Health Insurance

We are so fortunate that Cabana is a healthy dog and not terribly accident prone. We've never had to go to an emergency clinic after hours or on a weekend, and any issues Cabana has had have been fairly minor.

So last weekend, when Cabana started limping and refused to put any weight on her front left paw, we wondered if our luck had run out. When I tried to touch Cabana's paw, she let out a moaning yowl like I'd never heard from her before, kind of like, "Yeowooorarrrooohh!"

I could see a small red spot, but there wasn't any blood. Whatever had happened, it must have been extremely painful because Cabana didn't even come running when my husband started cooking his weekend pancakes, which is one of Cabana's favorite indulgences.

I took Cabana to the vet first thing on Monday morning. The vet said it was some sort of puncture wound, from who knows what. He injected her with pain killer and antibiotics and also prescribed oral antibiotics and Rimadyl. $175 and one day later, Cabana was fine. It seemed a bit like overkill for one tiny spot, but now, you'd never even know she'd been hopping around on three legs just a few days ago.

This incident got me thinking about pet insurance. I have heard it usually runs about $50/month, which seems like a lot right now, since Cabana rarely has any problems. But I'd hate to get to a point someday where we have to make concessions on Cabana's health based on financial considerations. I'd like to make those decisions based on prognosis and quality of life, rather than price tag.

So here I start my research on pet insurance plans. Do you have health insurance for your pet? Is one company way better, or are they all fairly similar? Cabana is 4 years old and doesn't have any pre-existing conditions.

Read more...