Is it too late to get pet insurance? I’m feeling a bit lost here. I’ve done some quick research online, but I have a vet appointment for my dog’s spay exam tomorrow. I’m planning to pay out of pocket for the spay, but I’ve noticed a couple of lumps around her chest area in the last few months. I want to mention it to the vet, but I’m worried if this is something serious. So is it too late to sign up for pet insurance if this might be a problem in the future? I’m really anxious about her appointment tomorrow. She’s a 5-year-old black lab, and I’ve had her since she was just 8 weeks old.
Since your appointment is tomorrow, it’s definitely too late to sign up tonight. Most insurance policies have waiting periods for illnesses that can range from 14 to 30 days. MetLife has a zero-day waiting period, but that only covers accidents and preventative care, not illnesses. Just to clarify, there’s no prior history of those bumps, right? If there is, that would be considered pre-existing and wouldn’t be covered. You could cancel the appointment, buy the policy, and wait out the waiting period, or you could keep the appointment and pay for everything out of pocket. The vet will probably notice the bumps anyway, even if you don’t bring them up. I really hope everything turns out okay. My Yorkie had similar bumps that ended up being lipomas, which are non-cancerous fatty tumors. I was really worried until the biopsy came back, so I get how you feel.
Just a heads up, your advice could lead to insurance fraud. Those lumps are pre-existing since you’ve noticed them for months. I really wouldn’t recommend canceling your vet appointment just to wait out a policy’s waiting period for something you already know about. You’d have to lie to the vet about when you first noticed the lumps, which could affect their treatment decisions. Plus, if the insurance company finds out, they could cancel your policy. I wish you and your pup all the best
Honestly, I wish I had signed up for pet insurance years ago. My dogs are now 8 and 10, and I really want it. Unfortunately, AKC won’t cover illnesses for dogs over 9, just accidents. So they are off my list.