I use VPI. Best insurance I ever had for my pets. To the person saying pet insurance is a ripoff, you were probably fortunate to never have anything major happen to your pet.

If you have a rescue (especially one rescued from a Puppy Mill) or from a pet store, it's important to get pet insurance. When something like hip dysplasia, you'll be spending in the thousands.

Pet insurance is a f-ing rip-off.

Thx for the information! Really appreciate it. I took my pet to Downtown Veterinary Associates and was shocked by the cost of a teeth cleaning (understanding the pet had to go under for the procedure) but the vet seemed sure my pet had tartar build up etc., I did some research and it didn't seem like anything that wouldn't be fixed with tartar control food etc. - I love my pet, would do anything for him, yet I felt like the vet was upselling me.

Trupanion. I did tons of research. You can keep your deductible high so it only kicks in for serious issues (over $500) if you want to save on monthly premiums. It doesn't cover exams, teeth cleaning-- but you don't need pet insurance for run of the mill stuff-- like the poster above commented, it will cover crazy high costs. The best part of Trupanion (unlike other insurance) is that it pays 90% of the actual vet bill-- NOT the "reasonable rate" as VPI does. That means if something serious happens you can go to AMC in NYC, one of the best pet hospitals in the country, and have top of line pet surgeons attend to your dog and not worry about the cost. It's best to get your pet insured before they get too old-- your premium does not go up with age, but is initially based on the age of your pet. I signed up this November for my 8 year old chihuahua-- no major issues yet thankfully.

All very useful information. Thank you! Keep it coming!

I use Healthy Paws too for my 2 cats. They have good reviews and I liked the coverage and the price. They also have a foundation that helps animal shelters and rescue groups so I felt good supporting them.

I pay about $19 monthly each cat with a $250 annual deductible and 90% coverage. I figure its worth it as my previous cat got sick and I couldn't afford the bills after a while (I had to finally put her down). I promised myself that if I got another cat(s) I would get the coverage.

Trupanion. Best pet insurance around. They only service they don't cover is check ups. Besides that, they cover 90% of the bill. Even for prescription drugs they cover 90% and prescription food they cover 75% - all hassle free. Takes them about 2 weeks to reimburse your money back.

One of my cat is seriously ill. First time he went to emergency hospital the bill came to around $8000 (stayed a week) and I've got around 6500 back. Second time he went to E.R bill was around $3000 and i got back around 2000. My cat is on medication for life, he's monthly prescription drugs cost around $120 and i get 90% of that back.

Customer service is great and really cares about your pet. They follow up on everything and knows what they're doing.

I'm really grateful that there is such a service as Trupanion out there or else I would've put my cat to sleep already (no way I can handle an $11000 medical bill.

On the side note, why can't human health insurance provide this type of coverage!?!?!?

We narrowed it down to healthy paws and pet plan... ended up with healthy paws because of some small differences in the policy.

I talked to my vet about it once, and he speciifcally said not to get VPI. They are the biggest, but it's really hard to get money from them...that was his opinion (Dr. Hatch at Secaucus Animal Hospital). Sorry I can't be more helpful than that...try posting this on the yahoo group DogJC and see what people say...good luck!

I should also say it's between ASPCA and VPI Pet. VPI Pet seems more thorough and more expensive - it's worrisome when I could add on a lot of things to maximize insurance as it keeps prompting me to do so - makes me wonder if the basic plan covers anything.

Considering Pet Insurance and wondered who has done this and what type you purchased.

I use VPI Pet Insurance, have the basic plan. I haven't had any problems with claims, usually wind up getting 70% to 80% back.

My mother got it for her new puppy. After 3 trips for shots and the like ( also getting fixed ) it had already paid for itself.

again from experience worth it if anything bad happens.

that article was extremely limited.

Consumer Reports has an article about this: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/mo ... verview/0707_pet_ov_1.htm

They seem to think it's not really worth it. I considered it a couple of times when I was taking my animals to Downtown Vets, since they are quite expensive. I switch to Dr. Hatch in Secaucus - they are less expensive in general, and their approach is more of a "wait and see" than "let's run every test and do surgery right now".

Pet Insurance is worth it for the hard decisions. I would max out my credit cards take out loans whatever it takes for my cats. having the insurance let's me know if they get hurt that i will get money back. I would never euthanize an animal unless it was in extreme pain.

I had a cat with diabetes when i was a kid and it was very expensive for my parents. they did what they had to and we gave him a few more years.(he was older when he got it)

the sooner you get insurance the better. Just think of it as an emergency plan and if they have a continued coverage plan for a few extra bucks that excludes any pre existing conditions do that.

ASPCA is easy to get the money back, not expensive and when they get sick they do cover it. it's the general check up stuff that they suck at. i could pay more for that coverage but i would spend more than it costs me a year to pay for some blood work each year.

Honestly, its not worth the aggravation - all these insurances barely pay for anything. I had my dog neutered at six months old - the procedure cost me $500 (I opted for laser surgery) and the insurance company paid me $50. And for all his meds, appointments, etc. - they barely even made it worth the $75 a month I was paying for him....

i have VPI and have not had to file a claim yet. however, my vet has mentioned to me and my family that his other clients who have VPI have had a lot of difficulties securing thier claims.

Anybody have details on the Petsmart/Banfield insurance?

We used 24hour Pet Watch when we adopted our big guy from LHS. It was never ending jumping through hoops to get a claim filed so we canceled it. This company is not worth the aggravation.

I have the ASPCA Advantage insurance for both my cats. It is good for emergencies but they low ball what the cost of everything should be. If the dog has had any medical problems in the 6 months prior to the start date it is excluded for 6 months. this includes a stomach ache.

they automatically renew and every year they consider a brand new policy. anything related to an illness from 6 months prior will not be covered unless you get the continued care coverage.

the deductible is 100 bucks but they don't pay for so many things or think a check up should cost 25 bucks so it takes a lot to hit it. after the 100 it is 80%/20% cost the 20% being you if it is something they cover. like if god forbid the dog got hit by a car they would cover 80% of "reasonable cost" there is also a limit per a year they will pay out and a limit per an incident. i pay about 50 bucks total for both. they cover routine care but will not cover bloodwork during their check ups even though it is recommended for cats over 5. if i hadn't have had it done one of my cats could have died.

i would consider all my options. ASPCA not so great. easy to apply and send claims but pre existing conditions r a pain in the ass.

I'm looking to obtain pet insurance for my 2yr old mixed breed dog. Any dog owners care to comment on what they have? How much for how much coverage? Things to look out for?