ASPCA | Pet Insurance Review

Before I get to Scout's story, I have to quickly mention my cat Chelsea, who passed away in 2006. I had her for 18 years and not pet insurance for her. She suffered many ailments including cancer and hyperthyroidism. She has several surgeries and chemo treatments to treat the cancer and radioactive iodine treatments to cure the hyperthyroidism. Needless to say, taking care of her illnesses cost me a fortune. A few months after she passed away, I got my puppy, Scout, a beautiful, energetic, yellow Labrador retriever. The first thing I did was look into pet insurance. I did my research. Checking all the different insurance companies that were available to me. I came across the ASPCA insurance. The first thing that impressed me was that it was the ASPCA, an organization that I have the utmost respect for and I have supported them for years. I went over the different plans and what would work best for me. I chose the Advantage plan and the premium is extremely reasonable. Within Scout's first 2 years, and many visits to the dog park, she suffered many injuries by playing with the other dogs, In those first 2 years, the insurance paid for itself. Thank goodness, I got it. More recently, in July of 2010, she suffered an injury to her knee and needed to have TTA surgery to repair a ligament. This is a very expensive surgery, costly about $5000. But I had no choice, Scout is like a child to me and I would do anything for her. With the ASPCA pet insurance, it ended

Pet insurance is just as important as health insurance for families. Health care is expensive and can create a tremendous financial burden. This is equally true with pets. We love our animals and we treat them like family members. We need some assurance that we will be able to provide the best care for our pets without worrying about the financial hardship it can create. The insurance gives us the peace of mind we need and eliminates this worry. Celine is a new member to our family and we can't imagine not having her around. We insure her to make sure she will always be well cared for and to make sure she stays healthy and happy. God forbid she gets sick or has an accident. With pet insurance, the burden of caring for her is diminished and we worry less about these unforeseen events.

Petshealth Care Plan is a excellent plan for my Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier named Daisy. All I have to do is fill out the form, have the Vet fill out the form and sign it and I send it in. I have a piece of mind when I know that my Daisy needs care, I have insurance to cover some of the costs.

...at the policy renewal date unless you have a "continuing care endorsement," which for us was an additional $7. But don't be too reassured. This endorsement may not provide as much coverage as the rest of your plan. So beware. We missed out with one cat, never imagining this could happen, and insurance-speak is not always easy to understand. So coverage can end in the midst of the healing process, or at the very beginning if the injury or illness occurs at the end of the plan year. The coverage levels are good for us otherwise, and service has been prompt.

On a routine visit to my vet with Maine Coons, Hyacinthe and Daphnis, in December 2009, I idly picked up ASPCA's Pet Insurance brochure. On studying it at home (having previously looked into two other plans and found them wanting), I liked this one and immediately insured my boys. In June 2010, on a vet visit with Hyacinthe, the routine weigh check showed that he had lost over one pound since December. Testing indicated hyperthyroidism. My choice for treatment was "pills" --twice a day and a major battle each time--or very expensive iodine 131 irradiation. Although my vet assured me that, over the balance of my 11-year old's expected life, irradiation would prove to be no more expensive than medication and follow-up testing, the up-front cost would be significant. Not knowing whether insurance would even cover it, I opted for irradiation. But ASPCA came through with flying colors. Now, Hyacinthe is like a new cat! He's gaining weight, his coat is silky, his eyes bright, and he's returned to play-chasing with his brother, Daphnis. THANKS ASPCA INSURANCE and my great good luck in picking up that brochure just when I did.