Pet Insurance - Whose Got It?

[Munster927]

Just curious who all has pet insurance on their hunting buds? After reading and responding to a thread about dog vests and stitches, I'm curious who here has decided to get insurance for their dogs? I haven't gotten it for either of my dogs, but I've been curious to try it out.

For those that have it, do you think it's worth it and has it saved you money? And also (if willing to share) how much do you pay for it?

 

[Labs]

After I replaced a torn ACL with one of titanium on my Betty in 2014 ($2500 out of pocket), I got vet insurance on all my labs. It was a great decision, BTW. Did it in late winter and she was hunting like nothing had happened that Fall. I finally retired her last year at 14 years old, and she doesn't like it one damned bit...

Anyway, as I said I have it on all my dogs. Mine is with Nationwide and is a perk offered with my employer's benefit program. I pay $160 a month for all 4 dogs, each varies a bit by age. It's a cover everything plan with a $250 deductible (including euthanizing and cremating when that terrible time comes).

Out here in western ND vets are way more costly than on the eastern side of the state. It doesn't take much of an office visit at all to go over $250...

 

[BigRand]

After paying for TPLO on my lab we got it the next year. When we get the next dog we plan on getting a plan for it too. With the cost of that kind of surgery it's well worth it.

 

[Munster927]

After I replaced a torn ACL with one of titanium on my Betty in 2014 ($2500 out of pocket), I got vet insurance on all my labs. It was a great decision, BTW. Did it in late winter and she was hunting like nothing had happened that Fall. I finally retired her last year at 14 years old, and she doesn't like it one damned bit...

Anyway, as I said I have it on all my dogs. Mine is with Nationwide and is a perk offered with my employer's benefit program. I pay $160 a month for all 4 dogs, each varies a bit by age. It's a cover everything plan with a $250 deductible (including euthanizing and cremating when that terrible time comes).

Out here in western ND vets are way more costly than on the eastern side of the state. It doesn't take much of an office visit at all to go over $250...

Thanks for the info Labs. I've been debating getting pet insurance, just not sure who to go with/through. The AKC has a plan of their own I'm thinking of going with.

Sucks to hear about your Betty being retired but they all get there eventually. My dad had a Lab that tore an ACL and had it replaced about 12 years ago which ran him about $1200. It was replaced with a big rubber band basically. Then the next year she tore the other ACL, so another $1200.

 

[Chestle]

Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI) started in 1980; I insured my Labs around 1990 I think and have had continuous coverage on all the dogs ever since. VPI is now Nationwide Pet Insurance; rates went up a bit coverage went down a bit. I think it's still worth having.

It's been the rare year that I didn't get almost all my premiums back. If you have working dogs, it doesn't take much. I was out training on a weekend and the dog went through an old barb wire fence that was in a bunch of weeds. I didn't have any idea there was wire in there. She caught one wire and ripped a tear in her front right armpit. It was pretty bad. Weekend, so Vet Emergency Clinic. ~ $600. That was pretty much all my premiums on her for the year. Vet prices keep going up too. Pretty much like human prices.

If you get the Pet Wellness Plan along with the insurance, it helps out with a lot of expenses too. Heartworm test/meds, office visit, etc. Those covered expenses kind of lower the premium as well, since you have to do most of that stuff anyway.

At one time I had 5 Labs insured; lots of money per year. But every year it was something. One year it was Blastomycosis on one dog. What they paid on that covered probably 60% of the premiums on all 5.

So, yes, I would not be without Pet Insurance on a working dog. YMMV of course.

 

[Munster927]

Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI) started in 1980; I insured my Labs around 1990 I think and have had continuous coverage on all the dogs ever since. VPI is now Nationwide Pet Insurance; rates went up a bit coverage went down a bit. I think it's still worth having.

It's been the rare year that I didn't get almost all my premiums back. If you have working dogs, it doesn't take much. I was out training on a weekend and the dog went through an old barb wire fence that was in a bunch of weeds. I didn't have any idea there was wire in there. She caught one wire and ripped a tear in her front right armpit. It was pretty bad. Weekend, so Vet Emergency Clinic. ~ $600. That was pretty much all my premiums on her for the year. Vet prices keep going up too. Pretty much like human prices.

If you get the Pet Wellness Plan along with the insurance, it helps out with a lot of expenses too. Heartworm test/meds, office visit, etc. Those covered expenses kind of lower the premium as well, since you have to do most of that stuff anyway.

At one time I had 5 Labs insured; lots of money per year. But every year it was something. One year it was Blastomycosis on one dog. What they paid on that covered probably 60% of the premiums on all 5.

So, yes, I would not be without Pet Insurance on a working dog. YMMV of course.

Yeah I'm probably going to invest in one of the various companies here. Each spring I take my dogs to the vet for just generic shots, Lyme's disease tests, Lyme's disease shot, etc and it's 500 bucks and they didn't really have anything done to em. So probably worth it all in all.

 

[remy3424]

Nope, self-insured for my dog's medical plan. Not sure what the price would be for just one dog, but only twice in 12 years has he been to the vet for much of anything. Once had stitches in 3 places and another time a rear leg swelled up, they did xrays, tissue and blood samples, gave me antibootics and a steroid I think, that time. Seems like every 2 years (after the first year or 2) he needs vaccinations. Guessing around $1,000-$1,200 total over 12 years. I think I am ahead without. If it was $40/month, 12 years of premiums, $5,760...I will pass.

 

[Matt D]

I’m torn on it. My old dog I would have lost out big time as he was an absolute work horse and other than normal vaccine visits never made a trip to the vet. Current older dog has had a couple late night emergency visits along with some other scheduled trips. Likely would have paid to have it on him. Younger dog so far so good and no extra trips. Guess we will stay self insured at this point.

 

[Labs]

Thanks for the info Labs. I've been debating getting pet insurance, just not sure who to go with/through. The AKC has a plan of their own I'm thinking of going with.

Sucks to hear about your Betty being retired but they all get there eventually. My dad had a Lab that tore an ACL and had it replaced about 12 years ago which ran him about $1200. It was replaced with a big rubber band basically. Then the next year she tore the other ACL, so another $1200.

Thanks. She tore her other ACL last year. After consulting several vets, the mutual decision was made to not repair due to her age, but treat it with Rym and therapy, making her as comfortable as possible in her declining years.

I've never had a lab live past 11 until Betty. She is headed toward 15 in April and other than the ACL, hearing loss (I personally think like me, as she got older she simply hears what she wants to hear), and general stiffness, she shows no signs of age related health decline. She still loves to train but doesn't get near as much as she would like. When we come back in from hunting she absolutely insists on a couple retrieves with a dead bird, and a few times a season I take her on a solo old dog hunt through our food plot...

 

[Munster927]

Thanks. She tore her other ACL last year. After consulting several vets, the mutual decision was made to not repair due to her age, but treat it with Rym and therapy, making her as comfortable as possible in her declining years.

Yeah my dad basically did the same thing with his lab. She ended up getting arthritis so bad in her leg and was in so much pain, couldn't hardly get up anymore, the vet said the only option was to amputate her leg. He wasn't going to put an old dog through that. Hard enough on a young dog to lose a leg let alone a 12 year old lab with bad hips. He just gave her pain pills for about 6 months until he couldn't stand to watch her gimp around like that anymore and she made the trip to the big dog bone in the sky.

 

[UplandHntr]

Insurance companies do not lose money. They are betting that you will pay in enough and more than they pay out. I do not have it. I go thru enough red tape with regular insurance for us and dont need anymore from pet ins.

 

[CarolineMay]

Pet insurance for hunting dogs can be a wise investment. Even more so if you consider the costs associated with unexpected accidents or illnesses. While the cost may vary depending on your location and your dog's age and health status, the average cost of pet insurance is often reasonable. You can find more information on the cost of pet insurance and how much it costs for a $5 million dollar life insurance policy on https://www.lifeinsuranceblog.net/5-million-dollar-life-insurance-policy-cost/. It's always a good idea to do your research and compare different policies to find the one that fits your budget and provides a policy with a high coverage amount.

 

[gimruis]

I use a wellness plan through Banfield Health. Its not exactly an insurance plan, but its close to it. I pay $30/month and that fee includes two comprehensive visits every year when they do a wide range of preventative health measures (blood work, fecal analysis, diagnostics, vaccines, etc). Its $40/month for the first year when they are a puppy, then drops to $30 after that because of all the vaccines they need. I see the full bill every time I take her in, and the out of pocket cost justifies having it. It also includes 25% of all other services, like if you need emergency health care, grooming, toe nail clipping, ear/teeth cleaning, etc. Last November, my dog cut her leg while hunting and she needed surgical staples put in. They moved me right to the front of the line to get it done in 15 minutes. They cleaned the wound out to mitigate infection, and applied 8 surgical staples that they removed 12 days later and she fully recovered.

Additionally, it includes complimentary spaying or neutering the first year too. And they use a laser-guided procedure. No tools or knives or anything that can cause an infection from lack of sterilization.

I have to pay for medication myself, the plan does not cover the cost of that.

 

[BritChaser]

My pet insurance: bank account haha