Please convince me of pet insurance.

[BrooklynMom]

Hey all,
Okay, so I need to get pet insurance and I have been waivering back and forth now for a few months. Brooklyn is 6 months old, and I think it is time. But every time I go to buy it, I convince myself I don't need to spend the money. I mean, I know I do...I have read a lot on this board that proves so...but can someone help me make the argument to myself? And more importantly my husband? He thinks it is a bit of a waist of money (and yes, we are prepared to pay for vet bills should something happen, but I would rather not if insurance was an option).
Anyway, can anyone out there give me some good pointers on how to argue to myself and my hubby so that when we get to the check out page, we actually press "purchase!"

[Tania]

I took out insurance without any real thought as I had no idea these dogs had so many different problems. In the back of my mind I thought I probably wouldn't use it until they became oad's but took out a policy for life anyway. I am glad I did from the age of 15 months, we have claimed close to £12,000 on the two dogs, they are four next month.
Part of the cost was trying to find out what was wrong with Molly before she was finally diagnosed with sm, she also suffered with Patellas, Hip Dysplasia and a problem with her elbows plus arthritis

You have a head start because you are part of this forum and are probably much more aware of the breed problems than I was. Even so I would recommend taking it out, unless money is no object of course!

[sins]

Apart from the long list of common inherited illnesses associated with cavaliers,simple injuries can cost a fortune.
A fall from the bed...fracture
A scratch to the eye....ulceration
Ear infections,car accidents,
Bites,fights and mites...
Three nights in a veterinary hospital on a drip for gastroenteritis.
I like to think that my younger cavaliers are bulletproof and invincible,but the truth is,they're not! No living creature goes through life in a state of perfect health,so give yourself peace of mind,press the button and get your insurance.
Sins

[Reptigirl]

In less then a year we have been reimbursed over $5,000. Most of that was just 2 dogs.

Monthly our insurance premiums for 3 dogs is $110... with reimbursement at 90%.

It's very comforting to go to the vet and not have a second thought about what procedures I can afford. It adds up FAST. I can't even begin to count all the times I have gone to the vet for something "simple" and it adds up to several hundred. Now there is no stress over which procedures to do and which ones to pass on. Whatever my vet recommends we do.

I don't have insurance on my other pets yet but I HIGHLY recommend it for a Cavalier. The odds are just way too high to NOT do it.
Researchers say 90% or more of cavaliers have CM, 50% or more will develop SM & 50% will have a heart murmer by age 5 that is extreamly high odds! Then factoring in all the other health problems and endless accidents...
Also remember anything found before the insurance or before the waiting period is pre-existing and not covered.

[jessie22]

My goodness, I sure wish I had...

*Ruby was diagnosed with Hip Displasia at 7 months old.
*Just last week, the feared SM diagnosis was made.
She just turned 2 on March 17th 2011.

If it weren't for an angel of a Neurologist who helped greatly with MRI/spinal tap costs, I honestly don't know what I would've done.
It's something I didn't know about 2 years ago when I adopted Ruby. If I had, I would've saved around $5,000 in total costs...
I'm not trying to frighten you! I just hope that helped you see how it really is a must have with these little guys!
Take care!
Jessie

[Kate H]

Because I changed insurers after Oliver was diagnosed with SM (an x-ray and 3 visits to a neurologist, cost £500, and the old insurer doubled the premiums!) it counts as a pre-existing condition and I can't claim for anything. Fortunately he is too old at almost 10 for surgery and so far is doing well on moderate amounts of gabapentin and frusemide. I've kept up his insurance, however, because he's a fearless and adventurous little dog and there's always the possibility he will fall over a cliff, down a rabbit hole, or under a bus! Not to mention his low grade heart murmur getting worse as he gets older, or cancer, or any of the other ills that any dog can develop.

Some people advocate putting a regular sum into a bank account rather than pay insurance premiums, and I did consider this, but that won't necessarily build up enough in time for a sudden, expensive emergency. Insurance also covers kennelling/boarding costs if I have to go into hospital, which could be a good standby as I live alone.

Unfortunately, as veterinary procedures develop, more and more people claim for a wider variety of treatments, and premiums and excess amounts are rising steadily. But I just don't feel happy without insurance.

Kate, Oliver and Aled

[tara]

I'll add my story here. We had a terrible accident one morning. Holly got out and I hit her with the car pulling out of the driveway. I rushed her to our local vet where she received emergency care -- the bill was around $500. Then I drove her to the University of Florida where she underwent major surgery for a hip and leg fracture, vertabral fracture and a tail amputation. The bill was $4000. She then underwent months of physical therapy. The bills there were around $1000. Medication for all of this was another few hundred.

We had pet insurance, but dropped it a couple months before the accident as we were facing double mortgage payments and large moving costs. Had we kept the insurance, the stress of the accident and recovery would have been diminished. We, of course, would have still worried endlessly over Holly and her recovery. But the financial stress of the bills just added to our worries.

I can't urge pet insurance strongly enough! I hope you never need it, but if you do it's just priceless.

[Zumie05]

I had the same thoughts. What made me click "yes" was when Coco starting acting funny...then I thought of thousands and thousands of diagnostic testing billing and what not...after thinking that through clicking the purchase button was much easier.

Better to act BEFORE anything happens, because Coco had to go in unfortunately while I was still on the waiting period of two weeks.

[mommytoClaire]

I've never had health insurance for my dogs. But, this time was different. With all the issues related to Cavaliers, I felt it was important, because hubby and I are in no shape to handle a big bill should one arise.

And it would take years of saving that same premium amount each month to accumulate enough to cover some of the costs involved in the list of disorders and issues and testing it would have to cover.

I hesitated and hesitated, and finally signed up a few weeks ago. I know I won't regret it.

[BrooklynMom]

This is all great. Thank you guys SO much. In my heart I knew I needed it, but I just needed to be pushed over the edge!
Off to go book in. I have heard great things about PetPlan, so I will probably go with them. Hard to figure out who to go with though! I will have to make some phone calls