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Hey everyone! I’m trying to decide if pet insurance is the right choice for my dog, and I’m feeling overwhelmed by all the information out there. I’d love to hear from dog owners about your real-life experiences with pet insurance. Did it end up being worth it for you? What were the pros and cons? Any specific stories or numbers you can share about costs, reimbursements, or situations where it really helped (or didn’t)? Your honest opinions would be incredibly helpful in making this decision!
With my first dog, I didn’t have pet insurance, and when he suddenly snapped his CCL and had a bad reaction to the pain medication, the emergency vet visit and surgery cost over $8,000. That experience taught me a valuable lesson, and now I will never have a dog without insurance. For my current dog, even a seemingly minor incident like getting stung on his “jewels” resulted in a $2,000 ER bill. Knowing that my Trupanion policy with a $200 deductible per incident and 90% reimbursement covers these unexpected costs gives me immense peace of mind.
I used to have Healthy Paws, paying around $35-$50 per month for my dog. While they always processed claims and provided reimbursements, I eventually switched to a savings account. Over several years, the premiums added up, and thankfully, my dog remained relatively healthy. I realized that by consistently saving the $40-ish a month, I’d have a growing emergency fund that I could use for any pet-related cost, not just those covered by a specific insurance policy.
I’ve had Trupanion for my 7-year-old Cairn Terrier for several years. My monthly payment is around $40 now, but it was cheaper when she was younger. A year and a half ago, she got very sick, and after numerous tests, an MRI costing $5,000, and ongoing monthly treatments for encephalitis, my insurance has covered 90% of the costs after my $600 deductible per condition. Without it, I would have faced thousands of dollars in unexpected expenses, and it truly saved her life.
One of the biggest downsides I’ve experienced with pet insurance is the issue of pre-existing conditions. My current dog had mild allergies before I got insurance. Now, any skin-related issue is considered pre-existing and isn’t covered, even if it seems unrelated to the original allergies. This has meant that even for new flare-ups or infections, I’ve had to pay the full cost, which makes me question the value of the $40 a month I’m paying.
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