Pet Insurance and Self Insuring

[anonymous-user]

[redacted]

[matt28]

I do similar. I don't put a set amount aside each month, but I do always make sure I always have enough easily obtainable funds to cover even the more expensive vet treatments. I wouldn't begrudge using all of that money and more if needed in order to save any of my pets

With 4 cats and a dog (and potentially a 2nd dog next year), insurance would be a nightmare

I've had to pay out a couple of times over the years for vet treatment that would have been covered by insurance, but it's been a fraction of the cost that insurance would have been (and there are excesses with the insurance too)

Insurance makes sense if you have 1-2 pets and/or are in a situation where you can't always find the money for treatment easily. Or if you're very very risk adverse

Edited by matt28 on Saturday 2nd October 12:22

[Tiggsy]

Two lurchers here.....after 12years the only big vets bills where a leg amputation for one and a massive spinal injury for the other (moron dog ran so fast that when she tripped over she almost snapped her spine!)

Anyway...even after that we are still up on not having insurance.

So happy here (and tripod is happy too because now his sister has wreaked her back and can only run at 70%...and a bit sideways, he can almost keep up again!)

That said ... Does depend on the breed, had an EBT and it cost thousands over the years. So I'd never buy a breed so prone to issues again.

[BOR]

As is often said, generally, insurance companies are in it to make money. On balance you will be better off by self insuring, with the risk that you may get a large bill every so often.

We looked into insurance recently for our doggie, and I thought there were a lot of get-out-claws and restrictions, so self insure.

Third party liability is something else entirely, and we do insure for that.

[hadenough!]

The only issue I can see is that the pet insurance includes public liability cover in case someone sues you.

[itsnotarace]

Or, god forbid, one of your animals is run over and requires operations and then ongoing care or a course of medicine that lasts for the rest of it's life. One of my friends was presented with a 12k vets bill not so long ago. Luckily she was insured but she is now stuck with that insurer for the rest of the pet's life, because she will not be able to reinsure with another company.