« April 2010 | Main | June 2010 »
Here is a great list provided by www.petinsurancereview.com on a few things you should keep in mind when comparing pet insurance options.
1. Each pet insurance company is different
All pet insurance is not the same. Some insurance plans cover accidents to your pet, but not illness. Some plans cover treatment for cancer, some don't.
It can be confusing, so you will need to do some research
(that's why they created their website).
2. Don't just look at the price
A low price is no bargain if your insurance company denies your pet's claim. Cheaper policies tend to provide less coverage. Will the cheapest pet policy cover your dog's cancer treatment? Probably not.
3. You can use any veterinarian you want
Not sure if your existing vet takes pet insurance? Don't worry, this is not an issue. All pet insurance companies will allow claims from any licensed veterinarian.
4. You have to pay the veterinary bill out of your own pocket
With human health insurance, your doctor invoices your insurance company and you may never even see the bill. However, with pet insurance, you have to pay your veterinary bill and then submit your claim to your insurance company for reimbursement. This is because pet insurance is considered a form of property insurance.
5. Pre-existing conditions are not covered
Not ever. Think of it this way: if you got into a car accident and then tried to buy auto insurance the next day, do you think it would be fair to expect the insurance company to pay for your accident?
6. Is pet insurance worth it?
Pet insurance protects you from large, unexpected vet bills. If you are the type of owner who does not want to choose between going into debt or putting your pet down, pet insurance is for you.
Yesterday Petsecure pet insurance announced our winners, Bronwyn Zahra and Sarah Roberts for our April Facebook Fan Contest - Canada’s Top Pet Parent(s)! We shared with you Bronwyn’s touching story and now here is Sarah’s winning story. Enjoy!
Sarah Roberts (and her fiancé Mike) and their pets Cooper, Buddy, Dax, Sam and the late Diesel
Four years ago my fiancé and I bought a house and moved in with my dog Diesel and his black cat Buddy (picture to the left). Six months after moving in, my friend’s cat Cooper (pictured below and to the right) jumped off her 6th floor balcony and shattered her leg requiring surgery. She had just bought a puppy and she couldn't handle helping her little kitten recover so we took her in and have had her
ever since.
Another six months go by and a stray cat decided to live in our garage where she gave birth to her four kittens. After we discovered the kittens, Diesel alerted us to the garage to find her fighting for the life of her kittens, from a raccoon! So of course, into the house momma and babies came, getting their own room until the kittens were weaned and ready for their own home. We found homes for the kittens but no one wanted a one year old stray. So off we went to the vet for her vaccinations and
spay. She became Honda (picture to the left), our third cat. It took about six months of breaking up cat fights until everyone finally got along.
Last November we found a stray puppy and paraded her around town trying to find her owners. We left our info with animal control, pet stores and put her on www.petfinder.com basically got told she had probably been dumped. She fit so well with our little family that we decided to keep her and name her Dax (on the floor in front of Diesel in the picture).
Last month we got a phone call from my parents saying this thing that looks like a wolf (which was really a Shepherd/Husky) had come to their house and they were thinking about keeping him. He was malnourished and filthy covered in burrs. My parents being in their late sixties couldn't lift him to even bath him. My fiancé and I went over, bathed and groomed him and discovered he was as sweet as a teddy bear. My parents didn’t know what to do as he was suffering from separation anxiety every time they left, so they were going to surrender him to animal control. After a long discussion, we decided to take him in and he became our third dog, Sam (in the picture to the left).
This has become our happy little family where you can't walk in the door without getting love from someone. And that’s my pet parent story.
R.I.P Diesel (left) - April 2010
With so many great stories to choose from, the decision on who was going to get crowned Canada’s top pet parent from our Facebook fans was just too difficult to only pick 1. So we decided to pick Canada’s Top 2 Pet Parents!
Congratulations to Bronwyn Zahra from Halifax, NS and Sarah Roberts from Hamilton, ON for having their stories selected as the winners of our April Facebook Fan contest. Both have won a VISA gift card courtesy of Petsecure pet insurance and a cozy Petsecure fleece blanket.
We have also awarded Laura Watling a special ‘Fan Favourite’ prize for having overwhelming support from other fans to vote for her and Diesel (her pup).
Congrats Laura!
Without further adieu, here are Bronwyn and Laura’s stories….Sarah’s story will be posted tomorrow!
Bronwyn Zahra and her pets Bentley, Sacha and Wylie
Hi! My name is Bronwyn and here is my story….
Wylie came home from his breeder at 7 weeks old, and right away we knew that something was wrong. Wylie was always thirsty, and couldn’t keep his water down. Naturally we went to discuss things with our vet. She tested him for both types of diabetes, kidney and liver problems, urinary tract infections, bladder issues and Addison’s disease. All the tests came back negative, leaving us worried and wondering.
Wylie turned out to have Psychogenic Polydipsia, which is a psychological water addiction. Basically, Wylie’s brain always tells him that he’s thirsty. He loves swimming, snow, hoses and rain, and likes to lick cars, the ground, other dogs, stairs – anything that MIGHT have water on it. Wylie is almost 2 and he’s been like this his whole life.
Wylie was my first dog, and I knew about all of the possible medical problems associated with Bernese (and large breed dogs in general) but I certainly wasn’t expecting this. I am only 22 and although Wylie has a flawless personality, his medical file is huge. I am not disappointed with Wylie and I not only love him in spite of his issues, I love him more because of them.
About 9 weeks ago, I had been poking around on www.petfinder.com and found Bentley at a city pound in Alma, Quebec (I currently reside in Nova Scotia). I applied to adopt him, and was approved. I drove all the way to Quebec and back in 2 days. Things were going well, he and Wylie got along perfectly! That is, until Bentley decided that he could NOT be left alone. Whenever I left the house, he would throw himself at the windows trying to get out. Please keep in mind that Bentley is 100 lbs and if he wants to get out the window, he will! I was so worried, I immediately made an appointment with a vet and with a trainer and I’m more than happy to say that with extra training and medication, Bentley is doing well! He's not anxious or groggy anymore. Things are wonderful!
I was so worried that I didn’t have the skills that Bentley needed in an owner, and I felt that I was at my wits end. Now, I look at him and can’t imagine my life without him.
Last but not least, I have Sacha. Sacha is an (almost) 6 year old male Siamese. Sacha ended up with several bouts of crystals and cost me well over $3,000, and he is constantly being monitored. Sacha is my heart and soul. He greets me at the door, he talks to me, comes to me when I’m crying, sleeps with me (and the dogs) and is truly one of my best friends.
I wouldn’t be the person I am today if it wasn’t for Wylie, Bentley and Sacha. They have made me more responsible, accountable and knowledgeable. They’ve helped me through some of the hardest times in my life. I owe so much to all of them and I am proud to be their Mom.
Laura Watling and her dog Diesel
I first saw Diesel when he was only 2 weeks old, that’s when I picked him out from all the other puppies. At 5 weeks, I went back for a visit and he crawled onto my lap and feel asleep, that’s when he picked me!
I brought Diesel home at 7 weeks old and couldn’t wait to start our new life together. Little did I know, it was going to be a bumpy road. Our first big vet bill was just a couple weeks after I brought him home, a $750 bill for an impacted bowel. Luckily I had a Petsecure pet insurance voucher from the breeder. 7 years later and $28,000 later we are still sending in claims almost once a month. Diesel has opened my eyes, changed me as a person and changed my whole world. I spend as much time with him as I can, because I know that he won’t be here forever, so I figure why not enjoy him while I have him.
Year after year, we are faced with expensive vet bills, unexpected accidents, and other things that life likes to throw our way, and even if I knew it would all turn out this way I would do it again in a heartbeat, Diesel is worth it!
When I tell people about Diesel’s expenses and past history, they tell me that I’m an exceptional dog owner, but I don’t think that’s true. I think all pet owners should go above and beyond for their pets; after all, we are the ones who chose to bring them into our lives so why not make it the best time of theirs?
According to a recent independent survey of veterinarians across Canada by GfK Kynetec, a leading market research company, Petsecure is the number one recommended brand of pet insurance with 8 out of 10 veterinarians recommending Petsecure pet insurance to
their clients.
“It is rewarding to be recognized by the veterinary community as the number one recommended provider of pet insurance,” says Randy Valpy, President & CEO of Petsecure Pet Health Insurance. “We continue to invest our time and financial resources in the veterinary community and we are pleased to see that this investment is being recognized and that veterinarians trust and value our pet insurance product enough to not only recommend it to their clients, but to recommend us more than any other brand of pet insurance.”
Petsecure is a corporate partner with the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association. We also belong to the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association Business Management Program and have the American Animal Hospital Association Seal of Acceptance. Along with our Chief Veterinary Officer, we also have a team of Territory Managers who work with veterinary clinics across the country educating pet owners and practice staff on the importance of pet insurance.
Not only are we the number one recommended brand of pet insurance by veterinarians, we're also currently the top ranked brand by Canadian pet insurance policyholders according to customer ratings on www.petinsurancereview.com. This independent third party website allows pet owners with insurance to rate their provider and offer advice to others looking to buy pet insurance. “Knowing that we have the support of both veterinarians and pet parents shows us that we are doing something right.” says Valpy.
As the oldest and largest pet insurance company in Canada, we will continue to work with the veterinary community to provide the best and most innovative pet insurance coverage in the country.
My dog is constantly eating grass – is it an internal parasite?
Dear Dr. Webster,
My dog has not been dewormed and is recently grazing on grass a lot. The breeder said she needed to be dewormed. Does this have to be done on a regular basis, for every dog? If so, is there a holistic or more natural 'remedy' or method to deworm a dog than the harsher chemical medications available through the vet's office? Please let me know.
- Concerned pet parent Janice, Langley, BC
Dear Diana,
The fact that she is eating grass is not directly connected to internal parasites and is not uncommon with dogs. The fact that she has never been dewormed and the climate you have in BC would cause me to strongly suggest that you have a fecal sample tested to assure that worms are not an issue. I am not aware of an effective natural product but would not hesitate to deworm her if a fecal is positive. If it is negative there is no need to deworm her.
- Dr. Webster
Do you have a question about your pet's health and/or wellness that you'd like answered? E-mail us and our Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr. Lynn Webster will answer your questions.
Petsecure pet insurance is happy to announce we have paid for a $2,500 OCD surgery for Bella, an outgoing 7-month-old Aussie Shepherd Cross. This fun-loving and affectionate young pup is currently under foster care through the City of Vancouver Animal Control.
Bella was in need of OCD surgery, a relatively common joint condition affecting mainly the shoulders of medium to large breed dogs. Using a fund that we have to assist animal charities across Canada, we offered to cover the cost of treatment and surgery. The surgery was completed successfully and Bella is on the mend. She’ll soon be ready to place with a lucky family in the Vancouver area.
“When we hear stories like Bella’s, we try to find a way we can help the situation,” says Randy Valpy, President and CEO of Petsecure pet insurance “Our goal is to give back to the Canadian pet community through valuable resources and support, helping pets enjoy, longer, fuller and healthier lives.”
In 2009 alone, the City of Vancouver Animal Control took in 1,200 stray animals and over half of these four-legged friends were reunited with their families. Vancouver Animal Control is a municipally funded organization that also accepts donations of supplies or funds. For more information on how to donate, email them at animalcontrol@vancouver.ca.
Subscribe by email
