General Question in need of pet insurance... not sure which way to go

[Alisha]

hey bullie parents,

So my baby Lou is now a year old and he is at that age where things are starting to develop like the allergies and now that we live in a high risk state for heartworms, we picked out a Bulldog specific vet and he advised me to get the pet insurance.

I have been researching and I just cant decide which one I need. I got a quote from VPI, the best plan they offer and with an annual limit of 14,000 and 250$ deductible for 25 a month, but all the other plans im getting quotes for are 35 - 100 a month and are covering anywhere from 5,500 to 20,000 annual coverage.. VPI seems too good to be true and a few of the other ones seem really expensive...

with that said, i know bulldogs are different than any other dog... so i need some bulldog advice.. what insurance providers do you guys go through and if you dont mind me asking, how much do you pay monthly and what does it cover?

and would you suggest adding on the wellness options to cover vaccines and flea/heartworm meds?

 

[Daphnee]

I have VPI, $50 deductible, but have had it for 8 yrs. Look at the fine print to see what's not covered vs what is covered. I'd suggest getting something though.

 

[Marine91]

Also you need to remember that all of the insurance companies have 14 to 30 day waiting periods before the coverage kicks in. They also have pre existing condition language that basically says if your pup has been seen for anything prior to coverage they won't cover any future treatment for that condition or area that was affected basically making it worthless. If your pup has been treated for anything or has any mention of a condition in their records you are probably better off getting Care Credit instead.

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[Casper]

Personally I have Trupanion on mine, It works well for my boys....... I'll enclose a link of this discussion held a year ago, and let you read through it, hopefully it helps with your decision, I think being well informed, leads to better decisions.

http://www.englishbulldognews.com/f...insurance-recommendations&highlight=insurance

 

[nycbullymama]

If any mention of allergies, or any other condition is mentioned in your bullies chart, Trupanion considers it a pre-existing condition and won't cover it.

My bullie had a hip x-ray while he was under anesthesia for cherry eye/palate surgery. He was 9 months old when he had the procedures done.
Trupanion didn't cover the x-ray because when he was 10 weeks old, I had mentioned to my vet that I heard a popping sound and wanted an x-ray done. At the time, he was not diagnosed with any condition relevant to anything. The only thing was , my vet noted the fact that I wanted an x-ray.
Trupanion apparently thinks this is pre -existing thing and won't cover it. It's kind of ridiculous.

 

[Alisha]

Thanks guys for all the info!! However it sounds like if anything happens to him before his coverage kicks In I'm screwed.. He went to the vet the other day and I think the only being noted on his record is possible food allergies and that growth thingy that's common but goes away after a few months.. So does that mean if he has allergies ever they will consider it pre existing? :/


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[Marine91]

That is correct. Anything that is in his record before you have 8nsurance will be considered pre existing.

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[Ftse 100]

I waited to take pet insurance out until Ftse was five months old biggest mistake I made as now he is not covered for eyes as he had Cherry eye op, ears as he had a minor infection and skin as they reckon he had a skin infection this one is news to me. but at least I am covered for everything else needles, yearly heartworm needle, check ups, blood tests, xrays and anything else major that has nothing to do with the eyes, ears and skin I can thoroughly recommend you take insurance and the sooner the better.
I pay $700 a year and am covered for $14,500 max but that is an Australian company

 

[SpikeyTheMeatball]

We'll I have Healthy Paws pet insurance and it's $250 deductible and $59.99 a month with 80% reimbursement. They always get a check to me within a couple days of filing a claim. I recommend them for sure!

 

[jacquik]

I have Trupanion and VPI. ( 2 dogs 2 different ins. ) I pay $53 for Trupanion...there is a $500 lifetime ( not yearly ) deductable per illness/accident and they cover 90 percent with no limits. For example if my bully got cancer after the 1st $500 I would only pay 10% of all his cancer treatments no matter how much the vet bills were or how long he had cancer. I purchased it when he was 8 weeks old and when he was 10 weeks old he had a reaction to his vaccines. He was in the hospital for 2 nights costing $2200! We paid only 10% because the 1st 30 days were a trial and there was no deducable during that period. We recieved a check in 3 days. When we got the 2nd puppy we tried VPI because it was a lot cheaper. I was paying $62 for Trupanion because I had a hip dysplasia rider on it but they have since added it as part of the plan and now we pay $53. The VPI is $32 with a $100 deductable and annual coverage of up to $14000 but they say it can take up to 30 days to be reimbursed. We haven't had to use it yet thank god. The 1st puppy was born w/ a hernia so Trupanion did not cover that surgery because it was pre-existing. You mentioned the allergies your bully is starting to get...my pups are 15 months and 11 months and they look really good, clear eyes and luscious coats! The vet says they are the healthiest bullies she has seen and credits the Fromm dog food we feed. Look into the grain free pork and peas....we spend about $22 a week for the 2 dogs but so worth it! Good luck

 

[HTX Bully]

We have VPI's Major Medical Plan for Holly and have no complaints. We pay $30 a month and have a $100 deductible (if I remember right). Great experience so far