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Old 07-07-2016, 01:13 PM   #61
Drak
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I just went with Trupanion last week for our puppy's insurance. Not sure what a cat's would be. I'm choosing the $200 deductible option. We have 30 days free until then. It covers everything but maintenance stuff (shots, grooming etc.) including teeth extractions. For us it's $41 USD per month. But you can set your own deductible to lower or increase payments, depending upon what you want.

Edit for link: https://trupanion.com/canada/ppc/bes...rsyxoCwEzw_wcB

They pay 90 percent.

Last edited by Drak; 07-07-2016 at 01:18 PM.
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Old 07-07-2016, 01:14 PM   #62
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A bit of research on the Furminator suggests that it's not a good option for long-haired cats like a ragdoll, which is what that little guy is. It removes fur from the undercoat that isn't dead, like pulling hair out by the roots.
Ragdoll hair is EVERYWHERE! We had a ragdoll that passed away a few months ago from a freak blood clot and I am still finding hair. It's a pretty rare condition in cats but it is more prevelent with rag dolls. Vets can check with a test if they have it though but it was too late for ours.
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Old 07-07-2016, 01:15 PM   #63
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We used to have a cat we got from Petland.

He cost us a ton of money over the years in $200-$500 vet bills here and there (never did the insurance route). He was ultimately diagnosed with feline leukemia. We were given the option of doing a bone marrow transplant for like $5K that "might" have saved his life.

Ultimately, we decided to let nature run its course, rationale being, yes he is a good pet and we love him, but at the end of the day he is still an animal.

With that said, we adopted a cat from the meow foundation 6 years ago, and she is still going strong, with no pet insurance and no health issues. Luck of the draw I guess.

I won't ever pay for pet insurance, but that is only my personal choice/opinion.
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Old 07-07-2016, 01:15 PM   #64
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I've heard conflicting reports. I've heard that the deductible/copay and limited coverage can make the insurance less worthwhile.

An option that you could consider is putting away a "pet fund" - ie depositing some money every month to ensure that if an emergency happens that you've got some money in the bank for it.
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Old 07-07-2016, 01:53 PM   #65
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Yeah I'm trying to do the math here. I looked at a few companies, but Petsecure seems to be the best buy.

Basically, it's $28 per month, but there is an annual deductible of $200, $35 per month with an annual deductible of $100 (basically only worth doing if you were using the insurance every year). Covers 80% of claims up to $2500.

One of the things they also cover is $300 per year in dental, which includes regular cleaning. Now, my extended family has had a bunch of cats over the years, but I'm not sure if they ever got their teeth cleaned. Is that something people do? Anyway, it's clearly not worth insuring for that purpose (if the only thing you were claiming was an annual cleaning, the deductible plus the annual premium massively exceeds the coverage amount). Just curious.
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Old 07-07-2016, 01:58 PM   #66
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Originally Posted by IliketoPuck View Post
We used to have a cat we got from Petland.

He cost us a ton of money over the years in $200-$500 vet bills here and there (never did the insurance route). He was ultimately diagnosed with feline leukemia. We were given the option of doing a bone marrow transplant for like $5K that "might" have saved his life.

Ultimately, we decided to let nature run its course, rationale being, yes he is a good pet and we love him, but at the end of the day he is still an animal.

With that said, we adopted a cat from the meow foundation 6 years ago, and she is still going strong, with no pet insurance and no health issues. Luck of the draw I guess.

I won't ever pay for pet insurance, but that is only my personal choice/opinion.
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I've heard conflicting reports. I've heard that the deductible/copay and limited coverage can make the insurance less worthwhile.

An option that you could consider is putting away a "pet fund" - ie depositing some money every month to ensure that if an emergency happens that you've got some money in the bank for it.
I've done what is suggested here. I have a budget for potential pet expenses but haven't gotten insurance due to the cost and horror stories of being denied coverage. What do you know pet insurance companies are just like regular insurance companies.

Despite liking my cat very much, I also realize she's an animal, one saved from a life of scrounging for food on the streets no less, and I'm prepared to walk away from any vet bills that are beyond my budget. It is unpleasant to think about but IMO necessary.



To compensate for being off topic here is a picture of my sister's cat, Tulla. I think she's a rag doll. A bit of a freak with all the spots.


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Old 07-07-2016, 02:07 PM   #67
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I don't think it's off topic Cecil. Part of appreciation is care
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Old 07-07-2016, 02:35 PM   #68
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In that case, speaking of vets, Tulla had never been to the vet in 13 years. Sister got her directly from the breader, a family member, who gave her to my sis because Tulla was the runt of the litter and had spots.

Last year she finally had to go because she had some weird sore on her mouth. It looked like cat herpes sort of. She'd had her shots and stuff while she was with the breeder but had never been in all the years my sister has owner her.

Funny how some animals get along with zero health problems. My little kitty is about 2, maybe 2 and a half and has never been except for her initial shots a month after I got her. Even then I got a super scam artist vibe from the vet I brought her to and it kind of freaked me out. Havent been back since despite their frequent calls, emails and letters trying to suggest she'll die a horrible death without regular check ups.
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Old 07-07-2016, 02:41 PM   #69
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What vet was that? Speaking of, what are the good vets around town? Little dude's going to need to get neutered in a couple of months. I'm pretty close to Westmount Animal Clinic.
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Old 07-07-2016, 02:43 PM   #70
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What vet was that? Speaking of, what are the good vets around town? Little dude's going to need to get neutered in a couple of months. I'm pretty close to Westmount Animal Clinic.
I'd be hesitant to name the vet specifically as apparently she was just the "other" vet. The lady who owns/operates the clinic is better according to the lady who referred me to that vet office. Also, it was only a single visit. I'd be hesitant to publicly trash talk a vet office based on a single experience.

I'll just say it was in the far NW. If this is an area you are in, PM me and I'll share.
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Old 07-07-2016, 02:49 PM   #71
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I have lots of thoughts on pet insurance! I volunteer in rescue and get asked about it all the time. :-)

First question: Do you need it? Some people set up a savings account that they contribute to instead and then they can make the decisions, not an insurance company and if you don't need it, you still have the money. This is a good idea for people who can be disciplined about actually saving AND people who already have some kind of access to funds if an emergency comes up in the first couple months, before the account is built up. If you can answer yes to both of those things, you don't need insurance.

If you can't, then I recommend insurance. You don't want to be in a situation where your pet has something they can 100% recover from and the decision to treat is based on money. When you are choosing insurance, there are a couple main considerations - monthly premiums and deductibles.

For someone who can afford minor emergencies and just needs insurance to cover the unlikely but possible big issue, I say go with low monthly premiums and high deductible. Costs you less each month and you can handle paying the deductible but not thousands of dollars.

For someone who is barely getting by, I say high monthly premiums and low deductible. Would a few hundred dollars for something like an ear infection be a hardship? Then pay more each month (a fixed cost) and be covered for any emergency.

Other things to consider are coverage limits. Does the insurance cover so much per year or per incident? Some companies do cover regular check-ups (for dogs anyway) but basically all they are doing is collecting money from you each month and giving it back once a year to pay for the annual check-up.

With most pet insurance its much cheaper to get when the pet is young and doesn't have pre-existing conditions.

The most common companies I've heard of are Trupanion, Pets Plus Us, and Pet Secure.

Hope this helps!
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Old 07-07-2016, 03:02 PM   #72
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That's actually super helpful. Here's a question, because CAA offers it for cheap - is there any point in getting a plan with accident coverage, but not illness coverage? I assumed not, simply because it seems much more likely that a pet's going to get sick than get into an accident.
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Old 07-07-2016, 03:12 PM   #73
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I think you should name him E2. Quite a resemblence.
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Old 07-07-2016, 03:17 PM   #74
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It depends? If your cat is going to be an indoor cat, I would say illness is more likely. I've heard of puppies jumping off couches and breaking a leg, but cats are supposed to jump. An accident only policy might be useful for someone who is getting a dog to go hiking with or something, but even then, they could just as easily pick up an illness outside as get injured.
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Old 07-07-2016, 03:34 PM   #75
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This is very fortunate timing for this discussion - my wife and I are picking up our new puppy (a Golden Doodle) next Saturday, and can hardly wait for it.

I've been thinking about the pet insurance. Someone at work was telling me how it really helped him shortly after they got their dog. My wife and I have a fairly comfortable amount of savings (we could reasonably comfortably absorb a car/house/personal emergency, or even a couple at once). In that case, are we better off saving on the insurance and just treating any potential issues with the puppy in the same manner?

Aside from that, I've never owned a dog before (although my wife has). Any general tips for a new dog owner? (not to derail the thread, but the advice for Corsi's new cat seemed very helpful)
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Old 07-07-2016, 04:15 PM   #76
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This is very fortunate timing for this discussion - my wife and I are picking up our new puppy (a Golden Doodle) next Saturday, and can hardly wait for it.

I've been thinking about the pet insurance. Someone at work was telling me how it really helped him shortly after they got their dog. My wife and I have a fairly comfortable amount of savings (we could reasonably comfortably absorb a car/house/personal emergency, or even a couple at once). In that case, are we better off saving on the insurance and just treating any potential issues with the puppy in the same manner?

Aside from that, I've never owned a dog before (although my wife has). Any general tips for a new dog owner? (not to derail the thread, but the advice for Corsi's new cat seemed very helpful)
Luckily you don't have to train you golden doodle in the winter.

My moms was picked up in November and the snow was on the ground till April. Well when she took him to Vancouver and got out of the snow he wouldn't use the bathroom... Took a while to learn its ok to do your business not on the snow
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Old 07-07-2016, 05:13 PM   #77
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In that case, are we better off saving on the insurance and just treating any potential issues with the puppy in the same manner?

Aside from that, I've never owned a dog before (although my wife has). Any general tips for a new dog owner? (not to derail the thread, but the advice for Corsi's new cat seemed very helpful)
I'm not going to tell you what to do, but I think it's pretty clear which category you fall into. I don't have pet insurance and I'm not rich or anything, but I have savings and plans in place. Too many people though have no plan other than setting up a gofundme page.

Getting your puppy in the summer is definitely preferable. I can't imagine trying to house train in the winter! One thing to really be aware of is vaccinations. Be very careful about where you take your puppy before he has completed all his vaccinations. Pet stores and parks are breeding grounds for bad germs.

Dogma has some good puppy classes and socialization ones, some of which are free, that you might want to check out if you are new to having a puppy.

http://www.dogmatraining.com/trainin...p-classes/pups
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Old 07-07-2016, 06:17 PM   #78
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I'm not going to tell you what to do, but I think it's pretty clear which category you fall into. I don't have pet insurance and I'm not rich or anything, but I have savings and plans in place. Too many people though have no plan other than setting up a gofundme page.

Getting your puppy in the summer is definitely preferable. I can't imagine trying to house train in the winter! One thing to really be aware of is vaccinations. Be very careful about where you take your puppy before he has completed all his vaccinations. Pet stores and parks are breeding grounds for bad germs.

Dogma has some good puppy classes and socialization ones, some of which are free, that you might want to check out if you are new to having a puppy.

http://www.dogmatraining.com/trainin...p-classes/pups

Our pup only has her first round of vaccines but we started taking her to a baby dog socialization class with other puppies that are vaccinated. it's held at Bosleys by a 3rd party, but the area is thoroughly cleaned before the dogs enter. I had reservations about doing this, however, it's important to socialize dogs with other dogs before the 12 week window is closed so you have to weigh that and make a choice I suppose. Some vets are for it, some are not. We don't take her for walks though, just in the backyard for now until she's had more vaccinations.
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Old 07-07-2016, 08:12 PM   #79
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Yeah, that's always the catch-22. A setting like the one you're going to which is cleaned and the other dogs are known is the best way to handle it, I think. Better than a pet store or park where you have no idea whether the other dogs are healthy or not.

I got my dog when she was 12 weeks, rather than the traditional 8, so she was socialized with her mom and littermates for that time. She was super easy to train (I had no idea what I was doing at the time) and is great with people (we visit at travellers at the airport once a week as part of the pet therapy program). Part of it is just her personality, but I think it also helped staying with her mom a bit longer.
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Old 07-08-2016, 07:47 AM   #80
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We have used Trupanion since living in Canada. We have had our money back 10-fold. Our dog, five years ago, was sick and it took $10,000+ for them to finally diagnose cancer. Then after she died and we adopted two cats (Barney and Betty) Barney had digestive issues six weeks into ownership and he had to have emergency surgery costing $3600. Yep. I would recommend insurance.
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