Information on Pet Insurance?

it is a good deal most of the time,but make sure you check the fine print.some companies have an age limit,and others have a clause against insuring pets with a pre-existing illness.

I'd be careful about it for all the reasons listed above me. In addition to that, the company providing the insurance may go bankrupt. You'll have spent all your money on nothing if that happens. I know Petco is a big store, and may be around a long time, but the insurance may actually be provided by a third party company with no guarantee that they'll be around for long. I've seen problems like this occur with extended warranties when the third party company vanishes.

Yes, it could be like our health care where only certain vets accept it. Also, like our health insurance, they're particular on what they will and will not cover. I've seen some companies, for example, who will not cover emergency care of certain natures...not if it's something that could be handled during business hours. In other words, if you have a really sick dog, but he wasn't hit by a car or something unexpected like that, they won't pay for an emergency visit. Doesn't matter that the illness could be life threatening. I looked into the insurance thing before and decided it cost more than the annual care, and therefore wasn't worth it. (To get one of my large breed dogs their annual shots and check up is less than $100.) I have 5 large breed dogs. Their ages are 11, 9, 8, 5, and a year. In the past 11 years of having these guys, I've only had two cases of non routine care being needed. One was to have a cyst biopsied, the other was for x rays of my dog's back and hips. (He has bad problems in is back end, for which nothing can be done.) The x rays visit cost $200, the biopsy visit was $100. Combined with the annual visits that cost less than $100 per dog, I'd be paying out more for insurance than for their actual medical care. Now, if you're worried about expensive procedures like, say, chemotherapy, then you may want the protection of the insurance. If they cover big things like that. My thinking on that was that I'd cross that bridge when I come to it. Most vets that I've dealt with over the years are pretty good about payment plans and such. Bottom line, I personally find it unnecessary. However, I would never discourage anyone from buying it. I don't know your financial status or anything like that. Keep in mind though, some insurance companies won't insure adopted pets because they have unknown medical histories. So, if you do go for it, say nothing about the adoption.