How do you guys feel about pet insurance? I only have one kitty but I can't tell you how many people I've known who end up having to spend $5,000+ on an unforeseen cat issue.
I have mixed feelings about it - even if you have pet insurance, you still have to come up with a way to pay the vet yourself first, then the insurance co. reimburses you like 70% on the back end........it would be GREAT to be reimbursed, but a lot of folks couldn't come up with 5-10k on their own to pay the vet in the first place, rendering the insurance pretty useless.... I think if you can afford pet insurance and to also sock away a little money every month into a pet health emergency savings account, that would be ideal. Anyone know if any pet insurance company will pay the vet for you at the time of service? If there was a company that did that, I would sign up! Otherwise, I just put money away out of every paycheck into a savings acct specifically for vet emergencies.
How do you guys feel about pet insurance? I only have one kitty but I can't tell you how many people I've known who end up having to spend $5,000+ on an unforeseen cat issue.
The problem with insurance claims being processed up front is that I don't think that technology exists for vets. It does for humans, but not sure there's a system in place for vets. Plus I'm not sure the process would be one that vets would go for. They'd need to send the claim to the insurance company, which means they wouldn't get a bulk of the payment until well after the issue happens (because god knows insurance companies are SO well known for their turn-around time on payouts!).
How do you guys feel about pet insurance? I only have one kitty but I can't tell you how many people I've known who end up having to spend $5,000+ on an unforeseen cat issue.
I have mixed feelings about it - even if you have pet insurance, you still have to come up with a way to pay the vet yourself first, then the insurance co. reimburses you like 70% on the back end........it would be GREAT to be reimbursed, but a lot of folks couldn't come up with 5-10k on their own to pay the vet in the first place, rendering the insurance pretty useless.... I think if you can afford pet insurance and to also sock away a little money every month into a pet health emergency savings account, that would be ideal. Anyone know if any pet insurance company will pay the vet for you at the time of service? If there was a company that did that, I would sign up! Otherwise, I just put money away out of every paycheck into a savings acct specifically for vet emergencies.
Knowing your policy you can use care credit and one of their promotions that defer interest until you get a check. I look to see the way pet insurance is handled change quickly if they want to keep customers. Payment for something covered in your policy is going to become a must.
I have mixed feelings about it - even if you have pet insurance, you still have to come up with a way to pay the vet yourself first, then the insurance co. reimburses you like 70% on the back end........it would be GREAT to be reimbursed, but a lot of folks couldn't come up with 5-10k on their own to pay the vet in the first place, rendering the insurance pretty useless.... I think if you can afford pet insurance and to also sock away a little money every month into a pet health emergency savings account, that would be ideal. Anyone know if any pet insurance company will pay the vet for you at the time of service? If there was a company that did that, I would sign up! Otherwise, I just put money away out of every paycheck into a savings acct specifically for vet emergencies.
I will be blunt. Most people do not have a clue what it really costs to have just one pet. Some of the lists online for pet care are beyond deceptive. Vet visits might be described as a clinic for yearly shots. I've had a few extremely brutal arguments on horse slaughter. If you stop mindless breeding slaughter on commercial scale will not be feasible. Until then it's how we dispose of the endless supply of unwanted horseflesh. Mostly over our borders now. If you want to really have a no kill environment you have to stop the mindless breeding of puppies and kittens. My visit to the shelter to get Mercy was a nightmare. It's not even kitten season and they were overrun. And yes I only took one because I know exactly how much we spend each month of cat food etc etc etc.
Thank you so much for posting this! I do applications for dog (and sometimes cat) rescue, and the first thing we do is check vet references. You would be shocked how many times I've called on a seemingly good app with a terrible vet reference. There are so many people who don't understand the importance of having a relationship with a vet, or they say "they were never sick", but, how do they know? They aren't vets and there are a lot of things people simply glaze over. (Dental health being the biggest one)
I did an app once for a puppy, and when I called their vet they said they had not been seen in 6 years with the current adult dog. I called the applicant to make sure it wasn't a mistake and they said after the death of their last dog they "fell into a rut". I understand that losing a pet is extremely, beyond painful however, should we give them a puppy and the adult dog die, will they fall into another "rut" and not seek veterinary care for the puppy?
I hope more people read this and find a vet they can trust and their babies can love.
I have no idea. That would be a question for CC or the insurance . I know that when I wanted to put my premium on a CC it was more than just out of checking. CC is only worth it if you can get at least the six month interest free promotion. you know you can use it for yourself too.Can pet insurance premiums be paid with Care Card? My vet actually doesn't take it, and if I don't use it soon (like, very soon) it will basically be cancelled since I've not had the chance to use it.
If I didn't have an HSA that I dip into when needed, I would definitely use it for myself. But it's also amazing how many providers in my area do NOT accept it. Including all of mine, and I see several doctors and a dentist. Considering almost everything stipulates that it will pay for things if bought at the vet's office though, my guess is they don't.Can pet insurance premiums be paid with Care Card? My vet actually doesn't take it, and if I don't use it soon (like, very soon) it will basically be cancelled since I've not had the chance to use it.
I have no idea. That would be a question for CC or the insurance . I know that when I wanted to put my premium on a CC it was more than just out of checking. CC is only worth it if you can get at least the six month interest free promotion. you know you can use it for yourself too.
I know, that's why I wish there was more truthful educational material available. (And, also, more organizations to help people who have little money, but own pets. Like, enough to cover the routine care, food, etc, but not medical emergencies. Too often do pets from loving but financially unstable home fall ill, and the only option is to give them up to rescue, when really the goal should be too keep these animals in their homes to begin with. This organization is a good example) We've had people apply for our animals who "don't believe in spay and neuter" and we've turned them down even if they are an otherwise great home. Now, this is a double edged sword, because there is nothing to stop them from purchasing from awful sources. (My state much to my chagrin boasts some of the worst puppy mills in the country) Its simply against everything we believe, it goes against science and medical fact, and there are so many medical benefits to s/n other than eliminating the risk of unwanted offspring.
I will be blunt. Most people do not have a clue what it really costs to have just one pet. Some of the lists online for pet care are beyond deceptive. Vet visits might be described as a clinic for yearly shots. I've had a few extremely brutal arguments on horse slaughter. If you stop mindless breeding slaughter on commercial scale will not be feasible. Until then it's how we dispose of the endless supply of unwanted horseflesh. Mostly over our borders now. If you want to really have a no kill environment you have to stop the mindless breeding of puppies and kittens. My visit to the shelter to get Mercy was a nightmare. It's not even kitten season and they were overrun. And yes I only took one because I know exactly how much we spend each month of cat food etc etc etc.
The no-kill shelter mantra can't work when dog and cat owners still fail to s/n. Someone mentioned they would take their cats kittens to a no kill shelter. How nice. I bet the shelter is thrilled.
I asked for the vet we used to be our regular vet and that is possible. Most clinics have the owner and a few other vets on staff so not that much different.
I go to a VCA clinic. It's a little bit pricier than private vets, but they have good vets. I wouldn't miss the annual wellness exam. Mingo needs a rabies vaccine, which includes the annual fee from the city. They also provide flea medicine that protects against heartworm. Mingo is an indoor cat, but indoor cats can be exposed to all these things, too. I do have pet insurance. Since Mingo is a young cat, it's $15 per month, and it will probably go up as he ages, but this insurance also maintains his chip information. Someone on this site was appalled at spending $200 per year on vet bills, which I find laughable. I spend more than that for a healthy kitty.
Home dental care can be surprisingly easy if you find toothpaste your cat likes! Our cats love CET toothpaste, it's like a treat for them. (Unfortunately their toothpaste isn't very readily available right now because they're apparently transitioning to new equipment. Or something.)I agree with the dental also. Also good home dental care. I'm gonna learn what I need to do to take care of their teeth at home. Omg, poor Sara and her tooth right now! I'm so glad I have a vet that does check the teeth and also that one of them in the practice specializes in dental.
Re: vaccines, I do remember hearing a story about a bat that WAS rabid that got into someone's house. The cat had to be quarantined for a long time, and it was very expensive, WAY more expensive than the cost of the vaccine would have been.
Our vet also likes to see blood tests done earlier. She was thrilled when I asked for them when our cats were almost two, just because I remember how important middle-age and senior tests had been for our previous cat.Our vets recommend a blood test be done at around age 5 so that there is something to compare to once the cat becomes a senior. I did this for my older ones last year. I also have done BW on two of my now 4 yr olds. One I did a full "senior" panel since he has had health issues (primarily reoccurring pancreatitis); the other I did a Pro BNP with a full Chem panel. I chose the Pro BNP after learning that bad case of Calicivirus can sometimes cause heart damage (and other organ damage) due to the virus being systemic. T had a very bad case when he was 9 mo old (he even went into acute renal failure due to a mucus plug). The test did confirm damage, so he'll be going in for a heart echo this year.
I'm not even sure what a "basic" blood panel is at this point :lol3: Oh man, that's just sad.What should one get done at a yearly checkup? I'm switching to a different vet for Robins checkup/vaccination. He last had bloodwork in Dec. 2012. And how much is a basic blood panel?
My regular vet did not bother to send out a reminder for his yearly checkup, which annoyed me a little. I'm the mom so I knew it was coming up late December, but when I called to see what he was due for, they were like, " So glad you remembered, because we didn't." So off we will be going, to a different vet. Hope this one doesn't ignore the crusty/runny eye thing; the practice that he's seen since kittenhood didn't seem concerned. "Just wipe it off". I can't help but wonder if earlier, aggressive treatment might have stopped the issue before it crept up into something steadily worse.