adjustments

PetSecure -Secure 3 $65.59/Month, $100 Deductible, $5000 Per Accident/Illesss
80% Coverage
Yes Hip Dysplasia
One annual deductible

TruPanion -$58.44/Month, $100 Deductible (I know I can make it less, but trying to keep it easier to compare!). 
Deductible will not go up with age
$20 000 lifetime coverage limit (I want to call and ask about this, I can't find it in writing on their site, just in other forums!)
Deductible is "per condition"

PetCare- Pain in the butt to figure out what plan I should choose, I don't know if I could be bothered!!!
Bilateral condition limitations


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## jackie_hubert (Jun 2, 2010)

We recently did a lot of investigation into pet insurance. Seems the frontrunners in Canadian pet insurance are Trupanion and PetSecure. Reviews can also be found here (Pet Insurance Review - comparison of VPI, ASPCA, etc.) but the website makes little sense in how it's broken down into Canada and US...

We got Trupanion for Cosmo in September. We pay 52.38/month with a $0 deductible and 90% coverage, which is a steal in Canadian terms. Does not go up with the age of the pet. Does not cover routine and preventative care like neutering/vaccines. The same plan now seems to be more like $65 - I guess they increased their prices. Policy states that premiums also depend on local cost of vet care so I think the plan should be cheaper for you.

Policy (https://www.trupanionpetinsurance.com/Content/files/policydocs_510/TrupanionPolicy.pdf) states no maximums, lifetime or otherwise. I know that US and Canadian Trupanion coverage is NOT the same so maybe the lifetime coverage max is a US thing.

Trupanion's plans are simple in that it doesn't matter what condition, there is no maximum, so from my understanding if your dog eats a nylabone and you need $10000 surgery or if you need to have $6000 worth of teeth extracted despite regular routine dental care they will cover that 90%. Most congenital issues like cancer are covered with the exception of hipdysplasia which you can get for an additional $10-13 a month. You have to have your dog neutered by 1 year of age.

The closest equivalent with PetSecure is their level 3 plan ($71/month) which has 80% payout, annual maximums of $5000 for illness and injury, and a $100 deductible, but you also get $350 worth of behavioural modification and alternative therapy and, as far as I can tell hip dysplasia coverage. Looks like you also get $400 worth of dental (not sure if preventative or accident/disease related). Their level 4 insurance also has some preventative coverage including neuter but the deductibles are very high and so is the premium.

Based on the prices now I'm not sure who'd I'd go with. I get a promotional price with PetSecure since they sponsor the BCSPCA where I work but I think I remember seeing that the promo was only on their lower level insurance.

We've submitted 2 claims now for Cosmo (both in the $100-200 range), both for diarrhea, both were covered 90%, minus vet fee within a couple of days. If we didn't have $0 deductible, however, it would probably not have been worth submitting.

If you can find better coverage with another company let me know! If you go with Trupanion let me know, I think I get something if I formally refer you.


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## Neigesdad (Nov 15, 2009)

Hello,

We have had PetSecure for Neige for quite some time. They have been very difficult to get things covered with regards to her gasto issues. (she did have issues before her coverage started) but they have not taken the exclusion off since we've been with them (5 years). Any issue that she has that causes stomach issues is not covered...after 5 years. Also, she had an enlarged liver, and that was not covered due to the fact that she had an upset stomach at the time. Lastly, they were nice enough to put an exclusion on her policy and verbatim, it read "Illness of unknown origin"?? I'm still not even sure what that means?? After questioning them repeatedly, they were nice enough to remove the policy that gave them the right to deny any of Neiges medical issues that they were not sure of?? I would not renew with them...


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## wenryder (Oct 21, 2010)

Canadian here.

Obie is 4 1/2 months old. He had a uti when we got him, and we had it cleared up pretty quick with antibiotics. We then took out insurance with Petcare.

Here we are two months later, and he has come down with another uti. Long story with the vet, but she insisted we do an xray ($600 in total with culture and urinalysis) and so we tried submitting it as a claim. It's been a few weeks and we still haven't heard from them (I haven't bothered to call them either, though... with the holidays and all) which tells me they probably aren't going to cover it. 

My advice? Others seem to be having good luck with other companies, I would go with those ones.


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## goldenboy2010 (Nov 23, 2010)

We have Petsecure and are paying $45 a month but with a $300 deductible. I figured the only time I would make a claim is if something major happened to the dog so I went with the high deductible. 

I have never heard of Trupanion until I read these posts. Now I am thinking of switching to Trupanion as our puppy keeps having minor issues and at least we could get back the medication costs. It would be around $54 a month with a $0 deductible. We don't plan on neutering our dog - they won't cover anything that could have been prevented if we had neutered the dog. 

When you add it up over the year, pet insurance costs so much...


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## Laurie (Sep 20, 2009)

We have President's Choice insurance for Austin and Lincoln. We did not insure Reno because of his age. Whatever care he needs, we just pay for.

I did the research between PC and the other companies available in Canada and felt the PC was the better one for us. We pay $54.00 for both dogs and have a $100.00 deductible. I just recently submitted a claim for Austin's ear infection and Lincoln's abscess. I received my money in 7 days. The only thing I don't like about it is the co-insurance provision but I believe the others also have it.


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## GoldenSummer (Mar 26, 2010)

Petsecure here too, I've had great experiences with them. I have Tyson on the secure 4 (which is the top plan) and it covers everything from teeth care to regular vet apointments his fixing, microchipping, flea and heart worm prevention and etc. The faster you get a puppy on a plan the better because anything that happens before the insurance kicks in won't be covered. they have different plans with different coverages and costs so they'd probably have a plan that could work for you


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## jackie_hubert (Jun 2, 2010)

Laurie said:


> We have President's Choice insurance for Austin and Lincoln. We did not insure Reno because of his age. Whatever care he needs, we just pay for.
> 
> I did the research between PC and the other companies available in Canada and felt the PC was the better one for us. We pay $54.00 for both dogs and have a $100.00 deductible. I just recently submitted a claim for Austin's ear infection and Lincoln's abscess. I received my money in 7 days. The only thing I don't like about it is the co-insurance provision but I believe the others also have it.


Do you pay $54 dollars for each of the dogs or both combined? 

Do you have 80 or 90% payout?


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## Goldilocks (Jun 3, 2007)

I used to have Purinacare pet insurance for Pippa. It was great and covered everything including spay, teeth cleaning, annual vaccinations. heart worm testing, heartworm meds, annual exam and annual wellness bloodwork as well as any illness or accidents. I never had an issue with claims. Also, after a year of no instances of ear or skin infections, they removed these preexisting conditions from her record. This insurance was great for us for the first couple of years. However, they slowly began to increase the monthly premium, increase the deductible and lower our coverage from 80% to 70%. I crunched some numbers and decided I was better off to set up an account for emergencies and cancel the insurance. I would have been paying way more in premiums than my annual vet bills.


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## Laurie (Sep 20, 2009)

jackie_hubert said:


> Do you pay $54 dollars for each of the dogs or both combined?
> 
> Do you have 80 or 90% payout?


It is $54.00 per month for both dogs combined. 

We have an 80% payout. 

We are under what is called the Choice Plan.


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## ILoveMyGolden (Oct 19, 2006)

This is great everyone, thanks for posting, love to hear more!


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## Kwk (Nov 1, 2009)

We are using Trupanion and pay about $39 per month with a $300 deductible and a 90% payout. We also went with the higher deductible as we really only wanted the coverage for any major incidents. We filed one claim a couple of months ago for a visit we had to the emergency vet clinic and it was processed and paid in about one week.


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## ILoveMyGolden (Oct 19, 2006)

I am thinking Trupanion. $200 Deductible, $53.10/month.

I don't see the value in having everything/regular costs covered through pet insurance as when I got a dog, those were "givens" to me. I really want this for security in an emergency situation, and I think Trupanion offers the best fit for price, unlimited payout/no limits per incident and what I am looking for from pet insurance.

I have an email with a load of questions from them, we'll see what I get back and go from there.


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## Jessie'sGirl (Aug 30, 2010)

Guess I'm the odd one here. I have petcare and am very happy with it. They have covered two obstructions , one that required surgery and three days of vet care, in a relatively short time. My only complaint is that it takes a couple of weeks for the $$ to come. So far I've been lucky and the money has always arrived before my credit card payment is due.


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## Braccarius (Sep 8, 2008)

I have had PetSecure (and did confirm that they did cover genetic faults like HD, ED and PU) but I cancelled it after a year on both of my dogs. Their coverage amounts and costs make it obviously prohibitive and they denied two claims I submitted out of 4. I never got past the deductible on either dog because of it. Pretty much I paid them, and the vet... and they just took my money without giving anything back for a year on each dog. Plus, on things they should have covered they claimed they were previous problems.


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## ILoveMyGolden (Oct 19, 2006)

When I called my vet's office yesterday, I spoke with a lady who has had both Pet Secure, and TruPanion. She first spoke from a professional side (working for the vet's office) and who they deal with. She said that PS can be a pain in the butt with claims and a big into denying. TP is more no questions asked, here's your money (I'm sure that's not always the case, but it didn't sound "as bad").

She started with PS with her first dog, when she got a 2nd got a quote and it was double what TP was with the same deductible (so she upted for TP), she has made claims with both and PS gave her grief claiming newer claims were related to previous claims when they weren't. Didn't sound fun.

The coverage amounts are a biggie for me. My parents have a Golden (my avatar pic, who has had two TPLO surgeries done and if I was on PS, I would have a max to my coverage, and know with the "bi-lateral" limitations I would still be paying. TP I wouldn't be, I want the insurance for biggies like that....$5000 is an easy limit to get through in terms of big emergencies and if I'm already paying a monthly premium for emergencies than why have limits? Regular care I can handle, for me -this is for the big stuff and I think TP does it best from how it all looks now!

When I think about going with PS, I think "what would I be missing" that I don't get with TP, and then I think of going with TP and I feel less nervous about making the right decision for us!


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## Sydney's Mom (May 1, 2012)

ILoveMyGolden said:


> When I called my vet's office yesterday, I spoke with a lady who has had both Pet Secure, and TruPanion. She first spoke from a professional side (working for the vet's office) and who they deal with. She said that PS can be a pain in the butt with claims and a big into denying. TP is more no questions asked, here's your money (I'm sure that's not always the case, but it didn't sound "as bad").
> 
> She started with PS with her first dog, when she got a 2nd got a quote and it was double what TP was with the same deductible (so she upted for TP), she has made claims with both and PS gave her grief claiming newer claims were related to previous claims when they weren't. Didn't sound fun.
> 
> ...


Hi - I know this post was a couple of years ago, but wondering what your experience with Trupanion has been like? I read you have to pay deductible + vet visit + taxes before the 90% gets worked out. Has this been your experience?


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## scraps (Nov 3, 2011)

Resurrecting an old thread to add my 2 pennies.

We took our girl to the vet's to get chipped and they were offering a free 6 week trial period for Petsecure insurance. One week later our girl went in for what would become several visits and over $2500 worth of "she ate a toy and we had to surgically remove it". Petsecure paid. Promptly. Now that we have signed up, they will definitely make their initial "investment" back but I'm paying for piece of mind. 

Here is a picture of our girl in a t-shirt (instead of a "collar of shame" to keep her from licking the incision). I worried that I might not see her again until they found the problem.

I'm one of those guys that isn't shy about complaining, so I thought I aught to pipe up when something goes right. I have had no incidents to see if dealing with Petsecure is any less or more easy since I started paying for the service... but while it was free, it could not have been easier.


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## KiwiD (Jan 14, 2008)

We've had pet insurance since 2001. We are also with Petsecure, previously known as Petplan until 2008. It sure helped out when our bridge girl was diagnosed with Hemangiosarcoma. Not sure If I've come out ahead of the game over all the years but the peace of mind is worth it to me. Sorry to hear about the toy eating incident but glad you had the insurance to fall back on.


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## Yaichi's Mom (Jul 21, 2012)

I had Brisby enrolled with Petsecure for about 1 year and was please with it. The were prompt with the payout for her front leg lameness last summer.

In the interim a friend told me about OSPCA pet insurance that she has for her 2 Goldens. 

My premium is lower, for better coverage with no limit per condition. In addition this policy covers up to $500/year for regular health visists: vaccines, dentistry, flea/heartworm etc. 

OSPCA Pet Insurance


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## Oakley&SegersMom (Feb 1, 2009)

We had PetCare for Seger and Oakley - the MasterCare Complete plan. I will NEVER take out insurance with them again. We were paying upwards of $100 per month per dog. There is a $150 deductible for every condition or incident per policy year, and a 30% co-payment on every single claim. Try to tell them 2 conditions or incidents were really one in the same - oh no way! They wanted their $150 deductible every time. The cheques (with a letter explaining all the deductibles) came quickly. But dealing with them on the phone for explanations was a nightmare. I once told one of the fellows on the phone that I felt sorry that he had to work for such a rigid insensitive company. I think there are better options out there. 11 years ago I wasn't as aware as I am now, I didn't do a lot of research and just went with the pamphlet in the vet's office. I know better now. Carol


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## siulongluiy (Apr 25, 2012)

I did a lot of research in trying to find the cheapest monthly when I started insurance with Oatmeal. I have him insured under HBC Pet Insurance backed by Western Financial Insurance. Initially I started paying $35 a month (up to $38 now 2nd year in) with a $150 deductible per year (NOT illness). The deductible changes over the years (which I think is reasonable) the older the dog the higher the deductible. Though this only changes at 5 years, 7 years and 10+ years. They cover up to 80% of the fees and will cover any illness (yes even hip dysplasia).

Touch wood, I have not had to use it yet, but I feel that at $35 a month, it is a low cost to have to pay to have peace of mind. I have called them quite a few times to understand their policy and the customer service seems very helpful and are very quick and getting things done.


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## ceegee (Mar 26, 2015)

I'm resurrecting this old thread because I want to take out insurance for my new pup, and am hesitating between PC Insurance and Trupanion. PetCare is not available in Québec.

What I'm really after is catastrophic incident coverage, specifically cancer or accidental injury. My Ruby died of cardiac hemangiosarcoma and her illness was of short duration. Even so, the final bill was several thousand dollars. if longer-term treatment had been a possibility, it would have been cripplingly expensive. I don't want this hanging over my head with my new dog.

Trupanion is attractive because their coverage is unlimited: they pay 90% of eligible expenses after the deductible (you choose the amount of deductible), and there's no upper limit. Also, the premium is reasonable if you choose a deductible of between $300 and $500. The downside is that they don't cover examination fees or specialists' fees. 

PC Insurance covers these things, but pays 80% and has an annual limit on coverage of $2,500 or $5,000, depending on the policy you choose.

It's not clear to me which would be the better choice. Advice is welcome! I'd also be interested in hearing about your recent experience with either of these companies, or suggestions for a different company.


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

I went with Trupanion because I was looking for catastrophic illness/accident insurance, too. For me, it's the fact that they don't have an annual or illness cap on pay out. Having gone through a cancer diagnosis, surgeries, and a hospital stay with my last girl, I know how high the bills can be. To be blunt, I spent more than $5000 in the first week alone (surgery, infection, hospital stay). That was before chemo began. 

So I totally recommend Trupanion. For me personally, paying for wellness exams, vaccines, the odd minor illness is all part of having a dog. You can manage that. It's when there is something huge that it is good to know 90% of it will be covered after your one-time deductible. (My deductible is $500).


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## GoldensGirl (Aug 2, 2010)

The topic of pet insurance comes up often on the GRF. Here's a link to an old thread that has a lot of information in it: http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com...-discussion/123022-saving-insurance-gr-7.html. After following it for a while, I invested in Trupanion insurance for Joker and Sunny. Joker was about 11 years old when I insured him and Trupanion was one of the few companies that would insure a dog that old. The premium was a bit over $70 per month for him and around $55 for Sunny, who was under 2 when the policy began. Premiums actually went down last year. Trupanion's deductible is per condition, not per year. 

In my experience, Trupanion does what they say they will do and they do it in a timely manner. The people are wonderful to deal with. I write this just weeks after they settled claims for Joker's last year and half struggle with kidney issues, seizures, and other conditions. I think the total amount they sent me was over $6,500, not counting their payments for my boy's surgery.

Consumer Reports published an article about pet insurance last year. They recommended against it for most animals, but found Trupanion to be the best. Given the many health issues Goldens have, I will never be without pet insurance again.


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## ceegee (Mar 26, 2015)

Sweet Girl said:


> I went with Trupanion because I was looking for catastrophic illness/accident insurance, too. For me, it's the fact that they don't have an annual or illness cap on pay out. Having gone through a cancer diagnosis, surgeries, and a hospital stay with my last girl, I know how high the bills can be. To be blunt, I spent more than $5000 in the first week alone (surgery, infection, hospital stay). That was before chemo began.
> 
> So I totally recommend Trupanion. For me personally, paying for wellness exams, vaccines, the odd minor illness is all part of having a dog. You can manage that. It's when there is something huge that it is good to know 90% of it will be covered after your one-time deductible. (My deductible is $500).


Thank you! I was leaning towards Trupanion for the same reasons as you, and will probably go with them. My hesitation was due to the fact that they don't cover "examination fees", which means they don't pay for specialist consultations. When Ruby was sick, the specialists' examination fees (oncologist, cardiologist, emergency vet) accounted for a non-negligible percentage of the total bill. However, they do pay for treatments, medications and surgery, so for injuries and diseases like lymphoma, where treatment can last many months, it would certainly be worth it.

Like you, I'd take the $500 deductible to keep the premiums down.

Here's hoping neither of us needs to claim!!


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## ceegee (Mar 26, 2015)

GoldensGirl said:


> The topic of pet insurance comes up often on the GRF. Here's a link to an old thread that has a lot of information in it: http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com...-discussion/123022-saving-insurance-gr-7.html. After following it for a while, I invested in Trupanion insurance for Joker and Sunny. Joker was about 11 years old when I insured him and Trupanion was one of the few companies that would insure a dog that old. The premium was a bit over $70 per month for him and around $55 for Sunny, who was under 2 when the policy began. Premiums actually went down last year. Trupanion's deductible is per condition, not per year.
> 
> In my experience, Trupanion does what they say they will do and they do it in a timely manner. The people are wonderful to deal with. I write this just weeks after they settled claims for Joker's last year and half struggle with kidney issues, seizures, and other conditions. I think the total amount they sent me was over $6,500, not counting their payments for my boy's surgery.
> 
> Consumer Reports published an article about pet insurance last year. They recommended against it for most animals, but found Trupanion to be the best. Given the many health issues Goldens have, I will never be without pet insurance again.


Thank you, that's very helpful. Here in Canada, Trupanion gets great reviews too, and I'm probably going to go with them. I agree with your last sentence about never being without pet insurance for a golden retriever. Ruby's illness was short, but even so it cost several thousand dollars. Even if I'd saved the equivalent of the Trupanion premium for the entire eight years of her life, it wouldn't have covered the bill. I can't imagine what a long-term illness such as lymphoma would cost.


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## GoldensGirl (Aug 2, 2010)

ceegee said:


> Thank you, that's very helpful. Here in Canada, Trupanion gets great reviews too, and I'm probably going to go with them. I agree with your last sentence about never being without pet insurance for a golden retriever. Ruby's illness was short, but even so it cost several thousand dollars. Even if I'd saved the equivalent of the Trupanion premium for the entire eight years of her life, it wouldn't have covered the bill. I can't imagine what a long-term illness such as lymphoma would cost.


I have had three beloved Goldens who each ran up veterinary bills of 15-20 thousand dollars. That's why I decided to get the insurance. It literally took me years to pay off the debt that I ran up for my Sabrina in the last year of her life. None of my dogs have had treatment for cancer, though Sabrina probably had cardiac hemangiosarcoma at the end. Things like kidney disease and seizures can also run up quite a bill. Joker's meds for seizures were quite expensive, as were Charlie's. And surgery for any reason is quite costly.

Good luck to you.


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## Sydney's Mom (May 1, 2012)

Sweet Girl said:


> I went with Trupanion because I was looking for catastrophic illness/accident insurance, too. For me, it's the fact that they don't have an annual or illness cap on pay out. Having gone through a cancer diagnosis, surgeries, and a hospital stay with my last girl, I know how high the bills can be. To be blunt, I spent more than $5000 in the first week alone (surgery, infection, hospital stay). That was before chemo began.
> 
> So I totally recommend Trupanion. For me personally, paying for wellness exams, vaccines, the odd minor illness is all part of having a dog. You can manage that. It's when there is something huge that it is good to know 90% of it will be covered after your one-time deductible. (My deductible is $500).


Agree 10000% with S. Trupanion because of the no limit coverage.

If you know you would treat long-lasting illnesses, it's the best way to be covered.

Especially for your new agility puppy, C!


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

ceegee said:


> Thank you! I was leaning towards Trupanion for the same reasons as you, and will probably go with them. My hesitation was due to the fact that they don't cover "examination fees", which means they don't pay for specialist consultations. *When Ruby was sick, the specialists' examination fees (oncologist, cardiologist, emergency vet) accounted for a non-negligible percentage of the total bill.* However, they do pay for treatments, medications and surgery, so for injuries and diseases like lymphoma, where treatment can last many months, it would certainly be worth it.
> 
> Like you, I'd take the $500 deductible to keep the premiums down.
> 
> Here's hoping neither of us needs to claim!!


That's a good way to think about it. In the grand scheme of things.. the examination is not a lot, even if the consult is $100+. Heck, an office call to my vet is now $80 + tax. But it really is minor in a major illness. 

And yes, I'd be thrilled if my years of paying into my plan never come back to me. So hear, hear to both of us never having to claim!


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## ceegee (Mar 26, 2015)

Just to update this thread: earlier today I took out insurance with Trupanion, and chose a $500 deductible to keep the premiums down. Their plan offers unlimited coverage, and they pay for 90% of eligible expenses.

I dithered for a while between Trupanion and Desjardins, a company recommended by several of my friends . The Desjardins premium is slightly higher ($5 per month) and coverage caps off at $4,000 per condition per year, renewable the following year. Their deductible is $100 and they cover 80%. That would, of course, cover most things, but there's always the possibility of catastrophic illness with Goldens, and in the end it was that thought that tipped the balance to Trupanion.

Here's hoping I never need it.


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