PET INSURANCE: IS IT WORTH IT?

Merrimack Valley Chapter NAVHDA member Terry Long mentioned pet insurance in an article of the August 2012 chapter newsletter that inspired me. It started me considering as to whether or not I would purchase pet insurance for my new puppy, K-Lee. 

Let me start out by saying that I'm a one-dog guy.  I've done two, and I know folks who have more than that.  For me, I like the "one companion" which is also a hunting dog.  So this post is written from the perspective of a one-dog guy.  It may not fit your situation. This is simply my experience on the matter.

Standing and feeling a little dopey

I'm kind of a nerd.  I keep all my vet bills chronologically in a file, so it was relatively easy to pull the lifelong veterinary billing history of my (previous) Shorthair and Brittany.  I ran a spreadsheet and soon realized that (for me) under normal situations, having pet insurance  was a break-even proposition.  The histories of cuts, slashes, porcupine encounters, shoulder injuries, and other medical emergencies showed that the overall cost was close to the same for both dogs --and came out the same--whether I had insurance or not.  I wrote an article on that subject for Northeast Outdoors Experience (NEOX) website and took a little flack here and there from readers.  Regardless, I went ahead and purchased VPI major medical pet insurance.  (There are many options out there, but VPI "worked" for me.)

If you've been following this blog, you know that my Pudelpointer, K-Lee, had a torn cruciate ligament (ACL).  My "primary care" veterinarian examined her and thought that she had a soft tissue strain or sprain.  I thought so too--until she quickly became lame again.  Following the advice of Merrymeeting Kennel's Blaine and Patti Carter and the identical advice from Ripsnorter Kennel's Jeff and Lisa Georges, I located an orthopedic veterinarian.    Doctor Gauger of Norway Veterinary Hospital in Maine  came with a strong recommendation from Merrymeeting Kennels.  I asked him for a second opinion and  Dr. Gauger was kind to oblige.  It was during the examination that he found a torn ligament--noting that it was difficult to find and could easily have been missed by my primary veterinarian.

Showing off her stitches

Decision time.  I could wait and let things linger, or act and have K-Lee back onto the road for recovery--perhaps in time for late bird season.
Doctor Gauger had an opening that day in his surgery schedule, and we made the decision to act.
K-Lee required a TPLO (Tibia Plateau Leveling Osteotomy).  I knew the procedure would cost over three thousand dollars, but it was the best solution of all that were presented.  Had I not been "covered" by pet insurance, I may have looked for lesser measures and hoped that they would be enough.  (I had been down a similar road with my Shorthair and wasn't going to travel that route again!)  We dove in.

Here's the results of the bills and the coverage of insurance.
First visit with x-rays to "primary" vet:  $349.29 (less $250 deductible)--VPI paid $99.29
NVH TPLO procedure and follow-up: $3230.30 (no further deductible required) --VPI paid $3,190.71
One "ineligible" expense that I picked up was for $6.94.

My out-of-pocket-expenses-to-date for K-Lee's treatment was $296.23.  Not bad for 28 dollars a month!
A quick calculation revealed that it would take me almost ten years of premiums to come up with the equivalent of the benefits received--without any further claims.  I'll take it!

Perhaps you may want to investigate the subject of "pet insurance".  There are many pet insurance  vendors, and maybe one of them would meet your needs.  I can only speak to my experience and wish you and your pup well.

"Bed-head"