Durable dog beds, discount, large dog beds, pets beds − Pet insurance?

Pet insurance?

Posted May 5th, 2010 by admin

Does anybody here use pet insurance? My vet is recommending it, but it seems awfully expensive for what it covers.
I have a 4 year old Pomeranian and three cats, all are neutered and the cats stay indoors.

Tagged and categorized as: orthopedic dog bed , cats, google, insurance, neutered, pet insurance, pomeranian, script type, text javascript, vet Comments (16) | TrackBack URI

16 Responses to “Pet insurance?”

Embrace Pet Insurance
May 5th, 2010 - 6:17 pm
Hi Chellebelle

First, a disclaimer: I work for Embrace Pet Insurance in Cleveland, Ohio.

Let me say that pet insurance can seem confusing but it’s not really once you understand a few basic principles about insurance.

First off, insurance is designed to protect you from unexpected, undesirable, and expensive events. In other words, a vaccination doesn’t really fit the bill for "insurability", it’s something you can and should plan for though.

However, a dog eating a piece of string requiring immediate surgery fits the bill for insurance because the act of eating the string is totally unexpected, it can be very expensive (Embrace just received a $5,500 claim for a 1 y.o. labrador that ate string and required immediate surgery), and it is not desirable.

So you want to find a pet insurance plan that covers you for the unexpected & expensive things, not the everyday expenses that you can budget for. I think the reason you found pet insurance awfully expensive for what it covers is because you were getting plans that covered stuff that doesn’t technically qualify as insurance.

We’ve all been spoiled here in the US with health plans that pay for everything. Unfortunately all of that coverage comes at a high cost for human health insurance. I’m sure you’d like to avoid that for you and your pet.

The smartest type of pet insurance you can get is a high-deductible plan. If you have a few hundred dollars saved up for the deductible then you should definitely look at it as a real option. If your budget doesn’t stretch that far then get the highest deductible you can afford, it makes your pet insurance so much cheaper.

In terms of what’s covered, pet insurance usually pays for accidents and illnesses. Things like anesthesia, hospitalization, lab work, surgery, meds, and so on are usually covered. Don’t get coverage for routine care like vaccinations and spaying/neutering; what ends up happening is you pay $1.00 in premiums and you get 50c back in benefits – that’s not a smart financial move.

One "gotcha" with pet insurance is for genetic coverage. For example, Pomeranians can suffer from cataracts, cryptorchidism, distichiasis, and others. Make sure you ask whether the pet insurance plan covers genetic illnesses or not.

Pet insurance can be a lifesaver and it really does work. But you have to get the right plan for your pet. Don’t get cadillac coverage with bells & whistles, your smartest move is catastrophic coverage if you can afford a higher deductible, premiums can be as low as $20/mo and even over many years you’ll not be paying out for more coverage than you need.

I hope this helps.

Alex
Embrace Pet Insurance
http://www.EmbracePetInsurance.com
nostalgia80
May 5th, 2010 - 6:17 pm
It’s true….
they seem very expensive….
But if you think about insurance for humans,
It’s just the same.
there are many animal insurances, you should research and study them before you get any insurance for your "babies"
meenujinja
May 5th, 2010 - 6:17 pm
Wat du think of pet insurance?
Beau B
May 5th, 2010 - 6:17 pm
na you don’t need it
starsnmoons0101
May 5th, 2010 - 6:17 pm
I have pet insurance, and its definately worth it. What pet insurance is your vet having you look for? I have a small puppy, but I only pay twenty eight dollars a month for her. You should check into VPI Pet Insurance. You’ll thank yourself later in your dogs/cats older age. My puppy got all her shots, and she got fixed basically for free. How it works is you pay it up front, and then you get reimbursed for a percentage of the cost. (They reimbursed me total for her getting fixed, paid me back 80% from the costs of shots, and regular vet vists).

We had pet insurance on our previous dog as well, who got cancer. VPI Pet insurance helped me out so much, they paid up to six thousand dollars of the costs which covered basically all of it without raising my monthly fee to them.
Shel
May 5th, 2010 - 6:17 pm
I had VPI premium pet insurance for 4 years and ended up cancelling. Not once did they pay for any vet services until I called them and told them why I was cancelling my 3 policies. They then proceeded to send me a check for 400.00.

I would say not at all worth it. They just won’t cover most procedures even though they claim to.

FYI the paperwork you have to send in is also quite a bit of work to get reimbursed for any veterinary care.
richard_beckham2001
May 5th, 2010 - 6:17 pm
We made the mistake of not taking out pet insurance and we landed a big vets bill.
Our cat live indoors and he got a urinary infectection. We took out pet insurance now.
jason c
May 5th, 2010 - 6:17 pm
i bougth them before, totally useless.

i meant "what if" and if life is really full or "what if"

As long as you take care of them, and you dont have a big dog they will go round biting the neighbour kids.

Then i dont think you need them.

Honestly, I think they are just scam to trick pet lovers.
FLOYD R
May 5th, 2010 - 6:17 pm
It’s not toooo expensive for a kitty or puppy, but for older animals, wow!

We laid out approx $ 2000.00 for a cat two years ago.
A decision you make with your heart,not your head. Would I do it again. ? Probably.
SureKat
May 5th, 2010 - 6:17 pm
Yes, it’s a very good thing to have. If you’re don’t think you want it for your cats just get for your dog and see how you like it. I use VPI. Take care;^)
LJ
May 5th, 2010 - 6:17 pm
That’s a tough one. After ringing up $4,000.00 in bills for my Daughter’s dog, I wish I would have gotten insurance. But… She was 9 years old. Would it have been cheaper to pay monthly for insurance for 9 years? It depends on if you can afford one big lump sum on your pets when they get ill. Or if you have a sickly animal, you may want to think about insurance. Just be sure to consider the deductible each time you go to the vet too.
=42
May 5th, 2010 - 6:17 pm
Simple. Unless you are extremely unlucky, it’s never worth it. That’s why the insurance company is still in business: lots of policies, relatively few claims. Then you have to fight them for payout as well. Read the fine print.
susie
May 5th, 2010 - 6:17 pm
i have it on one of my cats,after the other one got sick and it cost me nearly $1,000 dollars. i haven’t used it yet.i asked the office workers if many people had it and they said about 20% do.they said the company dealt with claims real fast and they had no problems with them. it costs me $13.00 a month,and i’m glad i have it. my cats are indoors only. it is vpi insurance.
Horse Lover
May 5th, 2010 - 6:17 pm
Well i have insurance on my horses, but they are all show horses and worth a lot of money, if anything happened to them it would cosat a lot to get them better (even if its just a cold). I dont no about cats but i dont think it is as much of a risk or as much of a cost if they hurt themselves as with a horse its $150.00 just for the vet to come out for a check up. but its all up to you..

I also have dogs but none of them are insured
so yeh

good luck
lostsoul
May 5th, 2010 - 6:17 pm
I have Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI) for my 6 year old dog. I have had it his whole life and haven’t needed to use it but it’s a gamble just like our health insurance, car insurance. I feel a lot better knowing that I have it in case I need to use it I know my I will be able to afford any care he needs. I pay $26.99 month (it gets more expensive as they get older, I used to pay less) and it covers anything out of the ordinary sickness or vaccinations. It covers anything from him getting hit by a car, bee sting, allergies to something, breaking a bone, ear infection, etc.. and it I pay a deductable of $50 and I think it covers 90%. It is very good coverage, the email address is my.petinsurance.com and the phone number is #1-800-540-2016. Hope this helps!
notsoswan
May 5th, 2010 - 6:17 pm
I gave this answer to a similar question:

"When I bought my ferret, I looked into getting pet insurance because they can be very expensive to care for when they get older. My father (who is a lawyer and knows about insurance stuff) called one of the companies that specializes in exotic pet insurance and we found out that pet insurance most often doesn’t work like people insurance. Not everything is covered and depending on the plan, pet, and sickness/surgery oftentimes you still need to shell out some dough which can range from $50 – $500.

"Now, I’m not familiar with cat insurance, but if its anything like ferret insurance, in my opinion you’d probably be better off just setting aside money every week and putting it into a pet fund.

"If you’re still interested in pursuing insurance, then I suggest you find someone who knows a lot about insurance and have them call up the different providers and find out how much it costs, what they cover, what are the out-of-pocket expenses for different (common) treatments. Also, request some information. If you express interest in one company (I’m convinced that all insurance companies have some telepathic network to sense when there are potential clients), then chances are you will be contacted by at least 3 others.

I hope this helps a little."

Getting The Best Dog Bed

If you own a dog, especially an older one, getting a good dog bed is a really great gift to give your beloved pet. The need a good place to rest and sleep just like us. After all, you wouldn't want to bed down in an uncomfortable mattress or sleep on a hard surface all night.
Sleeping on the floor or even on a bad or uneven bed isn't the best thing for a dog to do. As they get older it becomes even more important that they have a really good dog bed to sleep in.
The other reason to get a dog bed is, of course, to keep them off of yours or off of the best couch in the house. If you don't want them all over your furniture, get them a comfortable bed of their own that they will love and use for a long time.
From the simplest dog beds to the more elaborate types, there are many to choose from. Some are more or less like large bean bags, some are donuts or round pet beds. There are also bolster dog beds, which have sort of a pillow going all around the outer edge of the bed. Dogs like to use this as a pillow for their head while they sleep. Then there is the orthopedic dog bed and memory foam beds, which are among the best you can get.
There are also outdoor dog beds which are made for outdoor areas like the back porch and there are also heated dog beds. These are great for dogs, especially during the cold winter months. Even when you have the heat in the house cranked up, the floor can sometimes stay cold and it's not good for your dogs bones and joints. A heated dog bed will keep your canine pal comfy and warm the whole time like a warm blanket.
Another option you may want to look into is getting a waterproof dog bed. We have all taken our dog out for a walk when it is raining and wet outside. Whether we want to or not, we have to go out on those miserable days when the rain is pouring and we both get soaked. After a good towel dry, dogs still have some moisture left on their coat and skin. The nice part about a waterproof dog bed is that your dog can lay on this type of pet bed without getting it soaked on the inside where the water stays put. These beds are made for this so they do not get ruined every time your water soaked pooch rests on them. For those dogs that prefer to stay out on the porch or outside near their kennel or dog house, they are much happier on a waterproof bed than a conventional one that soaks up the water. It's not only a comfortable resting spot for sleeping and lying down, but it will last longer too.
Not all dog beds are the same just as not all dogs age the same. When your dog gets older, he or she will most likely develop the same types of aches and pains due to joint problems that humans do. When your dog starts to slow down due to joint pain, inflammation and arthritis, the best thing you can do is to look into getting them a memory foam dog bed.
As soon as your are aware that you dog is suffering from orthopedic issues, the floor is simply not a good place for them to sleep. Even a conventional dog bed just will not do. The even balance of a dog's weight is more important at this stage of their life than at any time before. A bumpy or uneven bed is not good for the existing joint pain and can actually worsen the dog's problems over time.

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