Pet Insurance? Anyone have it?

[Lycanthropic]

So I think we are finally getting our dog!
The lady emailed me back saying she would love for her dog to come to us!!!! :clap: I'm so excited!

Now comes the interesting part.
I want pet insurance.
I have seen my pets suffer because we cant afford to fix them.
Anyone have it?

I live in canada so it has to be canadian insurance. Ive tried looking around but havent fuond much... help?

In case you are wondering, the dog is a pug or pug cross.... cant quite remember cause im so excited...

[Luvbugz]

I did intially on my husky mix. It came with her as a part of her adoption from the shelter. She ended up in the doggie ICU about 2 days later with parvo. Her total bill was around 1500. We ended up paying around 500 of that. (More should have been covered, but they won't cover the meds and stuff for the giardia that she had on top of the parvo.) We renewed it after the coverage from the shelter lapsed. We ended up cancelling it about 6 months later. It ended up costing us more than what her actual well puppy vets visits would have. (Does that make sense??) Yes, it was nice to have when she got sick, but in the long run, for a normally healthy dog, it was rather expensive.

[Wycco]

I've read it's really not that much of a benefit- you'll almost certainly pay way more into the insurance than you ever get back.

You'd be better off getting a savings account "a doggie-health find account" and putting the money into that each month and then withdrawing it to pay the vet as needed.


With health insurance for people- the real value is the negotiating power the companies have to drop the prices the doctors initially charge- ... pet insurance doesn't have that benefit.


Plus, any insurance you sign up for independantly of a large group- will make sure the incentives are that you never get your money's worth.

[psyche]

I looked at all the options and decided to build up a $5000 saving account instead--which I managed to do late last year. The problem for me was that they don't pay, they reimburse. If I don't have the money I just don't have the money--reimbursement won't help once the bill goes above the limit of my credit card.

[blue2fyre]

My husband and I looked into insurance for our dogs and instead we ended up just beefing up our emergency fund. It just wasn't worth the extra money for 2 very healthy dogs. Now if an emergency does come up we are prepared.

[Lycanthropic]

I was thinking about an emerg. fund, but at the moment its not feesible due to many reasons. The insurance we are thinking about is somewhere from $32-40/ month and helps out with the yearly checkup etc...

[stephcps]

I had it for all our animals. We have 3 crazy cats that always seemed to end up in animal ER. But, honestly the only time to me it was truly worth it was with the new puppy. It reimbursed a good bit on the vaccines and paid like 150 bucks on the neuter. I just cancelled all the policies. Knock on wood everybody is older and hopefully a little wiser!!!

[jm1212]

no...its kinda like getting bicycle insurance IMO

[jpappy789]

I was thinking about an emerg. fund, but at the moment its not feesible due to many reasons. The insurance we are thinking about is somewhere from $32-40/ month and helps out with the yearly checkup etc...

Why not just put that money into a fund then?

[Lycanthropic]

Because what happens if something happens a month in? Then I would only have $40 of insurance.

[SubRosa]

I guess it depends if your a "the glass is half full" or a "the glass is half empty" person. Personally I would save the money. Then if nothing happens you have it. The overwhelming majority of dogs don't need expensive emergency care. If it happens you're out of luck, but the odds are it won't. That's how insurance companies make a profit.

[Lycanthropic]

The thing is, it a known breed for breathing issues, allergies etc... We will see what happens... I just liked that they dished out money for yearly chekup

[jpappy789]

Wikipedia...Bah!


Because Pugs lack longer snouts and prominent skeletal brow ridges, they are susceptible to eye injuries such as puncture wounds and scratched corneas and painful Entropion.[4] Pugs also have compact breathing passageways, leaving many pugs unable to breathe properly or efficiently or their ability to regulate their temperature through evaporation from the tongue. These complications can lead to accelerated injury or death should they be left in hot locations where cooling cannot properly take place such as cars on hot days or in outdoor conditions in temperatures over 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27°C).

Pugs living a mostly sedentary life can be prone to obesity, though this is avoidable with regular exercise and a healthy diet.

Pugs can also suffer from a chronic form of granulomatous meningoencephalitis (an inflammation of the brain) specific to the breed called pug dog encephalitis (PDE). There is no known cause or cure for PDE, although it is believed to be an inherited disease.[10] All dogs tend to either die or are euthanised within a few months after the onset of clinical signs, which usually occur anywhere from 6 months to 3 years of age.[11]
Pugs, along with other brachycephalic dogs (e.g., boxers, bulldogs), are also prone to hemivertebrae.[12] The screwtail is an example of a hemivertebrae, but when it occurs in other areas of the spine it can be devastating, causing such severe paralysis that euthanasia is a serious recommendation.

The Pug, like other short-snouted breeds, has an elongated palate. When excited, they are prone to a "reverse sneeze" where the dog will quickly, and seemingly laboriously, gasp and snort. This is caused by fluid or debris getting caught under the palate and irritating the throat or limiting breathing. "Reverse sneezing" episodes are not harmful to the Pug, and can usually be resolved by lifting the dogs head and blowing a short, strong breathe into the dogs nose which can clear the fluid/debris from the palate. Alternatively, one can just give them a second and they will work it out on their own.[citation needed]

As with all small breeds, some problems may arise in pregnancy and during birth. The most common problems include the need for a Caesarian section birth and new mothers being uninterested in the puppies, sometimes accompanied by the mother not opening the birth sac.

As Pugs have many wrinkles in their faces, owners normally take special care to clean inside the creases, as irritation and infection can result from improper care.[13] It is very important that the drainage from their eyes is cleaned from their wrinkles. They tend to sniff the ground a lot, so dirt and other debris can be trapped inside.[citation needed]

Pugs are one of several breeds that are more susceptible to Demodectic mange, also known as Demodex. This condition is caused by a weakened immune system, and it is a minor problem for many young Pugs. This causes pugs to catch diseases much more easily than regular dogs do. It is easily treatable although some Pugs are especially susceptible and will present with a systemic form of the condition. This vulnerability is thought to be genetic, and good breeders will avoid breeding dogs who have had this condition. Inbreeding can cause some pugs these problems.

An investigative documentary carried out by the BBC found significant inbreeding between pedigree dogs, with a study by Imperial College, London, showing that the 10,000 pugs in the UK are so inbred that their gene pool is the equivalent of only 50 individuals[14

Looks like the most serious issues are not treatable anyways. :huh:

[Pearl]

Pugs are delightful dogs and I would certainly adopt one who happened to come my way and needed a home, but I'd never go out of my way to own a pug or a pug-mix because of the health issues.

[Lycanthropic]

The thing is Im adopting him. He was offered to me for free, from an owner who does not want him anymore, doesnt have enough time etc. Currently he has no health problems, the breathing problem can be solved by reconsturcutive surgery on their noses to make the holes bigger.
I originally wanted a smaller dog that was good with everthing and I found a few dogs, but in my area there are alot of pugs that need homes... so I figured I would rehome one.

[SubRosa]

Reconstructive surgery to correct a genetic fault. On a dog. Yeah you should buy the insurance.

[rainbowcharmer]

JMO - we looked into it, but the cost for our 3 dogs and 3 cats would have been astronomical. So we did the savings account thing too. Our goal is to maintain at least $2000 in there. And we're saving hundreds a month on the insurance premiums we would otherwise be paying for 6 pet insurance policies.

[blue2fyre]

All of the pugs I have ever met haven't had too bad of breathing problems. Definitely nothing that needed surgery. Just make sure they don't get too hot. They will snort and reverse sneeze and all but it doesn't effect their quality of living. They are very happy dogs. If he's already very healthy I wouldn't worry about it too much.

[Dangerdoll]

just make sure the insurance company covers genetic issues, believe it or not, a lot of big companies don't. We found out the hard way that you really really need to read the fine print.

[lookit]

:iagree: You need to find out first if reconstructive surgery for a genetic problem is even covered. Also, since the dog isn't a new puppy and is in fact being rehomed, the company may consider any condition as "pre-existing" and, therefore, not covered.

You say the dog is currently healthy. Be positive and assume that he will stay healthy because, of course, you're going to be the best littermate possible and make sure he's got the best of care. I urge you to save $40.00 a month and have nearly $1,000.00 as an "insurance" fund in a couple of years. Even if annual visits and shots eat up a couple of hundred a year, you'd still have somewhere between $500.00 and $600.00 after a couple of years.

Be brave. You can do it. We know you can. Have faith in the dog and yourself.

[Pearl]

The thing is Im adopting him. He was offered to me for free, from an owner who does not want him anymore, doesnt have enough time etc. Currently he has no health problems, the breathing problem can be solved by reconsturcutive surgery on their noses to make the holes bigger.
I originally wanted a smaller dog that was good with everthing and I found a few dogs, but in my area there are alot of pugs that need homes... so I figured I would rehome one.


Then good for you. Congratulations.