I can't recommend insurance enough. One of our cats was regularly sick from allergies and had to have three operations during his (amazingly, 14 year) life. If we hadn't had the insurance the cost would have spiralled into thousands, yet the care was very much worth seeking as between operations he had a healthy, happy cat, so it wasn't the kind of situation where euthanasia is kinder. We'd have paid it no matter what, but thank goodness we didn't have to worry about where the money came from because it was hundreds rather than several thousand.

we've been thinking about it for a while now and have done research on several plans that are offered in our area. it just keeps getting pushed back do to other, seemingly more pressing concerns. i'll have to give the discussion a bump - very soon.

shinyalex: thanks so much for the insight. your comments make a lot of sense.

I've been thinking about getting it for a while now. My work offers a small discount on one company, so I think it's time to look into more. I know I would put myself in the poorhouse if anything ever happened to B-Bop so I'd rather be prepared!

Storm is covered by accidental coverage only. When she was a baby she swallowed a jagged rock. It cost $1500 to get it out and get her healthy again. So, we put her on coverage. Just incase she decided to swallow a rock again.

I don't have it...my kitty is strictly indoor so there isn't much trouble she can get into to *knock on wood*.

I had health insurance for all three of my dogs, but unfortunately, it ended up costing more than it covered so I got rid of it.

Fuji had health insurance but I recently canceled it to get this wellness package from Banfield Hospital. It was the same price as the health insurance and I thought that preventative measures was more important than being insured for accidents.

yeah sing2day, that's what i was wondering..i guess it depends on the plan..

Every pet insurance plan I've seen has seemed more like a rip-off than a true insurance plan. I'd rather just take the money I'd spend on insurance and tuck it into a savings account for a rainy day, be that day a problem for my cat or something else.

i've considered getting pet insurance on my four critters but all my friends who have had it cautioned me not to do it - that whatever they went into the vet for wasn't covered under their policy. according to them, it's a gimmick that doesn't pay off in the end.

I'm definitely getting health insurance for my pet. The plan we are looking at is only $35.00 a month and it covers up to $7,000 per incident. It's totally worth it when you think about it this way: If I put away $35.00 a month, I would have to save for 15 years to equal $7,000! (and 7 grand isn't too much coverage either! One of my friends paid over 10 grand to get her dog healthy after an illness!)

I have it for my German Shepherd puppy and we've used it so many times already! It's great for lil checkups and shots, as well as accidents!!

I'd like to see some comparisons with real plans and how people like them. I've looked into insurance when we first got Lulu but we never got anything. Thank goodness she hasn't had anything too major. Her allergies might kick our butts soon if she has to do more specific testing but I don't even know if that could be covered.

My job offers a discount on pet insurance, but when I looked at the numbers they didn't make much sense. You have to pay a large amount every month (quite expensive with 2+ animals) and there are still deductibles, plus the insurance only covers a small number of things. Also they won't insure dogs over a certain age (I believe 10). I went through my last year's pet bills and compared the amount spent to the amount I would spend this year on insurance fees, and the insurance fees were waaaay higher. So I'll just stick to using the savings/credit card whenever I have vet bills.

We do not. I need to read up on it more.

Cuba has had it since the day he came home from the breeder. The insurance he has was great when he was a puppy they covered most of his neuter.

I take my terrier mix to Banfield inside my local PetSmart. They take great care of my dog and have a "wellness plan" that for $30 a month includes 2 physicals, all her shots, and a teeth cleaning once a year. Anything that is not included in the plan is discounted. I've saved about $1,000 in the two years I've owned her. She gets great care and I don't have to worry about it breaking my bank!

We got it for our puppy (a lab who will eat anything and everything), but we do not have it for the (indoor only) cats. With all the shots and our planned neutering, we'll keep it for the first year at least, not sure about the future.

Haven't had it long enough to know if it's worth it.

i was looking into it but I am not sure that we need it. The only time I take my dog to the vet is fr shots. So I would end up paying more. we were thinking about getting a health insurance for our other dog because she get allergic to things very fast.

I kept putting off getting it and now I am paying the price!!! We moved into a new house and a week after getting there my husky got sick. He's been throwing up for a week and been to THREE different vets trying to find out what's wrong. It's cost me over $2000 and I've had to ask my parents for money since the move drained my bank account. As soon as he is better I am all over it. My boy seemed healthy and happy but you never know when something unexpected is going to happen!

Not yet..I'd like to get it for my cat soon though. I need to really read up about it

We purchased a plan through AKC Health after we bought her from the breeder. She's been insured since we've owned her. Comes in real handy when it comes to vets visits and her spay last year. Didn't cover her microchipping though, that was all us.