# Puppy insurance



## alym (Apr 21, 2010)

Any recommendations in Canada? I'm set up with petsecure at the moment, it's costing 46 bucks a month, 300 deductible, 2500/incident, 80% payout.

Seems expensive. Do you guys know if it gets cheaper? (yes, I plan to ultimately self-insure, but for the first year or so, insurance makes sense!)


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## Victor (Apr 21, 2010)

I have been using petcare insurance for my dog.


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## BaoBeiZhu (Apr 24, 2010)

i use trupanion a bit pricey, but it depends what kind of dog


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## dZilla (Dec 30, 2010)

Don't have insurance..... hmm i guess that doesn't really help lol


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## dean9922 (Apr 21, 2010)

I use Trupanion also...


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## beN (Apr 21, 2010)

can i ask why the insurance???

i have a dog as well. Never thought about it.


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## alym (Apr 21, 2010)

beN said:


> can i ask why the insurance???
> 
> i have a dog as well. Never thought about it.


In the early years, should something be seriously wrong, eg hip dysplasia, luxating patella, narrow ears, or other, these are very costly procedures. Best to be insured in the first few years...

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Chappy (Apr 21, 2010)

Why puppy/dog insurance?

Oh PLEASE let me answer this one 

I've spent my entire life with dogs of all kinds. 10 years ago, I researched and found a breeder of Keeshonden. She was the most reputable breeder in Canada with Canadian, American and International champions in her lines. I waited a year for my puppy. She was the only pup to survive a litter of 6 (the others were stillborn as they were long overdue), but because I had done my research and had been told that there were no health issues with this breeder, I took her. I take the guardianship of an animal very seriously and when I bring an animal into my home, it becomes my responsibility.

When Ember was 5 months old, I had a stroke while I was having a shower. I still remember what must have been 15 to 25 minutes of passing out/waking up with little Ember biting my earlobe and barking sharply in my face, which was hanging over the side of the tub in a pool of blood. If she had stopped trying to revive me, the doctors told me point blank I would have died. Period. I can't imagine how terrified she must have been at all of 5 months.

Six months later, I got to return the favour. Ember came down with meningitis. Total vet bill was over $3,500.00.

Three years after that, her body attacked and destroyed all her platelets - Immune Mediated Thrombocytopenia. Trust me, it's not pretty. 10 days at ICU in Burnaby with whole blood and platelet transfusions flown in from a donor dog in Bellingham. She was revived twice during the 10 days. Total bill, ongoing blood tests and home care was over $25,000.00.

Two years ago, Primary Hyperparathyroidism. Another surgery and the beginning of chronic kidney failure. Total bill $4,500.00.

I haven't included the costs of additional complications, etc. etc. But in total, I have spent over $40,000.00 on medical bills.
God willing, Ember will be 9 on February 27th. She still is a force to be reckoned with and loves life.

I thought I had done everything right. I contacted the Canadian Kennel Club for a breeder reference. I contacted the Canadian Keeshond Club and provincial clubs in both BC and Alberta. I was repeatedly told that Ember's breeder was the best in Canada, and had the winningest dogs. I thought I was buying a sound and healthy dog. Instead I ended up buying a dog that was a result of severe inline breeding in order to produce a champion confirmation dog at the expense of health. All three of the disorders I listed above, had a hereditary genetic factor. Based on her genetic makeup, Ember was doomed before she was even born.

I owe Ember my life and never once have I resented her for the expenses I have occurred. I had a little equity in my apartment, so what's another 5 or 7 years on the mortgage. I'm alive because of that little dog and she has been a wonderful companion during some of the most difficult years of my life.

I have spent MANY days and nights at the Critical Care hospital in Burnaby with Ember. The most heartbreaking thing for me to see were the people, especially young couples, who came in with their pets and when they were told how much the medical bills were going to cost them, they'd break down because they realized they simply could not afford it. They had carefully budgeted for the cost of the dog, the food and keep bills, the yearly trip to the vets, but never once considered an illness or accident that they would never be able to afford. Trust me, it tears a lot of people apart when they have to decide if their beloved animal lives or dies based on their ability to pay for it's medical care.

I never considered pet insurance. I guess I was a little cocky and thought because I had spent so much time getting a dog from such a reputable breeder who had no health concerns with her animals, I would be safe. After she had meningitis, Ember was un-insurable so it wasn't a possibility after that. Just wanted to mention the reason why the breeder could say she had no health issues is because she refused to keep track of her puppies. As soon as she heard from another breeder that Em had meningitis, she would not talk to me. It's easy to say you have no health issues in your lines if/when you don't keep track of your animals 

I also just want to comment on the idea of only paying for insurance for the first couple of years. A dog can need medical attention at ANY point in its life. I would strongly encourage you to carry coverage on your pets for the duration of their life.

Sorry for taking up so much space on your thread, Alym, with this post. I hope it helps people who are considering if the few bucks every month is really worth it. Trust me - IT IS!!!!

Shelley


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## Elle (Oct 25, 2010)

*pet insurance*

I'm going to chime in with a "hell, yes" on pet insurance here as well. Djamm and I currently have 4 cats, 1 large dog, assorted fish and my horses. Our dog and the cats are all insured (I don't insure horses because it's prohibitive except for ultra expensive show horses, which mine are NOT!).

The dog's insurance is Petsecure, $75/month for the top level we could get. We insured her when we got her at 3 months old. Hers is pretty expensive, but it covers everything, including a lot of routine stuff. The cats are older and indoor only, so they're insured for illness/accident, but not the super duper comprehensive that we have for the dog, since she's higher risk (around livestock, out and about etc.). It has paid back in spades, on all of the animals. We're lucky that we haven't had anything really bad, but I've seen people who have had bills of $10,000 plus that they would never have been able to afford without insurance.

From the other side of the coin, several years ago, one of our cats (now passed on) was diagnosed as diabetic. We maintained him with daily shots, but he did have one very scary crash that ended with a trip to critical care. They quoted us $4000 to have him in overnight, with no guarantee that he would make it. We couldn't afford it, and were utterly devastated. We were extremely lucky that our own vet was willing to go above and beyond for us and for $400 they took him all day every day for 4 days and had him on iv fluids and he pulled through. He passed away peacefully 2 years later, but I have never forgotten the care I got from my vet that made it happen. Not many people are so fortunate. I swore I would never be in that position ever again with an animal in my care, and all the pets since have been insured.

Even if you just get basic insurance, it is absolutely worth it, IMO.


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