REVscene - Vancouver Automotive Forum

xnguyen · 01-06-2010, 10:48 PM

I just finally discovered about Pet Insurance! And I'm looking for some really good coverage (*at a good deal, no rip-offs or bs). If anyone knows anything about it hit me! I have a 13 month Pure Breed Keeshond and I'm worried about leaving him home alone, getting injured, accidental death, etc. I'd like to know more about this for the safety of my dog and future pets!

He's napping awe

nipples · 01-07-2010, 09:57 AM

If its being home alone and accidentals you're worried about, best option would be a crate. Mine stays 8hrs a day in there on top of his sleeping time. Keeps him away from electrical cords, corners of glass tables, etc.
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Lil Bastrd · 01-07-2010, 02:27 PM

I would invest in a x-pen if your worried about puppy at home. There are quite a few pet insurance companies. I was looking into Pet Secure as they aren't as strict about vaccines and annual vet visits. Best bet is to call around though as pricing will vary by breed, age of dog, and where you live.

www.petsecure.com
http://www.vetinsurance.com/
http://www.petcareinsurance.com/can/dog-insurance.asp
http://www.quickcarepetinsurance.com/can/index.asp

xnguyen · 01-08-2010, 12:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nipples

If its being home alone and accidentals you're worried about, best option would be a crate. Mine stays 8hrs a day in there on top of his sleeping time. Keeps him away from electrical cords, corners of glass tables, etc.
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I already do that, but it's not just about him being home alone. Other things can be unexpected, even when im not looking he'll cause trouble when he gets hyper! That's why i'm asking for a good insurance plan.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lil Bastrd

I would invest in a x-pen if your worried about puppy at home. There are quite a few pet insurance companies. I was looking into Pet Secure as they aren't as strict about vaccines and annual vet visits. Best bet is to call around though as pricing will vary by breed, age of dog, and where you live.

www.petsecure.com
http://www.vetinsurance.com/
http://www.petcareinsurance.com/can/dog-insurance.asp
http://www.quickcarepetinsurance.com/can/index.asp

Thanks for the tip!

ELITE_TRAYUNZE · 01-08-2010, 01:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nipples

...best option would be a crate. Mine stays 8hrs a day in there on top of his sleeping time.
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HOLY FUCK!! Is this normal!?!? How is this not cruel??? 8 hours a day ON TOP of his sleeping time!??! Really!?!??

IMO, you're dog should not be crated for more than 5 hours, 6 hours MAX, on top of sleeping time.

I personally never crate my dog, and let him loose in my backyard whenever I need to leave the house.

SkinnyPupp · 01-08-2010, 03:05 AM

8 hours a day in a box?

You should have bought a hamster.

josh t-1 · 01-08-2010, 10:31 AM

^ agreed... not to mention that your dog is going to get arthritis from not being able to move, stretch and exercise its joints and ligaments.

nipples · 01-08-2010, 11:20 AM

Of course he can move! I only close the door if I'm going out. Otherwise, after we wake up, we go for a 3hr run, he comes home, eats, goes into his crate and sleeps for 8hrs. Wakes up, plays with his toys, we run again and come home, eat again then play a lil bit n sleep. If you think a crate is cruel, then you don't understand crating dogs.
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SkinnyPupp · 01-08-2010, 12:45 PM

You're right, I don't understand crating dogs. I don't understand crating humans, either. Do you?

azzurro32 · 01-08-2010, 03:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nipples

Of course he can move! I only close the door if I'm going out. Otherwise, after we wake up, we go for a 3hr run, he comes home, eats, goes into his crate and sleeps for 8hrs. Wakes up, plays with his toys, we run again and come home, eat again then play a lil bit n sleep. If you think a crate is cruel, then you don't understand crating dogs.
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A 3 HOUR run? Is that even good for dogs running that much
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ELITE_TRAYUNZE · 01-08-2010, 07:27 PM

WTF LOL, okay, so your dog goes to the crate himself and sleeps....That's different than trapping your dog inside the crate, which is what I thought we were talking about. I fully understand what a crate is for, and it's not made to TRAP your dog inside for 8 hours at a time, but rather for him to have his own space. So how long do you go out for? How long is he in the crate for with the door shut?

Anyway, you take your dog for a 3 hour run?

Firstly, I don't think that's very good for the dog.
Secondly, I HIGHLY doubt that you do this...lol...3 hour run? Let's be serious here...

xnguyen · 01-08-2010, 07:50 PM

Crate training and napping are two totally different things, and on the other hand this isn't ON TOPIC lol.

You can't leave a dog in a create for 8 hours it's mad for joints and it'll probably leave permanent damage when he/she gets older, sooner or later you'll have to understand that the dog will be responsible and can have a chance at being free in the house while unattended. It's fine to leave your dog in a crate about 3-4 hours MAX. Any dog would hate being in a crate for too long, that's like a jail for dogs.

And I have a better suggestion about taking your dog our for a run, cause 3 hours is BS and unhealthy for a dog. Let him/her chase someone it's own size and speed by going to a near by dog park. I suggest the best place, which is in Burnaby, the parks name is David Grey Park (Rumble street, Mckay Ave). Theres a lot of active dogs there, my keeshond goes there to release his energy. And it's the best way to keep your dog social.

nipples · 01-09-2010, 02:28 AM

He runs. I don't run for 3hrs. I live in an area with tonnes of dogs and there're always new additions to the neighbourhood. I walk him for 1hr of straight walking. On the way there we stop off at his friends' place they run, romp, wrestle. The owners n I chit chat n smoke, coffee. If the weather's good we'll all go walking in the area and try to find the others.
Night time walks are only with one other dog as its usually dinner time. If they're not up for it then I'll chase him in the park til he's tired.

Longest ever crated for? 20hrs flying from seoul to yvr.

Skinnypup: suggest you read up on crating them. Wiki, google, lots of resources.

And for anyone saying running for a small 3hrs is bad for him...please bear in mind I have a siberian husky. They're bred sled dogs. I doubt my lil 2.5hrs of walking + 2hrs of running romping is anything compared to dogsled competitions where they run full speed for hours!
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nipples · 01-09-2010, 02:31 AM

Elite: when I first got him he was crated for 8hrs while I was at work
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ELITE_TRAYUNZE · 01-09-2010, 03:51 AM

Yeah, makes sense.

Anyway, in conclusion, I'm not sure how long you crate(as in shut the door) your dog NOW, but I would highly recommend not exceeding anymore than 5 hours...especially since he's a husky as huskies tend to get bored very easily.

nipples · 01-09-2010, 10:58 AM

Well lately he doesn't like me very much cause I keep putting whole pig ears inside his kong stuffer. And its a pain to get out. Not too happy and very frustrated hahahaha. Occupied minds are better
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InvisibleSoul · 01-10-2010, 01:01 PM

I used PetSecure for the first year we had our chihuahua, and we went with the top of the line plan which included stuff like vaccinations and spaying and chipping, but of course was really expensive at like $80+ per month. We did make some claims with it, but I'm sure in the end we still paid more for the plan than what we would have out of our own pockets to cover the vet bills ourselves.

I decided to not get pet insurance anymore just last week. I did some reading on it, and more often than not, you'll pay less if you just cover the vet bills yourself instead of pumping in money for pet insurance month after month.

xnguyen · 01-10-2010, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by InvisibleSoul

I used PetSecure for the first year we had our chihuahua, and we went with the top of the line plan which included stuff like vaccinations and spaying and chipping, but of course was really expensive at like $80+ per month. We did make some claims with it, but I'm sure in the end we still paid more for the plan than what we would have out of our own pockets to cover the vet bills ourselves.

I decided to not get pet insurance anymore just last week. I did some reading on it, and more often than not, you'll pay less if you just cover the vet bills yourself instead of pumping in money for pet insurance month after month.

Really? Wow thanks for the advice! I was on the edge of getting Turbo vet insurance.

xilley · 01-10-2010, 10:55 PM

^ not Quite true.
incase of any surgery and a day at the vet * vomit, diarea however you spell it *
that will cost easily 500.
and insurance will cover it all
for both of my westies, its 92 total a month.

ELITE_TRAYUNZE · 01-11-2010, 12:44 PM

$46 x 12 months x 10 years = $5,520 <----Amount you spend on pet insurance in 10 years.

$5,520/500(any surgery and a day at the vet) = 11.04 trips to the vet.

I highly doubt my dog will get need 11.04 day-long/overnight trips to the vet in 10 years....
I've had my dog for 2 years now and I've had to take him to the vet once for illness and it was for something that was quite avoidable.
Also, it only came to like $200.

nipples · 01-13-2010, 12:18 AM

Well like all insurance, you're paying for peace-of-mind. You're totally right for saying that you most likely won't need it/it would cost less to pay the bills yourself. That's what they figure too...but the ones unlucky enough to require hospital stays are being subsidized by those who don't need it. I'm not going to say it's not necessary or that it doesn't serve a purpose because accidents do happen - gets hit by a car, falls n breaks his leg etc. And those can get pricey.

But I mean, diarrhea and stuff normally shouldn't even need a vet visit. Mine gets it atleast once a month. Keep a box of charcoal cookies or pumpkin puree in the pantry and you're set.
Not too sure about puking...though I've had to induce it twice - once when someone fed him chinese raisin-bread. But he was fine immediately afterwards.

So far I've only had to bring him to the vet for neutering (100) and a possible inflammation of the eye (70). Had I bought insurance at even 30/month I'd be in the red.

Buy it if u want. Same as people who buy medical while going down to seattle for dayshopping.
To each their own.
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babycake · 01-13-2010, 02:00 AM

I have Vet Insurance for my Chihuahua. When I first started the policy in March 2008, I was paying 48.95 for $0 deductible and 90% bill coverage. My dog is problematic and has a genetic liver disease, so it was well worth it for us. In October 2008, I received a letter from them stating that everyone's premiums will be going up and that mine will increase to 62.31. Fine, that was still okay with me. After the initial issue of them rejecting all my claims due to "pre-existing" conditions (it got solved when sent to a 3rd-party vet and it was determined NOT pre-existing), I never had problems claiming with them and they reimbursed me super fast.

Just last week, I received another letter from them. Guess what? Premiums are going up for everyone again -- mine will now be amost $80/month. My plan could be cheaper if I choose an option where I have to pay a deductible per illness and if I choose a lesser % coverage. But then that would defeat the purpose of me choosing Vet Insurance to begin with. I MAY keep it only because of my dog's liver condition...every 6 months' check-up for her costs around $350 because of all the blood tests and one abdominal x-ray costs $300...we had two done in less than a year and they covered both of them, which I was really happy about. I really do wish I had started the policy before my dog ingested plastic when she had a stomachache and I spent nearly $3000 at the ER in two nights.

I don't think there is a clear cut answer for anyone. If you are able to put aside money every month into a bank account for pet emergencies, then it would probably be to your advantage to not buy insurance. On the other hand, some people aren't able to do this and when emergencies come up, they don't have anything saved and their pets suffer. So, if you're unable to fish out a large sum of money immediately in case of an unexpected emergency, then it may be to your pet's advantage to buy insurance.

Ducdesmo · 01-13-2010, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ELITE_TRAYUNZE

$46 x 12 months x 10 years = $5,520 <----Amount you spend on pet insurance in 10 years.

$5,520/500(any surgery and a day at the vet) = 11.04 trips to the vet.

I highly doubt my dog will get need 11.04 day-long/overnight trips to the vet in 10 years....
I've had my dog for 2 years now and I've had to take him to the vet once for illness and it was for something that was quite avoidable.
Also, it only came to like $200.

A hip surgery could easily cost $3000 which are pretty common amongst dogs..plus most surgeries requires multiple visit.

Your dog is young and healthy. Wait till they get old and thats when you wish you bought insurance.

I started off with the same mindset as you, my dog is young and doesnt need any insurance. A few months afterwards she got demodex mites and it took a lot of testing/medication for her to finally heal.

Again it is not for everyone. If you have a healthy dog and is capable of putting money aside monthly, it just might work out better.

nipples · 01-13-2010, 11:37 AM

I was wondering about something: is there an age limit for insurance? And if not, do premiums go up with age regardless if you started the plan as a puppy?

Because like you said, you started at 4x.xx a month, it went up to 6x.xx after a year. Which means one could just enroll at the 6x.xx and potentially save 200 right off the bat.

Like I said I've never had insurance n would like more info for my own understanding
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babycake · 01-15-2010, 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nipples

I was wondering about something: is there an age limit for insurance? And if not, do premiums go up with age regardless if you started the plan as a puppy?

Because like you said, you started at 4x.xx a month, it went up to 6x.xx after a year. Which means one could just enroll at the 6x.xx and potentially save 200 right off the bat.

Like I said I've never had insurance n would like more info for my own understanding
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As far as I'm aware, most of the pet insurance companies here in Canada do not have an age limit. HOWEVER, keep in mind that the older the animal, the more likely it is that he/she has gotten ill before. This will work against you because the insurance companies will pull all your vet records and it will be easier for them to use the "pre-existing" excuse, thus denying your claims.

For example, say at 6 months of age, your dog goes to see a vet because he's scratching more than usual. It could be nothing at all or it could be something and you buy insurance sometime after that vet visit. So then say at 3 years old, he has some skin problems and your vet is certain he has allergies and sends you to the canine dermatologist to do some testing. Well, guess what? Now the allergy consultation and tests won't be covered by insurance because it was pre-existing, i.e. your dog displayed issues of allergies at 6 months of age when he was itchy, before you bought insurance.

Hence, you can decide to buy insurance at a later time, but that's a risk you will have to take. The more times your dog sees the vet, the more likely that the insurance will be able to find and use the pre-existing conditions claim.

Personally, if I was considering buying insurance sooner or later for my pet, I would do it when he/she is very young. The sooner, the better. With a clean slate (no vet illness records), it's almost impossible that any conditions were pre-existing.

Hope that clarifies some stuff up for you.