10d (edited) • Trusty Tidbits
Pet Insurance
This week I wanted to talk about pet insurance. While I am not an insurance expert I can say with confidence that animal insurance is much easier to understand than human insurance.
For those who don’t know I have 3 dogs, 3 cats and a snake and they range from the age of 2.5 years old to 12.5 years old.
Dogs:
- Lucas McCain – American Pit Bull Terrier – 12.5 years
- Káosz – Vizsla – 2.5 years
- Csili – Vizsla – 5 years
Cats
- Artemis – DSH – 12 years old
- Aries – DSH – 11 years old
- Minka – 3 years old
Snake
- Havoc – Thorn Scrub Rat Snake – 5 years (?)
I have had Lucas on insurance since he was about 4 years old and I am so glad that I have due to him getting sick at a month short of 9 years old with a chronic auto immune disease that he still has. That first year I spent about $10,000 between food, diagnostics, medications, supplements and insurance payments. Thanks to insurance though I was reimbursed about $7000-8000. So, when I bought Káosz I immediately put him on insurance and when I adopted Csili she was covered as well.
In November of 2025 I switched the vizslas to a different insurance company which I am happy with but kept Lucas on the one he has always been on due to coverage issues with his history.
I will admit that I only have my dogs covered as thankfully my cats are for the most part medically boring although Minka is no longer medically boring. The blood test is pending but she is suspected to have histoplasmosis which is a fungal infection endemic to the Americas that is found in the soil that if left untreated is fatal. She is currently blind and her sight may not possibly return. I will know more about her prognosis once I get the test result hopefully later this week. In hindsight having her covered would have been beneficial as well but it won’t stop me from caring for her.
Given my experience some things to note when considering insurance:
- the age of your pet
- medical history
- what all do they cover (dental or not for example)
- whether or not they cover working dogs and if they do or don’t to what capacity
o Is it just law enforcement?
o Does it exclude ranch dogs and hunting dogs?
o Is it vague?
These are all things to consider that way if your dog is approved for coverage and they find out your dog has a job that you won’t have coverage dropped in a time of need. Download a copy of the policy you sign up on and if the policy ever changes make sure you are “grandfathered” in as well.
Do you have insurance for your animals? Why or why not? What has your experience been? What is something you wish you knew?
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Pet Insurance
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