but they don't cover office visits, heartworm or flea preventives, vaccinations, dental cleanings, or even the exam for a sick visit. Now AKC covers all that plus titer testing and reimbursement coverage for boarding or home care if you are hospitalized for more than 48 hours and can't care for your pet. They don't consider a condition pre-existing if it beagn during the previous year's policy period, and they don't deny your renewal if your pet gets sick. The non coverage of hereditary conditions really does bother me though. Purina does not limit hereditary conditions, BUT they say they reserve the right to deny renewal if they consider your pet to have an un-insurable condition. So that makes me fear they will cover it initailly, but then won't renew so you'll be stuck starting from scratch all over again, and then you'll really have to woryy about waiting periods and pre-existing conditions. I have definitely spent less this year because of the insurance than I would have without it. Next year, hopefully Audrey won't have to go to the emergency hospital and stay overnight, and I'll probably just break even with the cost of the insurance, but I still like knowing it's there to cover that expense if I need it.

Cathy
when she first came home

Check out Trupanion--I like it because it doesn't penalize "preexisting" or "congenital"--for example VPI considers elongated palate in Bulldogs as congenital because it is so common in the breed--Trupanion does not.

Miriam Olesen
http://www.omegabulldogs.shutterfly.com/

but at the end of the year the cost to take care of her was $300 less than if I didn't have it, so I'm glad I did. She did go to the er and had to stay overnight once. That one incident was $500, so if you don't have an emergency like that you might just break even. For me I like knowing I can take her if something happens and I don't have to worry about how to pay for it. I use my Amex card, and pay it when the insurance check comes in.

Cathy
when she first came home

I have the AKC insurance and with one er visit, all her puppy shots and visits, her heartworm meds and flea preventitive, her spay and ear infections, I have saved over $300 this year. I am definotely going to keep her insured.

Cathy
when she first came home

mine nerves would be shot too if it was 2 of them in 2 weeks
I feel for you for sure
yea the insurance can be a good thing
i do not have pet insurance but am seriously considering it..

glad to hear all is well. J & T

2 dogs in 2 weeks! UGGGG......I wish I had insurance for Bridget, this is so expensive.

Cathy
when she first came home

now you will have 2 recovering dogs at your home..
glad to see that she made it through the surgery good

I can see having it for the bullies the most..
but maybe they have a reduced plan if you have more then one dog..
will look into it
might be different here in Canada.

and it covered spay/neuter AND a dental cleaning. Well she didn't need the dental cleaning but I did get her spayed before the policy year was over. I paid $767.00 for the policy for a year. I am including the cost of that policy in addition to all of her vet expenses when I figured out if it was worth it or not. I saved $304 so far and she still needs to go back and have her ears re-checked. The new renewal with only the dental cleaning and no spay will be $714 in one payment or $63.50 to make monthly payments.

Cathy
when she first came home

expensive??? to get insurance