Has Pet Insurance Become a Necessity?

By Heather Struck | February 9, 2012

  • February 10, 2012 at 11:48 am
    MP says:
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    “Sorry little Timmy, but Fido knew the consequences of his actions when he chose not to purchase health insurance coverage. Now that Fido is ill we’re going to have to put him to sleep.”

    “But Daaaaddd!!!!!”

    “I’m sorry, Timmy. Fido lived by his conservative ideals much like our hero Ronald Reagan, and now he will nobly die by them.”

    I watched a pet supernanny-type reality show where a Manhattan wife fed a fat little yappy dog veal and filet mignon (it gets its own meal not just scraps) then took the dog (carried in a designer bag) to work out on an underwater treadmill….. does pet insurance cover that?

    • February 10, 2012 at 1:37 pm
      DC says:
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      You’re a liberal idiot.

    • February 10, 2012 at 1:40 pm
      DC says:
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      Ignorant lib.

    • February 10, 2012 at 1:56 pm
      D says:
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      What is your point?

  • February 10, 2012 at 1:36 pm
    bob says:
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    Insurance is supposed to protect you from catastrophic losses. $1,600 is not a catastrophe.
    I have made a good living my entire life from the insurance industry, but it has become more of a maintenance program in may situations than protection against a catasrtophic event. Deductibles are too low; coverages are too broad.

    • February 10, 2012 at 1:48 pm
      Pet Lover says:
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      Bingo!

  • February 10, 2012 at 1:47 pm
    Pet Lover says:
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    I have to say as a dog lover, i had thought about it but i can afford my dog’s care. The last one was 9 & had cancer…the treatment was chemo, excise a huge tumor, etc, etc. If I had the insurance I wouldn’t have put her through that anyway. Buying per insurance is a tough call. You can’t tell them “this is going to make you suffer but it is for your own good”. Since they can’t understand that is it for good for them?

  • February 10, 2012 at 2:02 pm
    Compman says:
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    My Golden Lab turns 15 next Wednesday and is in pretty good health. She has had her share of issues starting with TPLO surgery on her back legs when she was three. Those were 9 months apart and 3 grand each. Then when she turned 10, she got Pancreatitis and spent 10 days in the hospital. She almost didn’t survive, but she did. That was another 12 grand. Suffice it to say, the next dog I get I will be buying the health insurance for it.

    • February 10, 2012 at 3:39 pm
      Anejo says:
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      Your dog is healthier than my car. The average life span of a Golden is about 12 years. Congratulations on so many years with a great companion.

      • February 10, 2012 at 4:53 pm
        Compman says:
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        Thanks. She is a wonderful part of my family. If I could clone her, I would. minus the bad dna. She still manages to go up and down the stairs, albeit slow. Also walks with me at night about 1/2 mile. Sometimes she will even break into a run for about 10ft and then she goes back to slow walk, lol.

        • February 10, 2012 at 5:43 pm
          Compman, So what you are saying says:
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          is that you are having trouble keeping up with your dog? :-)

  • February 10, 2012 at 2:03 pm
    George says:
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    Just like dental insurance. you get coverage for the stuff you don’t need and no coverage for what you do need. Where’s my doggie HDHP?

  • February 10, 2012 at 2:24 pm
    JL says:
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    If companies are going to write this exposure they need to write exposure. I personally have a cat that fell ill. Cushings, dibetes due to the Cushings, kidney disease, and heart murmur. Looking at pet policies now–even if I did purchase one prior to this all coming on, there wouldn’t have been any coverage or a max $500-$1500 pay out in the policy lifetime. I’m spending almost $300 a month. I know it sounds insane for a pet, but as long as he is on treatment, he’s healthy and fine and you would never know he was ill. He has no problem wrestling with the dog or staring down the pitt bulls at the vets office. I agree with the dental insurance coverage comment. on a side note–why don’t they ever cover braces for adults? But this needs to be addressed. These policies are written for healthy animals. Insurance is supposed to be you pay a whole lot of something for a whole lot of maybe. Like my cat, some animals, have a lot of problems and with cats these illnesses lie dormant for a long time and literally overnight come to pass. With the proper health care, they can live long and joyful lives, but I can see why when people are handed diagnosis like my cat they immediately decide to put the animal down. The cost frightens them. I’m just happy I’m able to afford it. Plus there are several complaints about timely reimbursements from the companies as well. So you are still out of pocket.

  • February 10, 2012 at 2:41 pm
    Jon says:
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    Vet costs jumped to $206/year?

    Really?

    My lab costs about $350.00 every time she develops a UTI…

    We also had a diabetic cat. Now, normally, a diabetic cat will live about a year and a half after diagnosis.

    He lived another 6 and a half years, with twice-a-day insulin shots, and ridiculously expensive catfood. (About $60/bag)

    Yeah, I *wish* we only spent $206 a year on vet-related bills.

  • February 10, 2012 at 2:48 pm
    Compman says:
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    When my cat got sick, it was so distraught, it jumped in a burlap bag and drowned itself in the creek behind the house.

    • February 10, 2012 at 3:22 pm
      George says:
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      was that suicide before or after your lab cost you $20,000?

      • February 10, 2012 at 3:43 pm
        Compman says:
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        After…

        • February 13, 2012 at 11:20 am
          Compman says:
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          Folks, my above post about my cat was a joke. 23 people have no sense of humor.

          • February 13, 2012 at 12:04 pm
            And counting says:
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            Compman, by the time I looked it was 25 that didn’t get it. Good one!!!

        • February 13, 2012 at 7:46 pm
          Realist says:
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          Obviously you learned something after the dog. We have a rule, never spend more then the orginal price of the pet on vet bills. There alway free catss to be had.

          • February 15, 2012 at 11:23 am
            Compman says:
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            My other cat was limping around yesterday and my 8yr old son asked me if Ziggy was going to drown like Molly did last year. I told him it was possible if he didn’t get better.

  • February 10, 2012 at 3:04 pm
    Debbie says:
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    The mystery is solved there is a web site that compares ALL 11 markets for pet insurance, I have spoken with the site owner and he is not paid for any sales. I also know of him so he is not a complete stranger http://www.petinsurancequotes.com/about/index.html
    I personally was not a VIP at the one company of a simular name, but that was 7-8 years ago and they had little competition. Things have changed and my little schnauzer, who literally saved my life by alerting me to cancer, had a rash go systemic over the hoidays, we are pushing $10,000 in Vets bill is and not out of the woods yet. I just found a tumor in the mouth of my oldest female and Vet thinks it is Oral cancer. Guess I will be looking into coverage for the other two.

  • February 10, 2012 at 3:10 pm
    ed says:
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    In July 2010 we brought a new 8 week Border Terrier puppy into our home. Because of the summer heat and the antics of the puppy, our 7 year old Border Terrier needed to drink more in order to keep from dehydrating. The additional drinking resulted in more frequent bathroom breaks. A situation that was discussed with our vet who advised that all was normal under the circumstances. What we didn’t know at the time was that the vet made an entry in our dog’s medical records that she was drinking and urinating more than usual. In March 2011 our 7 year old was diagnosed with a confirmed case of Canine Cushings. When we submitted our claim it was denied based on a “pre-existing” condition – drinking and urinating more than usual is a symtom of cushings and the vet’s note in our dog’s medical record, though unrelated, was used by the insurer to deny the claim. The appeal process was brutal – almost 6 months – but we prevailed. I’m now convinced that being alive is a pre-existing condition that will be used to deny any related “end-of-life” expenses that might be covered by the policy.

  • February 10, 2012 at 5:21 pm
    Charlotte says:
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    The need for pet insurance is microsocm of what we as a society are facing with healthcare. Medical technology is advancing at such a rate that previously critical health problems now can be diagnosed, and treated, albeit at a cost. For insurance these costs must be offset by a larger pool of money, or controls that limit the amount of payout. For many pets have become as important as humans and they are willing to incur exhorbitant costs to keep them alive. Personally I have had a number of animals over the years but, due to financial limits, have had to make some pragmatic decisions when faced with a major health issue. Each time my family has experienced a period of mourning, then found another cat or dog to fill the void. Given our situation pet insurance has never been a consideration but the insurance mechanism again shows it’s ablity to fill a need.

  • February 13, 2012 at 10:16 am
    Bill Ford says:
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    No we still have glue factories. Thsi is nothing but consumptive waste.

  • February 13, 2012 at 11:23 am
    Mr. Obvious says:
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    I love my dog. But she is a dog. She racks up a possible $1000 dr bill and she says hello to a little shot that will help her on her way.

    • February 13, 2012 at 5:47 pm
      Always Amazed says:
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      glad I’m not your dog! LOl :)

      • February 15, 2012 at 3:37 pm
        scooby says:
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        ruhh rohhh



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