Pupps needed emergency surgery

So I had to take my 5 1/2 month old pup to the emergency vet on Sunday night. He was throwing up all day and they diagnosed him w/having a foreign body (ended up being a piece of a toy) in his stomach.

The bill came to about $3600....

Completely worth it for his healthy and safety but that is a stomach crunching figure. We dont have pet insurance for him. I am hearing conflicting opinions on health insurance. Some say it covers foreign bodies some say not.....

I'm very confused!

Re: Pupps needed emergency surgery

I hope your pup is okay. it must have been very scary.

it depends on each insurance, thats why they vary in price. Some offer routine care, others dont.

Remember that all insurances do not cover preexisting conditions. I recommend vet insurance for anyone who thinks their pet is a family member. We use VPI

Message edited 4/12/2011 1:15:37 PM.

Re: Pupps needed emergency surgery

We got it after our dog needed to be hospitalized with pneumonia when she was 9 months which cost us 3,000. We use petplan; we have good coverage in case of a major injury or need for major surgery. I did not get one that covered routine care, but wanted to be covered in case something huge happened.

Re: Pupps needed emergency surgery

I have truepanion pet insurance and they cover any illness injury except hip displasia at 90% of total cost after your deductible. Each company is different but there are a few websites that compare plans.

Re: Pupps needed emergency surgery

I'm sorry about your pup!

I have VPI and it covers surgical gastric foreign bodies as a secondary allowance. (I just looked it up.) A secondary allowance is treatment / procedure for something that is treated along with a primary allowance. However, in your case, the primary allowance would be gastroenteritis (the vomiting, etc.) and the secondary allowance would be the foreign object surgery. The limit is about $1500 on the surgery, but also $900+ for the gastroenteritis.

I have had claims (both major medical and routine) with them, and they have been handled without a hassle. I have an outstanding one I just submitted yesterday, but hopefully won't have any trouble there either. All were paid quickly, too. The routine care coverage is expensive, and I'm not yet sure I think it is worth it... but the major medical is worth it for sure.

ETA -- They have two types of plans (one "comprehensive" plan that covers more and reimburses at higher amounts than the other "economical" plan). I have the comprehensive plan, so the amounts listed are based on that. Depending on your deductible, ($100, $250, or $500), breed, etc., the monthly rate is approximately $22-30 per month. Also check with any potential insurers about any exclusions based on your pup's medical history.

Good luck!

Message edited 4/13/2011 1:17:07 PM.