What are the best pet insurance options for a senior dog with pre-existing liver conditions? Our dog is getting older, and her Fetch premium just skyrocketed to $6100 a year. We’ve been with PetPlan since she was 8 weeks old and have hardly ever hit our deductible. But since Fetch took over, our costs have just gone up and up. She has elevated liver enzymes and takes denamarin and ursodiol. We’ve done a lot of testing, and the vet thinks it’s just benign liver aging. I’m worried that if we switch to another insurer, they won’t cover her pre-existing conditions, and I’m considering a quote from Trupanion for $2200. But I’m concerned they might classify her liver issues as pre-existing too. Plus, she’s not eating her dry food well lately, so I want to take her to the vet for more tests. Honestly, the high premium and limited options make me think about skipping insurance altogether and just using our savings. But one emergency could change everything. Any advice from those who’ve dealt with this before?
That’s a tough situation, and I can feel your frustration. $6100 a year is just ridiculous. It seems like they really don’t want your business anymore. It’s hard to believe after being a loyal customer for so long. The ownership change and new underwriter probably contribute to this increase. It’s nerve-wracking knowing that other companies could do the same in the future.
I think you should definitely make that vet visit first. Have an open chat with them about your dog’s insurance and get their perspective on her condition and possible costs down the line. Look at your finances to see if it makes sense to keep paying that premium or if you’d risk wiping out your savings if you had to cancel and something urgent came up.
Honestly, I wouldn’t be confident that another insurer wouldn’t take your money and then deny claims later. But calling Trupanion could be worth it to ask about their claims process. Just be aware that they might connect almost anything to a pre-existing condition. It’s a rough spot to be in, and I’m really sorry you’re dealing with this.
Thanks for your thoughts, I appreciate it. It’s really frustrating to think we’ve paid all these years and now it feels like we’re being pushed out. I would feel a bit better about the $6100 if we had some big payouts to show for it, but we’ve barely made any claims.
You’re right about the vet visit. I can’t get in with her regular vet before the coverage ends, so I might have to go to an ER or another clinic. I was thinking of getting Trupanion coverage right away, just in case her appetite issues aren’t linked to her liver enzymes. But I’m not sure that would work out. I’ll think it over a bit more. Thanks again.
Just a heads-up, Trupanion is likely to consider those liver issues as pre-existing. You’ll probably run into that everywhere. And yeah, $6100 is a lot to handle. Definitely do the math to see if it’s worth it. I didn’t realize PetPlan had a new deductible for every incident either, that’s pretty rough.
Yeah, I don’t think it’s worth it anymore. I’m going to go for accident-only insurance and just handle the vet costs myself. If I could rewind to when she was a puppy, I’d definitely choose accident-only insurance. The whole pet insurance scene feels like a scam, and there’s not much you can do when they leave you high and dry.
I totally get where you’re coming from. I just got renewal docs for my 8-year-old cat, and my premium is about to double to $1200 for no real reason other than his age. I’m also shopping around. It’s infuriating to hear about your $6k premium, I’m so sorry you’re going through this!
Thanks, it’s just so maddening