Pet insurance??

[Roxie394]

Hey,

For those who haven't read our introduction section Leo has unfortunately not been the healthiest puppy. He has Panosteitis and has been hospitalized once at great expense. Our puppy school teacher recommended we look into Pet Insurance to cover Leo as he is likely to have a few more episodes of Panosteitis before he grows out of it. Any recommendations? We live in rural Queensland, Australia if that helps. Any advice would be helpful as I have no idea where to start looking.

Thanks, Roxie and Leo.

[manitwo]

You could try the RSPCA pet insurance for a start ,im sure there are others ,perhaps your Vet could help you there.
Good luck with your little one ,hoping for good health in future.
Manitwo.

[nezza]

Be careful with pet insurance...just like human health insurance...a lot of them WILL NOT cover pre-existing conditions!!! Some will. We dealt with various pet insurance companies at the animal hospital...so, i DO know a little about them. Research THOROUGHLY each one before deciding, read all the fine print, etc. Also, talk to your vet, see if they will arrange for you, a payment plan. Some will do this...depending on how long you've been a client...and if you are good about paying your bill. Another option is "CareCredit". It is a credit card available for health needs and you can usually apply right at your vet's office.

[Georgia's Mommy]

I had actually purchased pet insurance 2 years prior to my dog becoming ill. Her condition was not covered by the insurance because she was "born this way". Some companies do offer coverage at a higher monthly premium. Just read all the details in the coverage.

[Roxie394]

Thanks for the advice I didn't think about the fact that it is a pre-existing condition! I will be careful to read the fine print as well. I'll talk to my vet when Leo goes in to have his next lot of vaccinations and see if she has any advice. I'll look into "CareCredit" as it sounds quite interesting.

Thanks for your help

[Oliver & Henry's Mum]

One of our Canadian members purchased insurance for her Cavalier, and she found that another thing you'll need to look for if you decide to buy insurance is "declining benefits". After the first few expenses/emergencies/illnesses, the amount that the insurance will cover starts to diminish in percentage.

We've discussed this topic a few times over the years, and the general consensus has been that one would be just as far ahead to put the same amount of money into an interest bearing savings account, per month, as the monthly premium would cost. If and when an emergency arises, you already have a fund created to cover the expenses, and you may even earn a dollar or two on the money you've saved. Furthermore, if no other emergency health issues arise, then you still have your money!

Congenital defects are often not covered, and any pre-existing conditions will automatically raise your premiums.

Good luck with that!

[Nileska]

As with Insurance of all types everywhere in the world,you never know how good your policy is until you try to collect.
I have looked at some Insurance offerings in the past and was not impressed by what you get for what you pay..Forget about pre existing conditions or chronic problems typical for your breed the insurers are way ahead of you there...Remember the plan must allways take in more of your money than they are willing to pay out.

Just figure out what the payments are each month and put that in your cookie jar for Vet expenses...( Every day you meet people who want to "hold your billfold for you")