Pet insurance

[sheltiesrule]

I pick up my beautiful puppy next week.  I did not have insurance for my previous fur baby.  I’m wondering whether pet insurance is worth it and do they pay out, I have heard from people they make it difficult.  Any recommendations/personal experiences with pet insurance companies would be appreciated.

[SchnauzerMax]

If you are going to get insurance, do it as soon as you get your puppy. Otherwise anything diagnosed before insurance is a pre-existing condition and not covered. 

We have had a couple of serious health scares where the insurance meant we could cope financially - emergency doggie open heart surgery and diabetic ketoacidosis (different dogs). 

We could not have put enough money away each month to cover either of the above. So look at it as an emergency life saver not as something you have to get your money’s worth from.

[SchnauzerMax]

I forgot to add - always read the fine print and know what you are covered for.

[Rebanne]

I have had dogs insured with 3 different companies. Had claims with 2, no problems paying and the other nil claims. Having forgotten to insure my youngest dog, who proceeded to break a toe that needed amputation and discolated her hip and now recovering from suspected meningitis, I would recommend insurance. 

[Boronia]

most of the companies have a 'quote' available on their website.

This link may be of help, though the over-writer is the same company (Hollards), the individual companies have different costs.

https://www.petsure.com.au/

Give yourself half a day to search out the insurance that is best for you.

(I went with Bow Wow Meow)

[sheltiesrule]

Thanks, everyone.  I have researched and got a quote from bow wow meow, the problem is all the clauses that say may not be covered - check your policy, not sure where to check exactly what’s covered, do they mean the PDS?

Edited May 11, 2019 by sheltiesrule

[Two Best Dogs!]

Yes, I ended up getting insurance after blowing through all my pet emergency savings in two months. The final straw was a freak accident with ball-fetch resulting in a stick in the eye. Got all the pet insurance flyers at the vet that night, ended up going with Bow Wow Meow. It's actually not as expensive as I feared, like $40 for each dog.

 

Since then no major claims, although they covered some of the desexing fees and annual vaccinations.

 

I think when you log in to bow wow meow, there's a PDF of the plan you have chosen you can view, and it details what is covered and not. I think I went the one that covered nearly everything.

Edited May 10, 2019 by Two Best Dogs!

[KJ]

Bow Wow Meow.

I insured a new adult dog with them and the day after taking out the policy she jumped through a window and needed sedation and stitches. They paid the claim in about 2 days. When I returned the dog to her breeder, they refunded my premium and cancelled the policy. I found the customer service amazing! I will be insuring my new puppy with them.

I had my lab with Petplan but cancelled the policy when they more than doubled their premiums. After paying for 3 big surgeries in the last 18 months I kind of regret cancelling!

[PANDI-GIRL]

Was the new adult dog not settling at home very well @KJ  she must have been quite distressed to jump through a window,  what did the breeder say about that happening  

[GInsurance]

Hi @sheltiesrule 
I do work for an Australian pet insurer, if you have any specific questions I might be able to help (without selling anything).

 

From an insiders view, its like health insurance. Depending on which insurer and which level of cover is what you get. And you generally only get value out of it when something bad happens. 

I couldn't even insure my own dog with the company because he was over 9 years old, it's just like us humans getting old, they know you're going to cost them money so they either don't insure you, or charge you a fairly high amount. But, just like health insurance, you're taking calculated risks, you could pay thousands over the decade or more that your dog enjoys, and hopefully you don't have to use the insurance, and therefore it was "a waste". Or you could be one of the less fortunate owners who have to endure hardship when their dog gets sick, in which case you'd be glad you had pet insurance. For me, I prefer the peace of mind having it, and just factor that into my monthly expenses.

 

What you have to realise upfront is that the older your dog gets the more you will pay for the insurance, they all do it.

 

Also, be mindful of waiting periods. Most are really good and have 30 days or less, but for certain things like cruciate ligament damage, most insurers have a 6 month waiting period, so even if you have insurance, you have to be careful for 6 months.