I know it's not outdoors related, but I know lots of vets are on here so thought I'd start here first.

Looking to buy pet insurance for out two dogs. My lab just had a TPLO (he's only 3) and I know the likelihood of doing the other leg within 2 years is pretty high. He's also been pretty injury prone already (broken foot, sprained tail, I could go on). Anyway looking to purchase to cover future possible needs. Our other dog seems bullet proof (6yrs and never had any sort of injury other then a cut dew claw). But would like to get them both covered. This TPLO was not cheap.

So question is, what insurance would the vets or other dog owners recommend as the easiest to work with?

Most exclude major issues. We looked into it and it's simply not going to cover much outside of routine care. At which point, the premiums are greater than the cost. At least was the case 8+ years ago.

Yeah i'm actually finding a number of different options that cover these types of surgeries. I'm just not sure which is the best one.

I'm not a vet but we have Trupanion for our dog. We adopted our dog from a shelter when he was a puppy and when we took him to the vet, the first thing she said was to get insurance. The company they recommended was Trupanion. We had never had pet insurance but I think she recommended it because she knew that he would be very large (he is almost 2 years old and 120 pounds) and possibly prone to joint issues (he is a Pyrenese/Mastiff mix). We have a monthly premium and the insurance covers 90% of a condition after you are out of pocket $1,000 (we picked the highest deductible they had to lower the monthly premium). The $1,000 is per condition and it's for life so once you are out of pocket $1,000 (no matter how long it takes), that condition will be covered at 90%.

They don't cover annual vaccinations or other prevention meds (heartworm, flea, etc) as their philosophy is that those expenses should be covered by the owner.

Could I take that monthly premium and invest it for later use if he needs major surgery? Maybe, but with the cost of vet care these days it's nice to have the insurance just in case.

How much is it per month if you don't mind me asking?

$53 a month. Because he was a shelter dog we didn't really know how big he was going to be (his paperwork said lab mix). We paid a "large breed" premium until his weight bumped him to the "giant" category.

Don't get let insurance for vaccines and regular care. Try to find a plan that covers emergencies and orthopedic procedures. That's where it gets very expensive very quickly.

That is pretty much what Trupanion is. We pay for the routine preventative care as any responsible pet owner should do.

Be sure to read the fine print on the policies. If a dog had TPLO surgery on one leg, most policies will exclude the opposite leg.

I had a Healthy Paws policy for my lab, but once she reached 6-7, the policy was no longer worth the cost due to the surcharge for her age.

Yep, I'm seeing that. Bilateral exclusions related to CCL, glaucoma, etc.. I may be SOL on the Lab, but maybe our mut terrier could still benefit.

chickiepoo said:

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That is pretty much what Trupanion is. We pay for the routine preventative care as any responsible pet owner should do.

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Also, be aware that alot of them require vet visits every 6 months instead of every year, so the maintenance cost required to keep the insurance in effect added to the premium may end up not making as much financial sense as you would think for the few things that would be covered otherwise.

I'll review our policy but I don't think this is required.

AlaskanAg99 said:

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Most exclude major issues. We looked into it and it's simply not going to cover much outside of routine care. At which point, the premiums are greater than the cost. At least was the case 8+ years ago.

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May have been true in the past, but not true anymore. We have Healthy Paws. They've paid out for cataract surgery, TPLO, bowel obstruction, snakebites, hemangiosarcoma (and subsequent euthanasia), lumpectomies....list goes on. It's been more than worth it for us.

We started at around $20/month per pet for a $200 deductible, 90% coverage. Our dogs are 9 & 10 now, and it's about $80/month for each now. Same coverage level.

As others have said....need to get it ASAP when they're a puppy. If they've already been treated for anything prior to coverage, it will be excluded on the policy. Wherever possible, list your dog as "mixed breed". They charge a premium for purebred dogs. Don't mess with routine coverage of vaccines & heartworm preventative. It's not worth the actual monthly cost.

AKC pet insurance is fantastic and reasonable! Does not have to be AKC pet.

We have nationwide policies on our dogs. Mostly in case of a rattlesnake bite or major leg injury.