At our hospital, we always discuss insurance with our owners at puppy and kitten visits, at least the first one, and sometimes others. I especially discuss it at length with owners of "high maintenance breeds" like bulldogs and shar pei. We really stress that they need to buy the policies when the dogs are pups with no pre-existing conditions, but invariably, we get those who want to look into insurance AFTER the bad stuff starts. For some that say that the insurance is too expensive, I advise that they at least consider a policy that covers only catastrophic things - not the comprehensive ones that cover yearly visits and elective procedures. That way, should something really bad happen, they won't be faced with choosing between treatment or euthanasia.

One family I know, after adopting a lovely cocker at the shelter, then finding that she has chronic allergies and cocker ear problems, started a huge change jar that serves as a slush fund for the dog. They have a family of teenagers, so with all family members contributing all their pocket change every day, they always have money to pay for stuff for the dog. In the cooler months, they are able to save enough to keep Sandy in medicine and treatments when she has problems in summer. I have told many clients about this method and have had some who actually started their own similar system.

I figure the more clients we help to plan ahead, the more patients we will eventually get to treat and we won't have to worry about whether we will be able to make a living.

Lisa August 16th, 2008 10:16:00 AM

Lisa - I had to chuckle when I saw "...after adopting a lovely cocker at the shelter, then finding that she has chronic allergies and cocker ear problems".

It takes a whole lotta pocket change to keep my cocker in meds for allergies and ear problems! - Larry

(full disclosure I was told by the rescue she was given up for those reasons…but she was just sooo cute. Totally worth it.)

Larry August 17th, 2008 12:49:00 AM

I was hoping to get pet health insurance for my dog, but after looking at the policies and talking to other people, it didn't seem like he was a good candidate. He was seven or eight when I got him and heartworm positive. I know the health insurance won't cover pre-existing conditions and, at eight, it seems like they could argue that a lot of things are pre-existing? (Well, besides emergencies like being hit by a car or etc.) Anyways, I did get a Carecredit card with a decent limit on it. I'm still thinking of getting insurance for my cat, though.

Tara August 17th, 2008 09:11:00 AM

@Tara: One of the biggest complaints about pet insurance is that it doesn't cover pre-existing conditions. Insurance is one thing you can't get when you need it most so our message has always been to get it when your pet is healthy. Some pet insurance companies like Trupanion only insure young pets. Trupanion is trying to remove the uncertainty of pre-existing conditions around pet insurance by excluding those most likely to have them - older pets. This is a novel approach and time will tell if it will be a successful one.

Our advice to pet owners with older pets (roughly, 5 years and older) is to request a medical history review prior to signup. Most companies will do this and you can then get any issues in writing up front. We believe this creates a better experience for everyone involved.

Alex August 17th, 2008 09:54:00 AM

Tara, there are huge variations in policy coverage. I spent half a day at petinsurancerview.com about a year ago and it was clear one company provided a lot more coverage at a lower price than the rest. My hope is they don't go out of business because their policies are so much better (that they are not underpricing), and that people find out about them to keep them in business.

I have never seen a simple spreadsheet comparing pet insurance policies. Some do not cover chronic conditions, some not genetic, a very few both. It isn't that hard to learn about them but it does take a bit of effort.

Personally, I think truanion is not worthwhile. A pet must be insured while it is young. It will likely be several years before claims are made, and the lifetime cap of $20,000 makes it seem like more of a supercharged savings account than insurance. Trupanion does do a good job commenting on blogs, however (persons associated with it were finally asked to not comment on one other site earlier this year).

Erich Riesenberg August 17th, 2008 05:30:00 PM

Erich: I don't think I've ever had a Trupanion commenter, but I'd welcome them--as long as they added to the discussion (for example, as Alex does). Outright salesmanship is not only rude, it does their product a disservice (methinks).

Dr. Patty Khuly August 18th, 2008 08:49:00 AM

Trupanion apparently recently began selling in the US. On petconnection.com blog, the only other pet blog I regularly read, there may have been about 10 comments from people extolling the virtues of the product in response to a post during the past year. One of the blog writers finally requested they stop.

Another interesting thing about trupanion, my recollection is they are the only pet insurance agency underwriting their policies. The other agnecies all use independent insurers.

I am just glad a few good companies have come out. When I got my first dog in 2003 it was not a good market.

Best of luck to anyone. Be sure to read the policy terms.

Erich Riesenberg August 18th, 2008 10:11:00 AM

Oh, and I think Alex miswrote with this comment: "Some pet insurance companies like Trupanion only insure young pets."

Trupanion is the only company I ran across which insures pets only under the age of one.

It is a great business model. Run the future value of $400 in annual premiums for 10 or 15 years at 5 or 8%. Which is why I think of it as a supercharged savings account, rather than insurance.

Erich Riesenberg August 18th, 2008 03:43:00 PM

I'm sold on pet insurance. I used to have an emergency fund for my pets - a piggy bank and at times, a savings account at a bank. This past January I emptied the piggy bank and it had $800 in it. I'd been thinking about getting health insurance, but when I thought about how far that $800 would go I stopped thinking and got insurance for my 2 dogs and cat. All 3 of them have always been healthy so my thought was that I may eventually need it when they got older. I certainly didn't think I'd be using it any time soon.

Then, on July 10 my 7 year old dog, Lydia, was diagnosed with cancer. I can tell you that having insurance has been a huge thing for me! It's meant that I can concentrate on helping Lydia fight the cancer and not worry so much about where the money is coming from. I'd be running up some major credit card bills if she didn't have health insurance, and I know I'd be losing a lot more sleep!

Therese August 18th, 2008 10:17:00 PM

I'll have to check out Embrace pet insurance since it sounds like they may work with my dog. I got him when he was older, or I would have insured him at a young age.

Therese - What insurance company do you use?

Tara August 23rd, 2008 11:58:00 AM

Tara, I have PetPlan for Lydia and have been very pleased with them. They have an age limit though and don't sign pets up after a certain age, so I went with Pets Best for Archie. He turned 10 in June.

Therese August 25th, 2008 12:41:00 AM

If your pet has any symptom at all, tell the vet.  I'm not kidding.  For cats, vomiting without hairballs at the rate of once a month can turn into twice a month, then every week, then every day.  Before you know it that beloved kitty who the vet always gave a bill of health to each year may have a chronic and long case of Inflammatory Bowel Disease.  If left untreated this can turn into gastrointestinal cancer.

My sweet Shaneeka was beautiful and smart.  She and Freddy were the same age, raised as kittens together from different sources, and were companions.  They would walk around the block with me, even if I had friends or family walking with us.  They would stop to check out the bushes, flowers, and lizards, then look ahead and jog, kitty style, to catch up.

Shaneeka would lay on my lap for up to two hours as I studied or watched TV.  She would hop onto my side when I slept.  She could not balance herself the last night of her life, so I slept on my back so that she could place herself on my legs, with her front paws on my knees.  She was very weak and I was syringe-feeding her baby food meat, buy she was my happy, cuddly girl.

I had wanted to get insurance, any insurance, who cares, in recent years, but was talked out of it by a person who can easily forget a pet.  He is only concerned about money, spreadsheets, and stock analysis.  These things are good.  I have done an financial analysis for my remaining pets.  I assure you, that if you pay:

Example, my cat Shaneeka and my mom's cat, Mini did not need hospitalization for 12 and 17 years respectively.  If they had been signed up for insurance ten years ago, it would have paid off this past week when we were devasted by the inability to pay the hospital bills and had to euthanize or greatly loved companions.

Insurance for One month = $26.50;  One year = $310; Ten years = $3100

Cost to save Shaneeka = $3000 (exploratory surgery, chemotherapy, and other stuff included)

Cost to save Mini = $5700

Amount we would have paid in insurance for EACH cat over 10 years = $3100 

They are gone and it need not be this way.

So what if preventive care is not covered by insurance.  I can afford the $200-400 per year on wellness exams, rabies shot, parasite test, and teeth and gums cleaning.  I just could not, as a graduate student with a disabled and retired mom, afford the prices listed above.  I gave Shaneeka what I could afford in terms of medicine to treat symptoms, but I could not affort the treatments that would prolong her beautiful life.  What happened to my mom's cat was different.  The vet messed up with the oral surgery to remove rotten teeth, debride the roof of her mouth, and clean out an abcess.  She ended up in shock and had to be rushed to an emergency room.  There, she was euthanized.

Think carefully about your relationship with your loved ones, including pets.

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