Pet healthcare insurance?

[retrieverman]

Vets here in east TX do very well financially, because there are ALOT of people that spend as much on pet care as they do on themselves. I have recently changed vets after 20+ years, because it got to the point that I couldn’t take an animal in without ending up with a $300 bill. The vet I switched to has taken care of my large animals for $20+ years and has treated me and my cows well. A routine small animal visit to that clinic is $120-150.

I’ve had to put down a bunch of my own animals over the years, but it’s getting harder as I get older. I’ve been fortunate my last three animal that passed have gone peacefully in their sleep, and I facing another one at any time (my youngest son’s geriatric Lab). I’m really hoping he just won’t wake up one morning, but I’m preparing myself for having to do the deed if he gets to the point he‘s suffering.

 

[JD8]

Yeah, some people are like that.

I'd say most people are like that. For reference..... heart worm is like $50-100. Good bag of food is $50.

I typed up a big response to the "you shouldn't own a dog if you're not willing to spend fat cash on it" line, but I deleted it.

Well that would've been a strawman argument and not what I said.

It's always easy to say what someone else should do. We're just different. I've only had to put down a few dogs in my long life and it's hard every time, but I wouldn't trade the new puppies (which grew into great dogs) for all the tea in china, let alone a couple more strained and painful years with the old guys. And that's a fact.

I get what you're saying, but you're kind of contradicting yourself. You're saying wouldn't trade anything for them, but you won't spend $100 at the vet? That's a basic vet visit.

 

[jeepjackazz]

I understand. Lots of folks are like that. For us, it's always been a hard limit. We always talk it over with the kids, give the old fella a great day of whatever they can handle, then a quiet .22. Then we go puppy shopping for a new one. We've only had to put a few down, but it's never been a question if we were going to spend thousands of dollars on a dog. As they used to say, 'it's just a dog'. That dough might have to go to fight cancer for one of us some day.

"Hey kids, this guy might need a couple hundred bucks worth of stuff, so instead of saving him and giving him the life he deserves, were going to offer him a cheeseburger and then blow his brains out. No worries though, we can go grab another victim just as soon as you kids dig a hole for this one"

Hopefully you live to some degree of fair health, and when the time comes, your kids give you a burger and the worst possible place to finish your life in, Cause ehhh, He was just a parent....

 

[Revolvers4Life]

Cant recommend Nationwide and their pet insurance enough. I posted on here last year about this, my 7 year old Bassett Hound had pretty bad cancer in the mouth. Nationwide covered literally everything without any hesitation or push back, and that included lots of scans and visits over several months, surgery, ICU stay, medicines… it was well over 6k in expenses. We would have spent the money ourselves anyways, but made a very stressful time a little easier.

I’ve had the nationwide pet insurance through my work for 5 years now and it has always been this experience. They are great

 

[retrieverman]

"Hey kids, this guy might need a couple hundred bucks worth of stuff, so instead of saving him and giving him the life he deserves, were going to offer him a cheeseburger and then blow his brains out. No worries though, we can go grab another victim just as soon as you kids dig a hole for this one"

Hopefully you live to some degree of fair health, and when the time comes, your kids give you a burger and the worst possible place to finish your life in, Cause ehhh, He was just a parent....

I typed out a response, but all I’m going to say is :finger:

 

[TinkerTanker]

I'd say most people are like that. For reference..... heart worm is like $50-100. Good bag of food is $50.



Well that would've been a strawman argument and not what I said.




I get what you're saying, but you're kind of contradicting yourself. You're saying wouldn't trade anything for them, but you won't spend $100 at the vet? That's a basic vet visit.

Last trip I took to the vet was 60 bucks. I got my oldest fella a rabies and distemper shot. I don't know what a "basic vet visit" is because that's a made up term. I guess some of you guys are on a subscription (schedule) to keep your vets rich and happy. I won't be doing that.
As for food, you can't include food in your pet's vet bill. I would think that's obvious.

 

[TinkerTanker]

I typed out a response, but all I’m going to say is :finger:

I only have two people on my ignore list and both made it there within 30 days of each other. El Pablo and jeepjackazz. I'm sure whatever he said warranted your response.

 

[retrieverman]

I only have two people on my ignore list and both made it there within 30 days of each other. El Pablo and jeepjackazz. I'm sure whatever he said warranted your response.

Only two on ignore?!? Amateur!

 

[JD8]

Last trip I took to the vet was 60 bucks. I got my oldest fella a rabies and distemper shot. I don't know what a "basic vet visit" is because that's a made up term.

I meant basic as in not needing surgery, xrays, meds etc.... should be obvious as you say?

I guess some of you guys are on a subscription (schedule) to keep your vets rich and happy.

Nope, keep trying with the strawman though!!

As for food, you can't include food in your pet's vet bill. I would think that's obvious.

So I guess I'm missing the compartmentalization here? The point is, dogs have a cost, whether it be food, crates, heartworm, flea and tick..... and of course any sort of routine healthcare that would require a vet visit. $100 is a pretty low cutoff at the vet, but you turn around and say you wouldn't trade all the tea in china for your dogs or whatever. Ok...well.... seems anything north of $100 has more of a priority.

 

[TinkerTanker]

I meant basic as in not needing surgery, xrays, meds etc.... should be obvious as you say?

Nope, in our house (you do you, buggaboo) vets are for vaccinations and then only if your dog gets outside. Nothing more.

Nope, keep trying with the strawman though!!

Odd that you're yelling "strawman!" out of one side and saying I need to go pay a vet for flea and ticks (now that's funny), heartworm, etc. You can't have it both ways.

So I guess I'm missing the compartmentalization here? The point is, dogs have a cost, whether it be food, crates, heartworm, flea and tick..... and of course any sort of routine healthcare that would require a vet visit. $100 is a pretty low cutoff at the vet, but you turn around and say you wouldn't trade all the tea in china for your dogs or whatever. Ok...well.... seems anything north of $100 has more of a priority.

Dogs have a cost. It's food. Occasional vaccination depending on what's likely to happen to him (once a year for us), and the occasional 3am wakeups to see what they're barking at. That's the cost. Anything else is a choice. Dogs are very, very low maintenance. Humans make them high maintenance.