So I'm getting a new French bulldog pup (from a registered breeder of french Bulldogs Australia) and want to know your opinion on Pet health insurance? I've been reading a lot of forums and some say Yes whilst others say no.
What's your opinion?
Thanks!
This! French bulldogs are known for having a considerable amount of congenital issues (http://www.allstarfrenchbulldogs.com/FrenchBulldogHealthIssu…). Chances are you will have to have a few trips to the vet with your pup throughout his life. Hedge your bets, especially early on, until you get a feel for whether he's a freakishly healthy dog or whether, like many of his breed, he has issues that need coverage.
Make sure you're very careful reading through the policies and ask lots of questions. A LOT of things won't be covered, so make sure you're specific and ask about common problems of the breed. If it's going to cover most of the potential problems, then it's a prudent thing to get.
I got 2 puppies a week ago and went with Petplan. It's pretty expensive but my family have had some big vet bills in the past which would have been great to have insurance for. I did a bunch of research and decided on petplan so if you decide to get it, they seemed like a good option.
I don't have private health cover for myself.
I'd say well worth it specially if you have breeds that are prone for issues at some point during their lives (e.g. German Shepherds with their hip issues). From personal experience I'd highly recommend PetPlan and would stay away from Woolies and Medibank pet insurance.
PetPlan is bit more expensive compared to others, but they cover 100% up to 5 years, which no one else does and I found them to be very easy to deal with (no issues with 6+ claims over the years)
All insurance is gambling - it's a bet. You're betting that you will get more out of it than you are putting in, and the provider is betting that you will pay more than you claim. When I say "you", I mean all their policy holders.
You have to assume that the provider is diligent, so they will have worked things out so that they win the bet more than you do. If they don't, they go out of business.
Except by not getting insurance you're gambling that your situation will cost less than the average. Most insurance firms run on very thin margins, so it's pretty close to break even either way for the average, but you might be very luck and have no issues, or you could be unlucky and be out of pocket much more.
I'd say yes it is.
I'm with guide dogs pet insurance and they cover most things. Their customer service is also excellent
Best of luck with your new puppy :)
Kkeep in mind that if you do decide to defer buying insurance for when you think you will need it, say yrs 5+, they will look at the vet history and anything noted there will be considered a pre-existing condition and as such will not be covered.
I'd say buy it as soon as you can before your dog suffers from anything so that it's covered. I'm with Petplan and they have become very quick with their claim process. I had an existing condition claim sent in on a Friday, and got the cheque in the mail the following Friday. Also, after you sent in the claim, they send an sms to let you know they've received it, so you're not left wondering if the claim form's been lost in the mail. The thing I like about Petplan is that they cover up to 100% less the standard excess. Whereas other insurers cover say up to 80%, but you get rebates on vaccinations and teeth cleaning. If there's going to be a big claim, then Petplan is definitely the best as that 20% gap can be significant.
Thanks for all the suggestions! Definitely will look into it. But petplan seems like the most popular opinion.
Thanks again all!
I always ask myself …can I afford to self insure an event?
Dog getting sick…no problem, covered by funds in offset…so no point having insurance.
House burning down…big problem….have insurance to rebuild house.
Death, disability …big problem…have life insurance and income protection
Fair point but vet bills can get ridiculously expensive. A checkup might be $150 but what about an operation? What if your dog gets a paralysis tick and needs to be in the vet for days? Or get its stomach pumped after eating something bad?
One comment RE petplan. When our dog turned 10, and no claims made, our premiums jumped considerably. Currently paying around $80/month. I am expecting the insurance premiums to jump significantly again…so might be worth asking how do the premiums change as the dog gets older.
Also, Petplan is underwritten by Allianz, so might be worthwhile getting a quote from Allianz and checking the cover.
Hi Guys,
ill add to this,… iv got a 13 year old lab, whos a lovely boy. never had any issues with him, untill recently he at a bunch of socks and needed surgery…..
all up it cost me $11,500, lets say $12,000.
im not sure if it was worth having insurance, and if they would have covered everything, so i cant say if its worth it or not, but im hurting alot now having to pay for it…. a months salary gone for it… im splitting the bill.
so icant say if its worth it, but all i can say is it can get very expensive very fast.
He ate socks?
used to do it as a puppy,… he would pass them as they were just 1… its a comon issue esp with labs.
but not the 5-6 that he ate this time, i havent been getting home on time and he has been getting fed less, so its frustration more than anything i recon…
He's probably just bored, do you have anyone you can trust to spend the afternoon at your place with him. Being a 13 Year old lab he's probably more than happy to sit at someone's feet while they work.
nope, both work, hes happy sleeping its only become a problem once we reduced his food,.. due to arthritis in his back feet and me spending a few late nights at work.
@T1OOO: Yeah I have a 2 year old golden retriever and my last boy lived till he was 14 so I know how they get with food haha.
Taking care of your dog need not be rocket science. No vet wants you to know the truth about health; they are trained to be merchants of the poisons they sell (& they want you to come back).
I better not comment on what I think of insurance (of all types), let alone mandatory insurance.
which option do you guys go with ?
I know there are essential, option 1 &2 and ultimate.
with that breed i'd have to say yes it is worth it