Dog Insurance

We just got some dog insurance.

It runs about $40 a month, including the cancer rider. It doesn’t include things like teeth cleaning or flea treatments. But it does come with a pre-existing conditions clause.

Jeez-o.

Apparently “pre-existing conditions” in dog speak means something a little different than it does for people.  Sure, if the dog was sick before, it counts as a pre-existing condition. However, in doggyland you can get coverage for the sickness if the pup has been cured of the illness for more than six months.

Real world example: Blue has well-documented dog poop problems. And by poop problems we mean doggy diarrhea, or #1 out the tushy. Under our dog insurance plan, we’ve been told that if we take him to the vet for poop stuff, he won’t be covered until he hasn’t had poop problems for a continuous six months.

So, there’s that.

Our neighbor says he’s got dog insurance. Says, “It pays for everything.”  Well, our insurer disagrees, because they list the pup’s aforementioned tummy issues, eye goobers and pneumonia as preexisting conditions for our dog. That last one is especially interesting since Blue has never had pneumonia.

Soooooo, we’ll keep you posted as to how smart of a plan this is. We’ve spent more on Blue’s health in one trip to the vet than we will in one quarter paying for the insurance. I’m convinced this isn’t a bad idea.

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