My cat has a chronic sinus issue. For this, I take him to the vet three or four times a year on top of his regular checkup and shots. This gets expensive. I see offers for pet insurance and wonder if it would help to save money in the end since I know my cat will live with this his whole life. Have any of you purchased or used pet insurance?
I haven't yet but I am a HUGE advocate for pet insurance. I don't have any pets right now but from what I've heard and looked into all the pet insurance will cover at LEAST 80% of the charges, which in your case can mean the difference between a lot and a little bit of money out of your own pocket. Some people think it's stupid, but if it means I can pay less out of my pocket to keep my future pet around for longer then yes I'd definitely get the pet insurance.
Nope I haven't really purchased a pet insurance yet, but I think it will only benefit pet owners that have sickly cats that need constant medical attention. If your pet only needs their yearly shots from the vet, then I think it's ok to not have any pet insurance at all since you won't be able to benefit much from it.
With a large number of pets like I have it isn't really cost efficient but if I only had one or two I would go for it definitely. By the way, unfortunately I don't know of a pet insurance that will cover pre-existing conditions which is what your cat has. If he comes down with something else after you buy the pet insurance it will cover it. If you are going to buy it make sure it covers what you need it to.
In my experience it is definitely worth it. I have several pets and their usual check ups are affordable but in the times when they have been sick and in the animal hospital for a few days the pet insurance covered it. I was very thankful, otherwise the bills would have overwhelmed me. I think it's better to be prepared. If your pets are generally healthy you might not need it but if they get injured or seriously ill it could cost you a lot to treat it. My pets are like family members so I don't mind paying a little extra in insurance to cover them in emergencies.
If you have only one pet then I think it's okay to have one but it still depends on a lot of factor. I personally don't since my pets are pretty much healthy and having to apply for insurance for all of my dogs and cats would be really expensive in the long run and it's not like they're going to be sick all the time.
I've never subscribed to a pet insurance, but I've never had a pet with a chronic problem like that... If it's a really severa case and you need to make several yearly trips to the vet because of it, then I'd say it's a pretty good investment.
Is the deductible high, pennylane? Have you had any trouble getting reimbursed? In my imagination, it's much easier to manage than insurance claims for people. Do they also help with routine visits and vaccinations? Do you have to find an in-network vet? I used to work for my cat's vet and adopted him from the facility, so I get a fairly hefty discount. Unfortunately, my vet is preparing to retire.
I can't claim that I personally use pet insurance, but I can see the benefits of using it. If you have an animal with chronic issues that you know will need to be treated for years and years, it may be a good idea to find some good pet insurance coverage. I have looked at some pet insurance quotes before, one thing I did notice is that some pet insurances will not cover pets with certain pre-existing conditions. You'll have to take a good look around to find the right coverage for your pet, but with what you noted, it would be beneficial for your pet and your wallet.
