Hi Collin! We are getting ready to add a Goldendoodle puppy to our family. I’m just curious if you or your readers have any experience or information on pet insurance?
Do you have any pet insurance tips or suggestions? Please share!
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We save by not getting it! 🙂
That’s exactly what I was thinking lol!!
We have never had it, either. I would suppose it depends on how much vet care you would want. We only do the basics. If you were going to do more, then you might save? Does it only save you money when you go to the vet’s office? If so, you might see how often you are actually going to the vet, to see if you would actually want/need it.
So weird, because I just got a puppy too, and I was thinking the same question today!
I can’t read the light blue text from
On my mobil phone.
Me either
I had no idea there was such a thing… I guess that’s how I save on it!
Pet insurance helps often with unexpected large expenses – and pets bring all sorts of unexpected expenses!! For example, just a few months after getting him, my brother’s baby bulldog ate a giant rope toy and had to have surgery. It would have been thousands of dollars if they didn’t have pet insurance.
I really liked Banfields pet insurance for when my dogs were puppies
I have some advice on this topic and it is advice I have given for many years. THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO is REASEARCH the breed. Every breed has different congenital health defects that it is more likely to get than other breeds. There is no perfect dog and though I know that is not what the topic is about, there is good reason why I say choosing the breed carefully is super important as well as choosing a reputable breeder with a good warranty!! THAT’S where it all starts! Each state has different rules and regulations but if at all possible, you really want to get a pet with a 24-month congenital health defect warranty that pays back UP TO the cost you paid for the pet and or a pet of equal value. You really want to check and make sure all state and local paperwork is up to date (cpvs Da2 rabies* where applicable for older pets and all worming medications are up to date etc) If you don’t do these things, YOU RISK having future problems.
So, now you have a pet or you are thinking of getting a pet. I hope you follow the advice above. But what do you do if something happens and your pet is not covered? Ah, the pet insurance. Good ol’ pet insurance, or is it? This is not to discourage anyone from buying pet insurance but once again RESEARCH. I have seen in MANY cases where people have put pet insurance on their brand new pet, to just have a ridiculous bill racked up and let me explain what I have seen. When you buy a new pet, many times you can actually get a free exam (Banfield or some other local places across the US for example) The vets are everywhere that offer these visits. SOME people are super comfortable with their own vet AND THAT’S OKAY! Just know that it will NOT cost you 1,000 to visit a vet for an exam. HOWEVER in many cases I DID see this! Pets with insurance were more likely to have EXTRA unneeded tests run sometimes up to the DOLLAR that the pet insurance covered. So my suggestion / advice is to do your research on the breed AND if you decide to do insurance who you will see for a vet. I’ve worked in the animal field for many years and I do not mind talking more in depth about it should someone have further questions, but DEFINITELY do all the research you can for your own area!
I have Banfield insurance which is in some petsmarts. I pay $34.95 a month and get free vaccines, 2 x a year check ups including blood work, fecal exams and 1 full dental cleaning a year. All other office visits are free but if you need medicine, surgery or anything above an evil they charge but give a Discount. I’m on the fence about if it is worth it but my dog has bad teeth even though we brush them and he gets the cleaning ever year, at 6 years old I’d hate for his teeth for fall out so I keep paying it! I did have financial issues once and called for them to put it on non-renewal and they waived one month fee.
Do they put them under for the cleaning? One of my cats I was told is at risk for gingivitis but we couldn’t & still can’t afford the full dental cleaning required to help keep him from getting it. And he definitely won’t let us brush his teeth! But they told me that they always put them under for the cleanings & im not sure how I feel about that
They should always put them under for cleaning…could you imagine trying to clean your pets teeth when they are fully awake!!! They should do blood work first though, that way they can make sure its safe and there are no unknown issues with the pet. I would be wary of the vets that don’t put pets under for these type of things. Its very stressful for the pet.
Yes Banfield does use general anesthesia for teeth cleanings. They uphold high standards. So thankful so many people realize this. Yay!!
Funny! I raised 6 dogs from puppies, one passed at 9 from diabetes. The others are 14,14, 12, 12, and 11. I have done a dental cleaning on all of them every 6 months with a dental pik and scaler, by myself, while they are awake. They tolerate it well and we have never needed professional cleaning. I had a dog years ago that had his done at the vet at age 7, the cleaning caused his teeth to loose their sheen (enamel damaged) and they seemed to plaque up rather quickly.
Yes they put the dogs under with the banfield insurance after making sure the pet is safe enough. I have had my beagle on their insurance for almost 12 years now (since we got her) and she has had it several times now. She has a heart murmur now so she cannot have her teeth cleaned this way. I have looked into it and there are several companies that do the teeth cleaning without putting the pets under anesthesia (through relation therapy and such) but they are very expensive so we haven’t tried them out
The same thing happened with my cat. The vet said they’d need to do a cleaning, but he thought she’d still lose some teeth eventually. The cleaning was way too expensive, so I decided to try an oral care food instead. I use Royal Canin’s and Science Diet (depending on which is a better value on Amazon), which are more expensive but not bad for one cat or compared to the cleaning cost. Sometimes I mix it with a cheaper food. One year later, the vet said she’d probably need a cleaning within the next few years but her teeth looked good overall! The food definitely made a difference and I hope it will be a cheaper and easier long-term solution to vet-provided dental care.
I have Banfield Pet Insurance where their is no co pays or hidden fees. I have 3 Pomeranians under a year ago so it helps with shots and getting all fixed. I had a dog pass last year with Diabetes and within 36 days we had vet bills of over $9000.00 after that we decided we will always have pet insurance on our pets.
Why did you receive that bill if you have the banfield insurance? (I have that for both of my dogs so I am curious)
I’m pretty sure she got the insurance after her experience of a large bill.
I’ve looked at it but it’s so expensive, even for my healthy 10 month old kitten. Two of my cats and my
Dog are seniors so it’s just not financially feasible for us.
I had VPI (veterinary pet insurance) many years ago and was really pleased with it. It only ran about $18-20 at that time (we are talking mid-90’s so I’m not sure what it runs now). My 5-yr-old dachshund ended up with cancer and we spent about $6000 on surgery, chemo, etc. They ended up reimbursing us about $3000. My only complaint was I didn’t know they offered double cancer benefits so if I had paid a little more every month, they probably would have covered most if not all of the cost. It’s definitely a reputable company and their service was great. Worth looking into. If you are very attached to your pet, and you know you would do anything to save them, it’s well worth the small cost every month. Vet bills add up FAST, even for smaller things. Be sure to look over how much they cover for certain issues and what the exclusions are. My husband used to be a veterinary technician before he became a pharmacist and he always said if an animal lives long enough, they will often end up with cancer and that will be what takes them. So the cancer benefits are very crucial and should be a main concern when judging the plan. Hope that helps!! If anyone figures out a way to save on it please share! And I’ll let you know if I do too as I’m heavily interested in getting it for my kitten 🙂 thanks Collin!!
I get pet insurance from gopetplan.com. They are one of the few that cover cancer at no extra cost and they offer discounts up to 15%, you can search for them. I also get discounted for paying annually vs. months. For 6 cats I’m paying about $600 a year but it will go up each year as they get older, sadly. It’s about $8.33 a month per cat where as other places I looked into would of cost me $30+ each cat per month. It does not include annual exams but those are only $20-$30 a cat where I go.
I have embrace pet insurance on my dog (and now cat). They have been great since day 1! $20 some a month, and I have peace of mind:) I can’t recommend it enough! We’ve hit our deductible of $500 2 out of 3 years. Vet care is unbelievably expensive these days, and nothing “basic” ever happens when you have a puppy! I used to have petsbest, they were great and covered $1000 shot for our hyperthyroid cat, but they don’t cover as much as embrace. And vpi isn’t that good as far as I’m concerned. They lied to me over the phone so I’d join, they were more expensive and I ended up cancelling. I’m pro Embrace, but that’s just me:) hope this helps!!! Oh! And I bought into all this insurance after my last dog tore her acl, the cost was over $2000!😁
I have Embrace as well for my 2 dogs and I LOVE them. Nothing but positive experiences! They are amazingly fast with claims, easy to understand policies, super nice on the phone, send surgery get well cards and birthday emails for my dogs. This past summer one of my dogs had back to back knee replacement surgery, and they were amazing. We’ve had them for just over 4 years- got while my oldest dog was 5 and we had just gotten a new puppy. They are now 9 and 4 and everything is covered on them, and we’ve easily reached our deductible over the years as well. I tell anyone who will listen about Embrace.
I would encourage you to join a golden doodle or labradoodle site on Facebook. These are often private sites, but other members/dog owners are incredibly helpful regarding their own experiences with that particular breed. Congrats on your new puppy! Doodles are so much fun!
Oh it’s like $15 some for my cat through Embrace now too…
We had pet insurance for our Jack Russell when we lived in Pa. (And used the policy) Pet plan I think but I forget. When we moved to NJ the premium more than doubled just because she’s a Jack. So we cancelled the policy. Of corse she’s needed several surgeries in the past 2 years and we’ve spent thousands. She’s 12 years old. It becomes a gamble. I think our premium would have been around $100 a month or so but in retrospect we would have saved money with a policy. Generally younger pets are healthy and you can get away without a policy but it is a good idea to have a policy for older pets especially if it’s a reasonable premium.
Banfield as of a few years ago didn’t sell pet insurance. I worked for them as a vet. They offered pet care plans. Interesting to me they now offer insurance as I hadn’t heard of that. I have had other companies coverage for my own pet (yes as a licensed vet I insured my pets). When my horse stuck his leg through a wall at a horse show, it helped me tremendously. I love pet insurance both as the owner and the vet.
I’ve never had pet insurance, but on another important topic, if you haven’t decided on a vet yet, try to find one that has a puppy package. When I got my dog, the vet I chose offered a puppy package that included all of the shots and visits for the first year and also a big discount on spaying/neutering. It saved a lot of money in the first year!
I work in the HR department for a company that actually offers a discount for pet insurance through VPI for our employees. It never hurts to ask if your company offers something similar- you never know what type of discounts you may be able to take advantage of!
I would not have thought of that. Great tip!
Make sure the company you choose is licensed in your state. Make sure you understand the exclusions.
Personally, as the owner of two cats and until recently two dogs (now just one), I have a separate checking account and debit card into which I put money each month for vet expenses.
They are rare, but some financial institutions have pet savings account programs. Here’s some info: https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/finance/pet-savings-accounts/.
I seriously thought about it and thought about it.. but instead we started a savings account (now a certificate of deposit) for our dog and only our dog (no dipping into it unless it was for medical for the dog). We make monthly deposits into her account. Sometimes more, sometimes less. It was and has been a saving grace, especially when my pup tore her ACL (surgery and $4k later… 🙁 Looking back on it, I still wouldn’t have gotten pet insurance). We use an AAHA certified veterinarian group for her regular check ups and they recently started their own program where instead of having a big vet bill for her annual visit, it is spread over the year (so we pay monthly, which is much easier to swallow). this covers for a visit with the Vet, most of her vaccines, fecal test and heart worm test, plus 15% off any dental work (should she ever need any). Vets also have deals and rebates on Heartgard, Frontline and some Supplements/ medications, just ask. I’ve found that if you need meds for your pet, ask if they can send the script them to Walgreens or Walmart. It’s almost always cheaper that way! #1 money saver- put good in, get good out. High quality food and regular exercise/training will often prevent multiple vet visits and prolong life! We use Fromm Family Foods and I can’t say enough good things about it! Even Fromm has a type of rewards program- buy 12 bags, get 1 free. They have coupons periodically, too. 🙂 Hope this helps!
I’ve asked my vet about pet insurance and he said it’s better to get a credit card with a line of credit and just keep it reserved for pet care costs in case you need it. Most of these plans only pay by REIMBURSING you. So if you don’t have the money up front to pay the vet, you won’t recover anything. I use a discount vet for routine vaccinations and office visits so I can just pay for that out of pocket usually. Another way to go is the Care Credit card. You can apply online at carecredit.com and they send you a credit card to be used for medical costs for your pets and also it can be used for yourself if you need to do that. They often have 0% interest offers. It’s not hard to qualify.
I didn’t even know pet insurance existed
Banfield is NOT insurance. Per their plan, they waive the office visit fee and give you a meager discount on products. It is great when your pet is a pup because they will need to go to the vet often, but once your dog reaches adult status you will only go about once a year and definitely not worth it. If your dog needs some sort of surgery they will NOT cover that and the only discount you will receive will be a waived office visit. Also, their plan requires a contract, if you try to cancel they will charge you for the discounts you have received. If you research online you will see many people have been deceived and upset with Banfield. Not to mention they are not really a pet hospital; how they have that in their title baffles me. We learned the hard way when our dog needed emergency surgery and they were not even open and we had to take him to an actual pet hospital. Having said that, their is actual pet insurance you can get but just having cancelled our Banfield plan we have not yet looked into it. Hope this helps anyone.
We LOVE PetPlan. I have some very accident prone dogs (one with a missing leg which leads to a lot) and we have literally saved thousands. Plus, having the peace of mind that a financial decision would never cost my pet his life has a high value to me. Too many dogs get put down due to a lack of financial resources. I never have to turn down a test or procedure due to cost, and can visit those expensive specialty clinics if I need to (which I have). Now I get to seek the best care, not just affordable care. My dogs are my babies and I would never want to have to compromise on their care.
I work for an insurance company. Most big name insurance companies are paired with a vet insurance company and you get additional discounts. Read and research the fine print, what is covered, what isn’t covered. Ask your vet. They will tell you who they have got reimbursed from best. We have three dogs, 2, 7, and 6. The little terriers are covered for any accidents, including hit by a car. Swallowed something they shouldn’t have, got attacked etc. Our German Shepherd has a full plan covering accidents, hereditary issues like hip problems, seizures, cancer etc. Its about $40 a month. Its worth it to me because it takes the cost issue out of the deciding treatment equation. Also if the shepherd ends up with a chronic illness that’s covered too. He had to have a doggie physical only because he was covered more. As the two mutts get older, they will get more coverage.
I think pet insurance is one of the main reasons vet costs have skyrocketed. It is outrageous what vets charge. I avoid going at all. I had not vaccinated for several years but last year took them to a low cost clinic. At least I avoided the $60 per animal vet visit fee. If anything serious happens to either cat, I will have to euthanize since treatment is prohibitive.
I adopted a dog from the local shelter and she came with a free month of 24PetWatch pet insurance. After I had Harley for a couple weeks, she got some sort of stomach issue that caused severe diarrhea. She had to stay 3 days at the vet on an IV so she wouldn’t dehydrate. The insurance paid nothing. Since the specific ‘bug’ wasn’t included, they wouldn’t pay. They would pay, however, if I was careless enough to let my dog get hit by a car. Needless to say, I didn’t purchase their ‘insurance’ after the 30 day free trial.
I personally wouldn’t get the insurance. I would invest that money in feeding it a good quality food and keep it up to date on shots and checkups.
wish I would have bought it…my dog tore ACL in both legs within a year – $6000 + in expenses!
I work for a vet and we recommend Trupanion for accident and illness insurance. Most cost effective if start while a puppy. They do not age out older pets. We like because deductables are lifetime by condition and not restarted yearly. You can get a free month trial no strings,no credit info needed. Hope this helps 🐶🐈
You are the consumer ladies and gents. Our vet will see one dog for $60 and up to two more dogs at the same time free of charge. They will take in an emergency the same day and not charge extra for that. They have worked with low income situations where the quality of life or end life for an animal was the right thing to do. They even send sympathy cards to clients who have lost an animal. ACL surgery was $1200 for my MIL dog. It actually pays to shop around or ask your friends and family.
All my animals are rescued from the human society and they suggested
https://www.gopetplan.com/ it has really paid for itself the first cat illness. It truly is worth it if you can add it into your budget.
I have had cats for 20+ years and never had pet insurance. We would pay out of pocket to spay/neuter and for any illness thru their life.They were indoor cats, fed a high quality diet, and lived long lives w/reasonable vet bills that I wouldn’t ever insure a cat. Then, three years ago, we adopted a 6mo terrrier/lab which came w/1 free month of Petplan. I purchased a year of insurance b/c I wasn’t sure what kind of trouble a pup would get into. And have since renewed every year.
Two months later, she was in my mom’s enclosed garden, ran into something, and lost sight in her right eye
($3000). Two weeks later, she was attacked by an unleashed German Shepherd. And she has consumed legos, wooden & plastic clothespins (minus metal part), part of a Nylabone, crayons, action figures, sticks, etc.
I would suggest getting it, at least, for the first year or two. Also, consider that pre-existing conditions will not be covered by insurance if you hold off on purchasing it. Petplan is easy with reimbursements and have wonderful customer service.
Regarding Spaying and Neutering. I highly recommend purchasing a friends of animal certificate to have your dog/cat spayed or neutered. How it works. See which vet in your area accepts the certificate, buy the certificate and redeem the certificate for a spay or neuter for your dog or cat. Make sure to ask the Vet what days they accept a friends of animals certificate (I know when I used it once before my vet only honors them on a Wednesday)
Hope this helps!! https://www.friendsofanimals.org/programs/spaying-neutering/spay-and-neuter-certificates
I used this 15+ years ago for my first dog and had a great experience.
I used this to have one of our dogs neutered (other came neutered). Great deal.
I have insurance on my horses but I haven’t found the cost to be worth it for smaller animals like dogs and cats.
If you are getting a puppy, she had an exam and her first set of shots at the shelter. We took her to a low-cost vaccine clinic for her second set of shots so we didn’t have to pay an office visit fee just to get shots. We also had them do her heart worm test when she was old enough. Now, she gets her yearly shots at her annual vet check-up and her 6 month kennel cough vaccine (one dog park requires it every six months) at a vaccine clinic.
Check with your medical insurance company to see if they offer pet insurance or a discount on it. We debated getting it but did not. We may revisit that as she gets a little older or if she starts getting out of the yard where she could be hit by a car.
Congratulations on your new puppy! We have a 7 month old goldendoodle and she is great! I highly recommend getting either pet insurance or the puppy plan through Banfield.
We go through Bandfield and use the puppy plan. It has made having a puppy so much easier! I pay 50$ a month and it covers all of her routine care and her monthly heartworm med. Puppies go to the vet a lot; not having to pay for each visit and vaccines has helped so much! Enjoy your new pup!
Trupanion. They will not pay for pre existing conditions.
My daughter and i both have 24 hr pet watch insurance. I carry the basic on our mixed breed lab at about $23/mo. It has a $100 deductible per body part or illness. Just good for a big emergency bill. The other dog, a ridgeback mix has full coverage to the tune of about $65 a month. This policy covers everything including well visits, flea & tick preventative, heart worm preventative etc. Ally just underwent her second TPLO to the tune of $4,000…. And they covered 80%! Also covering her physical therapy. We are well ahead of the game.
Lol, We also save by not getting it. Never had a need for it. You could try the low cost pet clinics at the Petco, Vetco Clinics. They have packages for puppies. I have also found that some local privately owned vets have their own puppy packages, which includes all the shots for the first year. For those unexpected pet expenses I have a seperate savings account for pet expenses. (We have a lot of pets). Each paycheck I take out about $30 to add to the pet account. If something happens I have the money to cover it. If not, I still have my money to use. Sorry for the long post!
I wish i had it. My dog got hit by a car yesterday and she’s not doing well. She needs surgery that will cost 10k and another 3k for every night in the hospital. I don’t know how I will afford it but I can’t live without her. She’s my life 💔 the only help I will get it is with the gofundme account that my friend set up. If she doesn’t do the surgery she will die. I am completely heartbroken…
Oh I am so sorry. Prayers. Let me know how to donate to your go fund me. I will share post
Thank you Madonna. I don’t wanna post the link here, but if you’d like to help, I’d sincerely appreciate any help, even if it’s a $1. anything will help. my email is melissaspersaud@gmail.com. thank you very much.
I am so sorry!
There are a couple credit card options for vet bills that will give you 6-12 months interest free which may be worth looking into if the vet’s office takes them.
I sincerely hope that everything turns out okay and your pup pulls through!
I tried to apply for care credit and was denied 🙁 that is the only thing they will take. thank you so much Carrie.
So sorry mel. Sending you hugs!
thank you so much. she’s doing a little better today. i am hopeful. i won’t give up on her. i can’t live without her.
We use ASPCA and really like it. Affordable, good customer service, easy claim submission and quick payments.
We use care credit. A credit card that, based on the purchase amount, gives 0% interest for up to 18 months. We budget for the normal shots/check ups but a few times some unforeseen things happened and we used care credit. We always have it paid off before interest accrues so it seems a far better deal than prepaying with insurance.
I’ll be paying off my cat’s bladder stone removal for awhile. But it’s interest free thanks to care credit! 😉
That’s what I like about it. Interest free in case of emergency- rather than pre paying for what MIGHT happen.
You use Care Credit along with a pet insurance at some vets. I use Care Credit for no interest and Pet Assure to save 25% off the entire bill. Care Credit is SO nice to have just in case! It cost us over $2,000 but our beloved pitt bull “mama” lived another 5 or 6 years after an emergency surgery!
I use banfields yearly plan because my dogs are getting up there in age and one of my dogs has to be put under to get his nails trimmed because he is a monster when you touch his feet. I don’t pay office visit fees so for me that is a huge money saver. I guess it depends on how you plan on caring for your pets and it also depends on the personality of you pets.
I highly recommend pet insurance on a new puppy. The average puppy will cost about $600-$800 in medical expenses the first year of their life with immunizations, spaying/neutering surgery, etc. The plan we got basically reimbursed us for all of it, and we have kept it ever since, because like some other comments have noted, there are always unexpected things that come up. Pups are just like humans, unpredictable and sometimes in need of some help. There are lots of plans out there, but we use one that offers emergency type coverage, and also preventative/routine care.
Everyone says it’s not worth it. We have the Bronze level of Pet Plan insurance and have had it for 6 years. Sadly, our mutt hasn’t had good luck, she’s had a few tumors (one cancerous), has anxiety so badly when her dad leaves for over 48 hrs she gets physically ill and needs medication, has a deadly bee allergy, etc. When we got her we knew we wanted to protect her if something bad happened since I was a student (and my then boyfriend followed me to grad school without a job). Now we have money to pay for emergencies but still keep the insurance because it more than pays for itself. Totally depends on the dog though. I would always get it with a new puppy and see if they are going to be ok without it. My brother wanted it because his dog had one surgery and he freaked out, but it would not be worth it for him because his dog is usually fine. The insurance I have covers vet visits at 90% with a $50 co-pay. It doesn’t cover preventative care.
I got Pet Assure though Living Social a few months ago. Pet Assure gives you 25% off the visit, which paid for the membership the first time I used it! One of our pets had what I thought was tumors on her paws. Thankfully it was just a strange skin allergy after a broken claw. It took over $50 off my bill. Make sure you search if you vet will accept it. I found a vet that accepted Pet Assure and Care Credit and found that I LOVED the new vet so it was a win win! It was totally worth it because I had to take our other dog for other issues and it saved me another $60 on that visit! My sister has a dog that has epilepsy and his bills are OUTRAGEOUS when he has clusters of seizures – thousands of dollars. That’s why people pay for pet insurance. If you think about it, you wouldn’t leave your kids uninsured would you?
Check it out: http://www.petassure.com
I received Trupanion as a trial when we got our puppy a few years ago. We decided to enroll just in case our dog had any issues. We are glad we did as he had to have surgery for his patella last year, which would have cost over $1500 when including the follow-up visits and x-rays. It is reimbursement, but it was very easy and fast! It was a great decision for our family.
I have Healthy Paws and it’s worth it for me, my pup seems to be especially accident and illness prone. I’ve had her for 7 months and I think we’ve been to the vet 6-7 times, every time for a different issue. You just have to understand what it’s for, it doesn’t cover vet visits and preventative and routine care – it’s for the expensive medication and surgeries. If you do get insurance, Healthy Paws is great for customer service and ease of use. You just take a picture of the invoice in their app and get a check back usually within a week of the original claim. They also have no lifetime maximums, which most of the services do.