My lab mix just turned 9 and hes healthy so far but I know thats when things start to go wrong. Never had insurance before because I thought it was a scam tbh but a friend just had a $6k emergency with her senior dog and now im nervous. Is it too late to get coverage at this age? Will they even insure him? Feel like I missed the boat by not getting it when he was young
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Got insurance for my 10 year old cat last year. Yes it's more expensive than it would have been when she was younger. Yes there are more exclusions. But when she needed emergency surgery for a blockage ($4,800), having insurance cover 80% of it was absolutely worth it. Better late than never.
thats good to hear. did they cover her right away or was there a long waiting period?
standard 14 day wait for accidents 30 for illness. the blockage happened about 3 months after i signed up so was covered. just sign up before anything goes wrong
Real talk: premiums for a 9yo large dog will be $80-150/month depending on coverage. You need to do the math on whether that makes sense for you. Some people say just put that money in savings instead. Personally I like knowing I wont have to make care decisions based on money if something catastrophic happens. Thats worth it to me but everyones situation is different.
Vet here. Your dog being healthy at 9 is actually a good sign - it means fewer pre-existing condition exclusions than a dog with a long medical history. Get quotes from a few companies, be completely honest about his health, and read the exclusions carefully. Some insurers wont take dogs over 10-14 depending on breed so dont wait too long if youre going to do it.
didnt know there was an age cutoff. getting quotes today
Heres my perspective: my 11yo lab needed TPLO surgery (torn ligament). Cost was $5,500. If I had gotten insurance at 9 and paid $100/month for 2 years ($2,400), with 80% coverage Id be way ahead. Obviously you cant predict what will happen but large breeds especially have high rates of orthopedic issues in their senior years. For me the math worked out even starting "late"
Im in the friend situation you mentioned. My 10yo just had an emergency and I had to put $6k on credit cards because I never got insurance. Get it. Even if its expensive. The alternative is worse.