Dog Health Insurance
Dog Health » Dog Health Insurance » veterinary pet insurance

veterinary pet insurance

Read and learn more about veterinary pet insurance. For more, visit the Dog Health website DoggyDogHealth.com

Q: what is your take on veterinary pet insurance?
Thinking about purchasing.. interested in any testimonies you’d like to share. :)

I have a healthy little 2 year old mixed poodle named Frenchie..

A: I just got a kitten under a year old and the insurance has already covered most of her initial vet checkups and follow up. She was ill for the first few months and without insurance, it will be difficult to get her all the medical help she needs.

There are many different views on VPI though and you can check it out here:-

http://www.petinsurancereview.com/vpi.asp

Q: Question about pet insurance for pet owners and veterinary professionals.?
What are your thoughts about pet insurance, positive or negative and why? I have my own views, but just want to see what other peoples perspectives or expereinces are.

A: me personally- I paid 20 a month… and I found it invaluable. I have exotic pets, so my vet visits are usually $40 a pop- and I go (provided there are no health issues) 2 – 3 x a year. And like I said, that’s not including the time I freaked out when my bird was puking and rushed him to the vets 3 times only to find out he was a boy and happened to be in love with his reflection and doing what comes naturally…. That was a 200 dollar lesson in bird mating rituals. Lol

When my gabby was sick with kidney failure, her final expenses were over $700.

the insurance I had covered surguries, emergencies, and certified veterinarians world wide, and medications.

to me it was beneficial.

however- like human insurance, there are different pet insurance branches to choose from, and each different company will give you a different experience. I just happened to have a good experience, and when I get my puppy in 2 weeks, I may even resign.

but its all going to be about research and finding the plan that fits your needs.

Just like I have one health insurance I really liked because it was so easy to deal with- took care of everything for me. The one I had previously was a pain in the tookus and I felt like I was always being ripped off.

you just have to make sure you’re getting the right plan for you and your pets to have a good experience.

thats my opinion. ^_^

Q: Pet Insurance; How to go about a marketing plan/promotion of?
How does it benefit the practice? (I already know all benefits for the owners)
Promotion ideas?

I have to make out a marketing and promortion for pet Insurance and these questions are hard to find answers for.

Any links at all really. . . Although obviously I know the basics, I’ve been pushing good insurance on owners for years in my clinic; but although it may be easy to do, it’s hard to write about.

This Assignment I have is a real doozie. (2nd year B.Sc Veterinary Nursing Student)

A: Pet insurance benefits a practice in the following ways:
1. It provides another revenue stream
2. It reassures the pet owner that you are looking out for his/her welfare, as well as for the health and well being of his/her pet.
3. It is a competitive step forward, since not many veterinarians offer it — it sets your practice apart
4. It allows you to ride on the marketing coattails of the insurance company — any local advertising, promotion and marketing — especially direct marketing — will mention the name of your practice. (The insurance company may pick up the entire cost of this advertising, or you may be asked to pay part of the cost — it is well worth it.)
5. The insurance company should give you referrals from enquiries in your district — that is, pet owners who communicate directly with the insurance company should be referred to you as their local representative, and pet owners who contact the insurance company solely about insurance should be told about your veterinary practice. (“By the way, Brian Boru Small Animal Practice of Bailey-Cream o’ The Reeks is a professional practitioner down the road you should be aware of, should you require their services — especially since they honour our insurance.” or words to that effect.)
6. Any incidental projects you put into your practice publicise and promote your practice tenfold. These include:
a) insurance of course
b) local workshops and seminars before schools, church groups, community organisations
c) newsletters –on line and printed and distributed FREE — on a regular basis
d) pro bono work for pet owners who can’t afford it (some sort of a means test here, so you won’t be taken advantage of) — perhaps exclusively for the very old or disabled. Specialise, say, in service animals, working with local orgs. for the blind, hard-of-hearing, etc.
e) brochures and handouts distributed in your surgery– not only materials that you receive on a regular basis from large manufacturers, etc., but little brochures you write on your own on local problems, say incidence of ticks and the like
f) offer to write a column for the local press
g) give talks at the library. This is very popular.
h) write a book or two. Not necessarily James Herriot stuff (although that would be nice), but little heart-warming stories, with you as the hero, of course. The book could be online.
i) set up and maintain a) website, b) a blog — and keep it fresh and up to date
j) contribute to other local websites, not necessarily having anything to do with animals: church, library, community, even real estate, agriculture, historical and cultural. Become de facto the local authority on matters veterinary!

You might want to look at useful blog on direct marketing that throws out a lot of sensible ideas on marketing and promotion. It’s called Direct Marketing Creative Generator. The blogger is a college professor and direct marketing veteran.

Q: Are there any pet insurance policies that cover pre-existing conditions?
My vet thinks my dog’s limp could be a torn ligament and I was wondering if anyone knows of pet insurance companies that cover pre-existing conditions even if they do so after an initial waiting period or even if they cover them at a lower rate? Alternatively do veterinary colleges ever perform expensive surgery at reduced rates for students to gain experience? If so, which veterinary colleges?

A: I have checked into most of the plans available out there. The bad news is that none of them cover pre-existing conditions.
I don’t know what state you are in, but I have heard that Vet schools, DO surgery on pets at reduced costs. It’s at least worth a phone call to one of them.
Your Vet should also be able to refer you to someone who can do the surgery at no or low cost.
I know the University of Iowa has one of the best Veterinary programs in the country. Or if you’re anywhere near Colorado, you might try Alameda East, stage of “Emergency Vets”.
Good Luck to you and your baby !

Q: Pet insurance for my labraodr?
I was looking into pet insurance for my 1year old lab and last November there was a lump on her neck where my other dog bit her so she was given anti-inflammatory the lump then disappeared. Does this need to be mentioned on the pet insurance application…
It asks if your pet has received any other veterinary care other routine check ups and vaccs.

A: If they ask you if your dog had any medical conditions in the past year, then no as it isn’t a “condition”. I was asked if my pet had received any medication in the past year and I had to mention it. I would think you will need to as well.

Q: Questions About Westies/Canadian Insurance
How does it work do i pay monthly,yearly is the company PetCare good?
If not which one is the best… Just wanna prepare for a westie pup and have most of the info…

And i’m just worried that i won’t know what these stuff when i get the pup and i’m only 13 i gotta care :D

“I suggest Veterinary Pet Insurance.” Any Info… Fee’s?

1 hour ago
https://www.petsecure.com/quote_calc/myq…
Help me pic a plan i was thinking of the second one and this is the doggies vet
http://www.goldbook.ca/goldbook/EastToro…
6 min drive

& do you think i’ll be able to take care of the westie with my brother, Mom and dad… We’re all very mature.. and anyone know any free westie Training DVD’s that i can burn 120mins Max. Also if anyone knows westie breeders near Rexdale, ON To Brampton or somewhere i can drive too with my parants to get him. Thanks
http://www.canadawestieclub.ca/ i emailed them never got a reply been long

A: Here’s the thing.. You should contact your local Westie club, breeders in your area.. A good breeder will tell you all the things you need to know, what to buy, where to get insurance, where to go for training, what food to feed, how to housetrain and everything else.. Check Westie Rescue in your area, contact the Canadian Kennel Club and ask them for numbers for Rescue in your area.

Edit : Here are the CKC registered Westie breeders of Ontario

Q: Is PurinaCare dog insurance any good?
I was looking into pet insurance for my puppy that comes with preventative care as well as accidental and illness coverage. I looked into Trupanion and PetsBest but neither cover preventative issues such as shots and etc. I’ve heard time and time before it’s better to put the money in a savings account and using it if it’s need but I’ve had some bad luck with high veterinary bills which insurance definitely would of helped with. I was wondering if PurinaCare was trust able and if anybody has any experience about them?

A: My experience has been that none of the pet insurance companies are very helpful in reducing vet bills. it does seem better to have a small amount taken from your paycheck every pay period and put into a vet account. most of the pet insurance seems to be the same rate you would get if you called and asked the vet if he’d consider lowering the price for whatever procedure your pet needed.

Q: Pressing issues in veterinary medicine today?
I want to know what some major issues are in veterinary medicine today.
Ones I can already think of include pet insurance, emerging diseases (west nile, bird flu, etc) …
any other major ones?
THANKS!

A: Heartworms (constant mainenance, check-ups and difficult to eradicate, no vaccine)
pet obesity because of calories-packed commercial food (diabetes)
many inherited diseases in pure dog breeds

Q: Links to any webpages/articles relating to the benefits of pet Insurance to the PRACTICE; How to promote it?
How does it benefit the practice?
Promotion ideas?

I have to make out a marketing and promortion for pet Insurance and these questions are hard to find answers for.

Any links at all really. . . Although obviously I know the basics, I’ve been pushing good insurance on owners for years in my clinic; but although it may be easy to do, it’s hard to write about.

This Assignment I have is a real doozie. (2nd year B.Sc Veterinary Nursing Student)
I know all those stories all too well, we had a Berner in our clinic once with an open fracture to her femur; it cost €5000 yes that’s right five thousand euro to fix her, because she had to be referred to the top orthopedic surgeon in Ireland. She is now 100% recovered and it’s all thanks to pet insurance.

I need more facts and figures as opposed to the happy ending stories.

A: Well if it’s similar to the US, it’s absolutely beneficial to the practice because:

Someone without insurance is going to either not pay for treatment or find the cheapest possible treatment.

Someone WITH insurance won’t be afraid to get the best medical treatment for their pet without worrying about cost. This ensures that the practice will thrive and bring in lots of money and people won’t worry about losing their jobs.

And obviously you would promote insurance to the customer by telling them how it benefits them– peace of mind, can get the best treatment for their pet without worrying about cost, ensures a long healthy life for their pet, etc.

Q: Is pet health insurance a good idea for my fam?
As long as we have owned pets, my parents have never provided veterinary care for them. As a result, my bird died recently. I think it’s unfair (and illegal, right?) to neglect to give someone in need health care, so I told my mom I was considering putting my last bird up for adoption just in case it got sick in the future.

I guess she felt a little bad about what happened to my last bird because she went to Petco and asked about their medical insurance program. Now I don’t know if she’s going to go along with the program (it’s called “Trupanion”, anyone here familiar?), but the fact that she even did that is a HUGE step.

My problem is, I have NO experience in signing up for these kinds of things, nor do my parents (although I imagine this will be solely my mom’s decision since my dad is so careless) so I don’t know what to look for in a plan. We have one dog and a bird, and MIGHT get a small rodent in the future. Can anybody make any recommendations or give any advice?

A: Yes, pet health insurance is a great idea. Having good pet insurance takes the “I can’t afford that” nonsense out the the equation when facing a costly surgery or procedure. I have 4 dogs and 2 cats who all have health insurance. I use Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI) http://www.petinsurance.com. I pay approximately $200 per year (per animal) for coverage. My Doberman recently tore her ACL and had $2,600 surgery. VPI reimbursed me $1,400. My Corgi developed allergies and had a $535 allergy test. VPI reimbursed me $345. Ideally, you should get insurance as soon as you get the animal. I know that the older pets get, the more expensive the premiums are for the insurance, if they agree to insure the animal at all. When working at a veterinarian’s office, I had the chance to review several different pet insurance plans, and they are all different in terms of cost and coverage. Do some Internet research or check with your vet, finding the right company and right plan can save you hundreds when facing costly procedures.

Q: Pet/veterinary credit card. Do you have one?
Well, it turns out that our main source of income was “let go” today. I want to have my pets covered in case the worst happens, but I don’t want to pay for insurance, because I don’t feel that the dogs need it. But I would like a safety net.

Have you used a pet credit card? Which one would you suggest?

A: I use Care Credit and if you pay in full on time you do not pay interest.It has been a life saver for me several times :-)

Q: Why do people believe that veterinary care should be free? That vets don’t care if they charge for services?
For the last 15 years practicing veterinary medicine, mostly in an emergency clinic setting, I have listened to people complain about the costs associated with caring for their pets. If you choose to own a pet, you are responsible for the costs of taking care of it, not the veterinarian. It is unfair to blame veterinarians because we charge for our services. I am constantly being berated as not caring, when the only reason that I do what I do is because I DO care. A dentist who just graduated from 3 years of dental school makes twice what I make after 15 years of experience and more education, but no one questions their right to make a living. I offer care for your pet. I cannot afford to pay for your pet’s care, if you are unwilling or unable to do so. Take responsibility for the choices you make in life, if you choose to own a pet, purchase pet health insurance or understand the limits of what will be done if your pet becomes ill. Please don’t blame the veterinarian!

A: Let’s put this in perspective…human doctor, specialist in a SINGLE species, has numerous other doctors to refer to and consult with who in turn commonly only deal with certain body parts/systems. Human doctors commonly have no language barrier to deal with, are supported by company insurance plans, and have journal upon journal, study upon study to base their diagnoses and treatment plans on.

Then we have vets, who are supposed to be specialists to all species, who are not supported by workplace insurance plans, who have to provide all their own diagnostic equipment, and who have patients that cannot speak or otherwise communicate with them.

Frankly, I think vets have a hugely raw deal…they are expected to know more educationally speaking (dealing with all the different species), provide more (machinery/exam equipment, essentially they are all ‘hospitals’) and operate with less information (pets cannot speak to their symptoms). Further they deal with human caregivers who either lie, or are too stupid to have noticed that Fluffy is ailing for weeks if not months, and oh yeah, I forgot, they are supposed to be miracle workers who bring animals back from the dead (primarily due to caregiver incompetence).

I would suggest you make a chart explaining the direct correlation between human and pet costs. Explain that diagnostic tests are far more commonly required because pets cannot speak to their symptoms. I would tell your clientel from the begining what emergency care costs, and explain this during the puppy/kitten exam so they are prepared, and suggest that they either purchase pet insurance, set aside a certain sum in a monthly bank account, or get a credit card (held in reserve) specifically for pet emergencies.

The reality is, most folks never look at the cost of even ANNUAL pet care, let alone emergency lifesaving care. I personally recommend those that get a new pet do as recommended above, and if in fact you choose not to get pet insurance (something I am not a fan of…) then set the annual limit that your animal is worth BEFORE the animal gets sick. Having a credit card saved strictly for Fido/FiFi emergencies is a great way to deal with this.

As to the idiots who require but do not appreciate your services, unfortunately they will not allow us to euth the stupid people, we can only tolerate them, and pity their animals.

Lorinne (wildlife rehabber who CHERISHES her vets).

Q: Can anyone help with dog insurance?
Hi everyone, I need some help understanding the mumbo-jumbo that is pet insurance policies. We have a 15 month old working cocker spaniel bitch who is not neutered. We have been looking at pet insurance and have been given a couple of quotes. The PDSA have been the cheapest so far at £7 a month for their middle package.
I am having trouble understanding firstly what is meant by voluntary veterinary fee excess and compulsory excess which is £75.
Also will the insurance company pay for us to get the pooch neutered at all? or does it just cover emergency bills.
Is pet insurance generally a good idea? Or can it be a total scam?
Thanks guys, really need this explained in real life scenario terms :)

A: First of all Pet Insurance will never be cheaper that just paying vet bills and paying for items as the occur except for and if you have a one time catastrophic medical problem that will run into the thousands and would not be able to afford that. It is just like car insurance. Have you come anywhere near collecting most of what you have paid?

Q: Veterinary fees for a rabbit?
I’m considering adopting a rabbit, and I was just wondering about how much it costs to take a rabbit to the vet for a checkup? How often do you need to take a rabbit for a checkup? Is there health insurance for pets?

A: Check up prices completely depend on the vet because there is no regulation on what they can charge. You need to call around and ask for prices from a LOT of rabbit vets. Rabbits are very healthy if you take good care of them. They may never need to see a vet.

Most all ailments can be prevented (it IS the best medicine) or can be easily taken care of by the owner. It is always good to have a rabbit vet on hand for emergencies, though.

I have met a lot of “good” rabbit vets as I have volunteered at our very busy animal shelter and taken rabbits to appointments. I have not cared for most. I have done a lot of shopping around. It has been hard for me to find one that I think knows anything but I finally did. He listens to me and has prescribed meds for my herd if I can’t get them at the feed store. I can get most of the meds for rabbits at the feed store. I give meds myself. It’s easy. There are plenty of rabbit medicine books out there that are nice to have around, too. You can never learn too much about your own pet, IMO.

If you don’t know ANYTHING about rabbits then you could take one in for a first time check up but I think that’s kinda silly since anyone can do a external exam. Read a book, like Storey’s Guide to Raising Rabbits by Bob Bennett or an online article about what to look for when buying a rabbit. Basically, it is clean environment, clean bum, bright clean eyes, shiny fur (unless molting), clean ears, healthy hocks (no inflamation), attentive/alert, no external parasites, healthy skin (run hands over body to feel for bumps and to look at skin), no malocclussions (teeth meet up correctly), straight legs, no broken toes, easily handled (if you know how to properly handle a rabbit). A 5 year-old 4H kid can learn to do this so anyone can learn how to do it. :) It is the routine for rabbit showmanship (rabbit handling). Google it.

Again, if you know nothing about rabbits, then taking your rabbit in for a yearly exam is typical but again, I think it is not needed unless there is something wrong or you live somewhere other than the U.S. , in which case, your rabbit will need to be vaccinated. Those things are not needed in the U.S.. Rabbits are NOT like cats and dogs in that respect, although I know that some vets are more than happy to take your money. :)

The only expensive thing about getting a rabbit is neutering it. In my area it costs anywhere from $140 to $230 from a private practice rabbit vet. I always tell people to go to a nearby city to get it done by the animal control there because it is tax subsidized and they only charge $50 even to non-residents. The rabbit rescues use them and their vets are actually very good. So, ask a rabbit rescue in your area who they use to get their rabbits done. Chances are that vet will be the least expensive and be well trusted to do a good job.

There is pet insurance out there. Unless you’re planning on getting a rabbit with health problems, I think it would not be worth it. Just take good care of your rabbit and don’t just stick it in a cage in the corner of your room to be forgotten. If you handle your rabbit daily you will become familiar with it and will spot any health problems right away. Get that book and read up!

Enjoy your rabbit!

Q: How do you budget for the veterinary care of your dog?
I have lost track of the number of questions which begin along the lines of “what is wrong with my dog? I can’t afford to take it to the vet but………..” and I am getting incredibly frustrated with this irresponsible attitude. I understand that in an ideal world everyone who will love and care for a dog should be able to have one regardless of their financial situation however that isn’t the world we live in and my heart breaks for the poor creatures who are suffering while their owner comes on here and asks really serious questions instead of consulting a professional. I am expecting to come online one day and find a question which says the dog’s leg has fallen off and asking whether duct tape can fix the problem. Extreme granted but as I say I’m frustrated with it. Personally I have pet insurance for my dogs but many people have a separate bank account and pay into that on a regular basis to take care of any issues. Now I am getting down from my soapbox, does anyone else have any other suggestions? Thank you for your input.
Thank you Donald, if ever come home to find Amy in one corner and her leg in the other I will remember the flour and water trick lmao. I have to admit when my mum sliced up her finger I tried this with her and she was well impressed. Up until I told her I learned as a tip for dogs :o S

A: My three dogs are all insured, have been from being 8 weeks old.
My chocolate Lab suffers from allergies and is at the vets at least once a month. Her treatment has cost a few thousand over the last three years, all paid for by the insurance, so it has not only saved me a lot of money, it also gives me peace of mind knowing that if anything should happen to them l can concentrate on getting them well and not on how l’m going to find the money to pay for the vet bills.

Related Posts

Write a comment