Don't Buy Pet Insurance! Do this instead. 

I work at an animal hospital. It’s sad to see all too often pet owners that have to have their pet euthanized because they can’t afford the treatment that needs to be done. Get insurance. It’s worth it for the emergencies, even if they never happen.

My dog had Lymphoma. Unfortunately his treatment did not go well and we had to put him down after 4 months of treatment. Total cost in those 4 months was just north of $10,000. I will never go without pet insurance again

Care credit has a horrible reputation! Be careful. Read their reviews!!

This is not a one sized, fits all situation. If you ask veterinary professionals, insurance is one of the things that they wish every pet owner had. More so than not, people do not have the cash available to pay for emergencies. $1,500 for an emergency surgery is cheap, more typical to be in the $5,000-6,000 range.

Insurance is good when you actually need it. My cat for example had early kidney failure at just under 4 years. Bills added up to around $5k. They paid 90% after the deductible. I could not recommend pet insurance enough, because you just never know.

Mathematically I agree with you, however this wouldn't work I your living paycheck to paycheck. It only works for those who have money in the bank. If you can fund the vet visits put of you own pockets, it makes sense not to have the insurance, but if you only have a couple hundred dollars to your name at any given time, the only way you could fund the care would be through the insurance.

If you have a hunting dog or a k9 you definitely need a insurance. My English pointer had to go through a TPLO surgery which cost around $3500-$4500. Also, the veterinarian mentioned that it is possible he will damage the other leg and ending up having surgery on both legs. I did not have pet insurance and believe me, I did go through hell.

Maybe a combination of sonething like Pawp, plus an automatically funded index fund would be better? Pawp gives you an annual $3000 fund for one emergency claim per year plus 24/7 unlimited telemedicine access for $19 a month, covering everything even if the emergency is due to a pre-existing condution. Then set up an index fund for like $30 a month.

If I save $25/mo, it would take 5-6 years to save up for a single surgery. That's not including any other expenses. My cat was 6 years old when he passed away from a urethra blockage. His 24 hr emergency care was $1500. That wouldn't have included the urethra surgery he would have needed if his organs were stable enough for survival. I'll pay $25/mo starting now so I can get treatment immediately, not halfway through its life.

To say something isn’t financially worth insuring something because the numbers don’t reflect a favorable advantage seems short sighted. People have life insurance on themselves not for their own financial benefit but for the benefit they care about. It gives them emotional security that those they care about can be financially safe. If it wasn’t for a trial that my dog got into for cancer treatments after the $5k for the operation to remove the ruptured spleen and growth it would have been really financially difficult to cover the chemo and care. I couldn’t get her covered for illness but I could cover her for accident and both for my other 4 dogs in our family.

Embrace was HORRIBLE. Saw many complaints about them reaching to find & correlate everything with preexisting conditions. They didn’t cover my GSD’s Otitis Media (middle ear infection with antibiotic ointment) because he had earlier gotten a couple of scratches on his upper outer ear from maybe scratching, allergy or a shrub branch scrape. Never treated, it was just a question I had asked! They denied coverage for the ear infection due to the 2 small scratches being a preexisting condition. What they said was, “Well, it’s the ear.” As a nurse I know that is not preexisting. A doctor had a written complaint about another ridiculous so-called preexisting condition where symptoms were not related nor even the same organ system! I realized if my dog got a cut or scratch on his hip & later got hip dysplasia, it would be considered preexisting in their world of so-called knowledge. Also took them forever to review. Cancelled‼️

I totally disagree. If it’s 3:00 am in the morning and you have an emergency and go to an emergency pet hospital like I did and come out with an astronomical bill, for something that happened right out of the blue, you’d think twice. I now have pet insurance for both my dogs. The likelihood of something happening to one of them is high and if something happened to both of them at the same time, well… I insure my car, my home and other things. My dogs are worth the little I pay every month for 90% coverage and the deductible I choose over their lifetime. Their whole lives. Increases happen every year with inflation only, not because they have a birthday. And the numbers you quoted in your video are unrealistic. It is far, far more expensive than what you stated. For those of you out there curious about the company I go with, it’s Trupanion. I will never, never go without pet insurance again. If you can save $100 to $200 a month over 5 to 10 years WITHOUT dipping into it, then good for you but good luck.

Our 11 year old cat suddenly fell ill, and ER care and testing was over $6,000. She ultimately had severe lymphoma so we put her down; that's $6,000 without even treating the disease. I can't imagine what major surgery would only cost $1,500. Insurance would have definitely come in handy. On the other hand, we have a 12 year old cat that has had no super costly issues. It really is a gamble.

I completely disagree with this. My 8 year old dog had a very rare cancer which cost over $20,000. It depends on what you plan to do for your pets. I never wanted to make a decision about their healthcare based on finances. My insurance covered 90% of my bill. I would not have been able to afford this without insurance. Please don’t spread misinformation. Pet care can be very expensive and you never know when you will need it.

Problem is most people will end up spending the pet emergency fund on other expenses when unexpected things happen so they will have nothing when they need it. Your idea works in theory but it’s a bad idea for most people.

There needs to be a non-profit pet insurance company. Otherwise all these pet insurance companies are smoke and mirrors. Too bad there wasn't a non-profit pet insurance company that all pet owners can pool their risk into. It would cover much, much more for much, much less. And be so much more simple and uncomplicated. This is the dirty little secret of pet insurance companies and the whole insurance industry, generally. (Health insurance, as most of us know and understand.) It can be an accounting hassle to figure out that you're overpaying for a certain level of insurance. Deductibles, annual premiums, coinsurance, annual limits; wellness rider or no wellness rider? Patiently sitting down and doing the math comparing different pet insurance companies, it seems that it might be best to get much higher coverage for accidents and illness and pay for vaccinations and blood work and dental cleaning on your own. Then when you get this far, you have to compare different pet insurance companies with each other, calculating, to see which pet company you're getting the most out of for your money. Or you might understand other things regarding your pet's insurance and pet insurance generally. You have to be very good with numbers, proportion, and percentage, to get through calculations, to understand what your pet's real needs are and if you're unnecessarily over paying for things. I have to struggle with this, but I get through it, but it's a hassle. Wellness riders seem to be good if you find a stray cat or dog because they include flea problems, microchip, etc. but not comprehensive coverage for dental cleaning, full vaccination coverage full blood work. Our cat does not need all those things that these wellness riders include and they'll only pay for a portion of blood work, dental cleaning etc. So it's not worth it in many cases (for many) to pay the monthly wellness amount when you do the math. Basically, pet insurance, like so many other types of insurance is a smoke and mirrors cluster f.

This video is not completely accurate. Do your research!

You've convinced me! Was paying $35 a month for our two cats for pet insurance but will now put that money towards a separate savings account instead for annual vet visits and any emergencies. Seems way smarter in the long run than paying for pet insurance. Thank you!

I'm paying $65 a month for Met Life. He got neutered with one not dropping so it was $900 surgery. I am fighting them tooth and nail and they still haven't paid! Met Life is terrible!

I’m negative $20 in my bank account and my dog was just shot in the leg with a 22! 😢 My other was shot in the stomach, Clean shot right through! They are not even one year old yet and wondered out of my property and came back bloody! I can’t see a vet right now because I financially can’t since I don’t have the money but I really hope they will be ok! I am TOTALLY investing in Pet Insurance ❤ I love my pets and I don’t want want anything worse to happen to them 😢

Very informative and helpful! Just recently I've been having to think about insurance again since my cat's insurance is set to end in a couple months. I chose the cheapest insurance for myself at $500 deductible and paid $187 for the entire year (so around $15/mo) which isn't bad, but this year I've probably spent around $300 out of pocket at the vet after a recent minor eye infection and wellness check, and only about $70 actually went towards my deductible. I also recently took in a stray whom I didn't have any insurance for obviously and ended up with allergic dermatitis and no medical records and had to pay $500 for his treatment and update on shots. Thank goodness for savings! You're definitely right, in ANY case, it's still a good idea to have a separate emergency funds for your pets, and don't JUST rely on having insurance! I used to have a 60 lb Bernese Mountain Dog/Labrador Mix growing up whom we didn't have insurance for. In the 15 years we had her, we only had one accident when she messed up her hip, I can't remember exactly what happened, but she needed surgery. I believe it cost around $1500 my mom paid for. I can only imagine though over 15 years how much my mom would've spent on her monthly insurance vs. her one time emergency cost! Of course, this is totally up to personal preference, but I think this is definitely a welcomed perspective on whether or not pet insurance is right for your situation!

This is risky. Unless you have some type of income to where you can save massive amounts of money for your pet in case of an emergency then I wouldn’t risk it. And to get the care card your credit has to be good enough to qualify just like with any other credit card. I just went through an unexpected emergency with my current fur baby and should I had opted to have diagnostic testing done and the treatment it would have cost me thousands of dollars. The emergency vet and I decided to go another route and see if it would be effective and it cost less but it still made a significant dent in my savings. Luckily it worked but had it not, I would have had to put her out down. I’ve seen too many people having to have their pets euthanized because the savings wasn’t enough. There’s a lot to factor in beyond just the payment for initial visits that has to be considered should an emergency arise and it can get costly pretty quickly. So this method probably isn’t the best option for most people.

Shame on them there should be LAWS against those SCAMS.......

Uhh there’s so many insurances that cover preventative care like exams and vaccines. And $60 is a lot? What about a few thousand dollar surgery??? Like whattttt LOLOL I used to work at a vets office and life insurance is absolutely worth it

We just got a puppy so this is super helpful info - thanks!

As a veterinary professional, more particularly one that works in emergency care, this advice is horrible and toxic- especially for people who *literally* cant fork out thousands at once. No one is immune to veterinary emergencies. Not everyone is a *responsible pet owner* and it can allow people to enjoy their pets AND be able to provide care for them. As someone who cares about money & budgets tightly AND someone who also works in veterinary medicine- if you don’t have a savings of $10k for your pet, PURCHASE pet insurance, please. And even if you do have a savings of $10k- purchase pet insurance!! Being able to have a return on your care will help you save in the long run. Care credit has insanely high interest rates, a reimbursement from pet insurance can help you pay down that balance and save you on interest! Care credit also doesn’t accept every single person. And there are pet insurance policies that pay them up front as well. You don’t have the veterinary background, clearly, to support the claims here.

Talk about expensive, the quote I got for my 8 month Akita Inu is $90.22 / month. I would have to reconsider.

Pet insurance is just taking everything US Health Insurance used in the 90s and 00s and is now marketing it. Take the SAME payments you woulda done for insurance and put it into a mutual fund instead.

When a three-month-old puppy swallows a human hair that gets wrapped around its intestines and needs surgery to have it removed, insurance is a life saver! So I agree with your advice only if people have the savings account filled with money before the puppy comes home. To accumulate the savings over the course of a dog's entire life this is the entire purpose of insurance

If your dog emergency surgery only cost 1500 that is unusual in my experience.

I agree with you. Thank you for the interesting and sensible information you provided. What are your thoughts on Dental Plans? I need $5K-$10K of dental work: cavitations-redo old incorrecrly done failing root canals, a few old crumbling caps replaced, maybe an extraction or two, possibly an implant tooth. I will be using a higher priced Biologic/Holistic Dentist/DDS who does not take any insurance so I need a carrier that covers out of network Dentists. I would greatly appreciate your thoughts on this and if you have any suggestions for the best carriers.

As a veterinary technician I disagree 100%.

It's funny to me how people get pets and then complain about how expensive they can be I have bcaa pet insurance I pay 81 a month for 90% coverage and it covers accidents alternative therapy behavioral therapy hereditary conditions illnesses injuries and accidents hospitalization surgery laboratory testing prescription medication alternative therapy behavioral therapy plus $1000 additional for each incident for Kennel boarding fees if you are hospitalized due to an accident or illness and you cannot care for your pet. Holiday-trip-cancellation coverage if your pet requires emergency, life-saving treatment resulting in the need to cancel your vacation. Lost pet advertising and reward. Cremation or burial costs for your pet. No deductible or co-pay applies to any of the above additional benefits.

Maybe pet insurance works a little differently in Canada where I am or perhaps just the company I'm familiar with. Petsplusus in Canada doesn't raise your premium as the dog ages and I don't think there are any exclusions for breed-specific issues or preexisting conditions. The premiums are a bit higher to account for some of this. I'd also be curious to look at companies in northern europe where pet insurance is extremely popular and see what kinds of policies Europeans have access to. Maybe there's a way to change some of the industry discourse around pet insurance policy features in north america.

Open a savins account for your pet.. putting away money here and there adds up

I just have a gut feeling because of the tone and delivery that this is a “plug” to advertise care credit. Still doing the research and my own financial comparisons but something doesn’t feel right or genuine here

What about for larger dogs? I'm just wondering if your stance changes when considering the costs that large(r) dog owners have to pay?

She is right I finally gave up after spending thousands and having so many claims denied.

$100 in a savings account a month when you get a puppy- then when the dog is of an age that situations start, you'll have a good amount to take care of the pooch. Like Human children- have as many as you can afford. IF you want 1 or 2 dogs- foster for your local rescues and they take care of the medical- you just buy the food and love/work with them 24/7,..., they need it! If you love hounds and can let go of them when they find owners that love them, Fostering is a great way to have a dog, or 2 and enjoy all the best parts of them being yours, and you learn a lot about training and care so when you get your own- you are well equipped to be a "forever owner".

Do you own math of the break even point. Understand how expensive ER visits/surgery could be and what health condition your pet is in, and then make the decision based on your own situation. My dog's ER visits were $3,000 last year, and I paid $1,000 premium + $550 out of pocket including deductible + a few hundred for regular check ups.

I totally 100% disagree. If it’s 3:00 am in the morning and you have an emergency and go to an emergency hospital like I did and come out with an astronomical bill, for something that happened right out of the blue you’d think twice. I now have pet insurance for both my dogs. The likelihood of something happening to one of them is high and if something happened to both of them at the same time, well… I insure my car, my home and other things. My dogs are worth much more than that. Your statement “the likelihood of 5 things happening to your dog” is ridiculous. Just one incident can result in $10000 or more. My dogs are worth the little I pay every month for 90% coverage and the deductible I have chosen to pay. Not to mention the peace of mind it gives me which’s is priceless. It also covers hereditary and congenital issues as well as dental, not to mention any medications due to illness or injury with no caps for their lifetime. You fail completely in explaining that there are many options out there and not just the plan you present in this video. This does not help anyone. You people out there, do your homework. Don’t rely on a 5 minute video that does not provide adequate information. My pet insurance company only increases premiums every year with inflation only, not because they have a birthday or because I’ve made a claim. And the numbers you quoted in your video are unrealistic. I checked the date of your video and see it was only 5 months ago that it was posted. I thought it was probably 5 to 10 years old listening to the figures you stated in your video. Emergency visits and hospital stays are so much higher than what you claim. It is far, far more expensive than what you stated. For those of you out there curious about the company I go with, it’s Trupanion. I will never, never go without pet insurance again. I love them too much to place a cap on what I am willing to spend based on what’s in my bank account. If you can save $100 to $200 a month over 5 to 10 years CONSISTENTLY and WITHOUT dipping into it, then good for you but good luck.

Just save some % of ur salary for pet like other expenses

One more thing. You check out all different reviews of the 5 or 10 best pet insurance companies and they all come up with different pet insurance companies in numerical order that are the best. So you don't know who to trust. It's all smoke and mirrors.

😵‍💫😵😮‍💨🫨🫠 meltdown my dog is laughing

I'm honestly so indecisive I've never paid pet insurance but have just tried to use my money wisely every month but I already have a small dog and a female cat and I just recently rescued a male who's not neutered and I need to have him fixed asap and the prices are outrageous. I was always able to do low cost spay and neuter services for my animals but now the clinics that do that are closed for an unknown amount of time 😢

After getting laid off from my job, I was pretty grateful for having pet insurance when I had to take my cat in for multiple blood tests, xrays and examinations. It was $2500 I didn't have at the time. I've purchased pet insurance for all of my pets and it's always been worth it in the long run.

Thanks for the insights, Cindy - Jasper won't get pet insurance! Can you make one on getting (owner's) title insurance ?

This was super helpful, thank you!

Wow this gave me a totally different perspective. More to think about 🤔

I have 5 cats and 1 dog and the amount of times I’ve needed to go to the vet is ridiculous. Prevention alone is just over $600 not including yearly vaccinations that can total to be the same price. Having %80 percent of that reimbursement doesn’t sound to bad. This year alone I’ve had to take my kitties in 3 times for illness and accidents had one have a skin reaction and lick soo much that he bled another eat plastic and get constipated and then another rip a nail off. All before their yearly visits

This is all very well but it would take a long time to save enough for an injury or illness in the early years if you’re on a tight budget or don’t have savings. Personally I prefer to have peace of mind from day one.

Care Credit!!!!! And a preventative plan

Great content made my decision so much easier! No pet insurance thank you!

I need to look into Care Credit for my 7 month old kitty. This sounds like a great solution. Also, I can save some money each paycheck through my job's savings plan. I don't make much, but it's still enough to put some away monthly. Much better than nothing!

Why have car insurance? Just don't get into an accident.

I have hippo insurance and have pet insurance. .we shall see what happens...putting aside money doesnt sound bad but its always when you start saving for stuff everything starts breaking down😅😮

She has a valid point

I've had insurance plans for my pet in the past and it saved our life.. I actually saved $600 with 3 months of insurance. When your dog is a senior, it's worth it and can be a lifesaver. BTW, NEVER DO CARECREDIT... THAT WILL DESTROY YOUR CREDIT.. THUMBS DOWN ON THIS VIDEO.

$1,500 for an emergency? Really? Try $5000 for a one year old dog swallowing and not being able to pass a piece of plastic. Another dog, $9,000 for a mass developed in the abdomen. Those happened to me and one of my friends. Insurance is exactly that, when you need it, it’s there.

Pet Insurance is a fantastic deal, yes it can be expensive but a cat with cancer can cost £12,000 over 18 months. Self insuring is pointless, it takes forever to get thousands saved and then it can be wiped out in a moment and the pet can go do something else a week later. The only two times I'd not insure is if I was a millionaire or could get a high amount of credit fast if needed, or if I had low cost/subsidised or free care through a charity, but even then they don't cover it all

Crazy how people that are absolutely certain about getting pet insurance are commenting on your video about not getting pet insurance. I don’t think that these people are altruistic. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s pet insurance company workers lol.

I thought you were going to give us some secret knowledge but if you have a breed with known issues you need pet insurance and genetic disorders are covered and growths.

Pet insurance is a savings account. You’re investing in it and one day you’re going to use it. Not only that you’re going to get more money than you invested. $40 for 3 years then you use $2000 an emergency. You just got back more than you invested. One day you’re going to use it. So it is a savings account.

Not sure where you live but here in NC I cannot think of any emergency surgery that only costs 1,500!

Which companies do people here have good experience with in terms of honoring what qualified care the company says will he covered with correct premium plan?

It makes a lot of sense to just put the money aside monthly that would have gone to insurance any ways!

My Cat swallowed a coin and now they are charging us 7k for a surgery incase of future events of an emergency what should i do to get funds for it.

Oh hell no

Qhat about new direct pays like Paw Protect or Careplus with Trupanion

Ridiculous. My dog broke her leg and it’s cost me over $10000

I have nothing to do with Trusted Pals in the way of payments for endorsement or employment, but I just have to say: The best pet insurance, I think, is Trusted Pals because of their wellness portion of their insurance. After you pay your bill you'll get reimbursed $750 minus your deductible and they'll pay you 80% of that. The thing about Trusted Pals is they don't have their wellness portion of their insurance broken down into what they'll pay (like all the other pet insurance companies) i.e. dental cleaning $150.00, vaccines $50, blood work $60, microchip $30, flea problem $40.00 etc. (these are just examples) AND you have to pay a monthly amount for this limited wellness plan that really isn't a wellness plan at all. It's a scam. Many people's pets don't need some of these because they're coming on board with their pet already microchipped, etc. and they have an indoor cat etc. Trusted Pals wellness portion pays for the necessary annual wellness checkups, dental cleaning, blood tests, vaccines, microchip... whatever your vet deems necessary. It's not broken down into all these categories that they'll only pay for. The bill for the wellness check of our cat was about 50% less and he got the necessary care he needed; dental cleaning, dental radiographs, anesthesia, blood work etc. His maximum coverage is $8,000 annually and his monthly premium is for us a manageable $57 dollars monthly. ,It did go up a little bit from last year, but what else is new? He was already microchipped from the shelter and he's an indoor cat. He never has a flea problem. It's their wellness portion that is, to my way of thinking, pretty fair. That's the most important part. Annual checkups. There should be no barriers to this. Catching a disease or health problem early with blood work and exams is key. Trusted Pals priorities regarding our cat's health care is in the right place.

Just like car insurance: A massive scam people pay for and never use.

Really good video and compelling message. Thanks for the details.

This is only true if you have a pet with one or two emergencies - but there are planty of pets that have congenital heart disease or epilepsly and this can cost thousands per year. Many people are desperate to just pay for the meds , let alone the specialists.

Some plans do cover wellness if you add a wellness rider.

Pet insurance is Absolutely worth it. I signed my two year old corgi up at six or seven months old and ended up paying 6000 in vet bills this year alone. My dog was lucky enough to be insured for 12 months before her health insurance covered her ACL injury. She needed a $3200 surgery of which $2700 was covered. Plus $700 in exam fees. And another thousand dollars for another emergency. I have been reimbursed about $4500 this year. And I have paid about six to $700 in co-pays. And she has a high chance of rupture in her other ACL. I never thought I would have to use it but I am absolutely glad I did.

Instead of purchasing pet insurance what about purchasing a pet health and wellness plan ? Such as what PetSmart and Petco offer ?

You’ve gained a subscriber - thanks for the tip! And I liked your information delivery

What about Trupanion? Can you do a review of that please :)

If someone wants to spend like 10k/yr for surgeries when their pet needs, it is better to get pet insurance?

thanks, just pocketing the premiums now - new sub

Would you purchase a wellness and prevention plan for just the first year of a puppys life?

Thanks for this.

OMG, I HAVE THE SAME IDENTICAL DOG AS YOURS THEY HAVE THE SAME FUR SAME COLOR SAME COLOR SPOTS SAME TAIL SAME SIZE TOTALLY IDENTICAL I HAVE TWO LITTLE DOGS ONE IS A SHIH TZU AND SHE WAS ATTACKED BY A PITBULL AND SHE WAS LITERALLY ALMOST KILLED THE VET BILL WAS $4,500 I DIDN'T HAVE THE MONEY I BEGGED THE VETERINARIAN TO TAKE MY CAR HE FINALLY SAID YES I SIGNED OVER THE TITLE GOT ON THE BUS AND CAME HOME ANYTHING FOR MY BABIES

Hi thank u

If you say insurance is not necessary, either you’re rich or you never had a pet

Amazing video

good advice

What about cats.

Girl i am not taking your advice because its easy to say put money aside but when u have other bills and kids STOP IT BAD ADVICE

My totally healthy dog got anemia out of no where (IMHA ) vet wanted $4,000 first day and $1,500 everyday after unfortunately I had no insurance and she had to be put to sleep😢 I will never make that mistake again

Tell me you're in the 1% without telling me you're in the 1%.

Insurance Companies look for anyway to NOT pay-out!!! My Yorkshire Terrier suffered from IVDD and had surgery for total cost of £6000, (He was covered for up to £8000) they said they will not cover cost, due to Vet records stating dog is a Yorkshire Terrier and Insurance records states Yorkshire Terrier Cross. Will follow this advise from now on.

We lost her to Hollywood 🥲 looking like the prettiest English teacher I ever had