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The other day, I brought my dog in for his annual wellness check. In my Petcare QuickCare Optimum Plan, I’m allowed to claim $150 a year on wellness claims (anything routine). Since there’s no deductible and I’m basically paying into this every month, the youngandthrifty inside me always wants to make sure I use up the $150 allotted per year. Or else I feel like I’m getting ripped off.

The vet wanted to test for mange (yeah, I know! crazy huh?) and to further assess his allergies (I have the most fragile dog on the planet, I think- he’s already on a raw food diet and he’s still itchy and allergic!). She did a skin scraping for mange, did a patch test for yeast, gave him some shampoo and mange medication.. and the total bill came to $270. The general exam came up to $110 alone (yeah, this Vet’s expensive, but she’s good).

I am hoping that the general check up for $110 would be included in the $150 wellness allowance, but you never know. It’s up the the pet insurance company.

Sometimes I feel like I’m always at their mercy, like they can deny my claim anytime for any ridiculous reason. (Last time I submitted a claim for a $150 check with a different Vet, they denied it because they said they haven’t seen a general exam cost that much before, and they wanted a break down of the cost).  The insurance companies really go through the claims with a fine-tooth comb.

It feels like I have asked someone out on a date, and am waiting for them to get back to me… not really a fun feeling.  Kind of like you’re anticipating R-E-J-E-C-T-I-O-N.

At the same time, I worry that they will accept too many of my claims and then raise the monthly fee next year. You never know. I guess that’s why pet insurance companies may not be worth it in the long run…It really depends on the company and whether they will “penalize” you for making claims.

Do you use pet insurance? Any stories you care to share on your experiences with Pet Insurance companies?

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Humans have insurance and medical plans (thanks MSP!), so why shouldn’t pets?  Seems like these days, pet insurance companies have been cropping up like weeds.  Just the other day, I just got a flyer in the mail for HBC Pet insurance.  The BAY (yes, the department store) is now getting into the pet insurance business.  I guess it’s pretty lucrative business for the insurance companies.

So how does one save money on pet insurance companies?

One HUGE tip to remember to save money with pet insurance is to START EARLY! Get your puppy or kitten on pet insurance sooner rather than later because the older your pet gets, the more expensive the monthly premiums are AND the higher likelihood that more and more illnesses will be “pre-existing”.  Basically, if your dog or cat was diagnosed with allergies early on, then whichever pet insurance company you choose will not cover your pet for allergies.

There are a few pet insurance companies in Canada.  A year ago, after paying $1500 for multiple vet bills in the span of one month, I thought “that’s it- I need to get my dog some pet insurance!” I don’t want to have to decide ten years down the road whether my pet was to live or die solely because of cost, and I am sure most pet owners don’t want to be doing that.  So then I went about researching different pet insurance companies.

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