aidandj

iTrader: (5)

I'm not as worried about the normal checkups. I'm worried about the possible accidents, injuries, etc.

y8s

iTrader: (8)

You might be stretching the 30 dollar ones. Remember there are design expenses and overhead besides the Indonesian boy...

but still... I get mine from here:

Peppers Eyeware

$40 and the first year of the warranty will get you free replacements if you scratch or break them. After that it's $20 but doesn't cover scratches.

mgeoffriau

iTrader: (7)

Best sunglasses I've found for the price:

Shop | AO Eyewear, Inc.

You can find them discounted down to $45-50ish at various retailers.

deezums

iTrader: (3)

For sure, I understand completely. I've been lucky and never had a need for a claim.

I just googled ASPCA pet insurance reviews on google though, and people seem pretty pissed. They're the ones still sending me spam...

aidandj

iTrader: (5)

I'll do some more googling. Its hard to tell with stuff like this. Lot of suckers out there, trying not to be one lol.

Girz0r

iTrader: (1)

Pet insurance sounds like a scam wooing you to buy it so beloved max the dog or fluffles the kitty doesn't die.

BUT WHAT ABOUT THE COSTS?! THE WHAT IFS?

What happened to pets before insurance?

I'd rather invest in good food and exercise for the animal.

aidandj

iTrader: (5)

Agreed. But you could say the same thing about car insurance or health insurance. Which is why I havent instantly dismissed it.

mgeoffriau

iTrader: (7)

Exactly. Our dog was a rescue, so we're only paying for minimum liability, no collision or comprehensive.

Girz0r

iTrader: (1)

Car = object that interacts with dumb masses, needed if said asses wreck into you so you can protect your investment. Required by law to drive.

Health = Personal health insurance, life expectancy of what 75years avg? Sky high costs to begin with.

Dog's life expectancy? Cat's life expectancy? Is it the vet's insurance? Does the vet get kick backs for selling the 3rd party insurance?

I'm not trying to talk you out of it. I just don't see the benefit.

Can you get pet insurance for fish?

aidandj

iTrader: (5)

I'm definitely a skeptic of it, and wasn't planning on getting it. I just recently heard of it, at the same time that I was getting my first dog, which is why i asked. From what ive read the general concensus is that its for suckers.

deezums

iTrader: (3)

Dogs are harder to replace than miata though.

For pet insurance to work they need to take in more money than they pay out. It's probably a really unregulated market, so they might not need to keep the ratio in check like health and auto insurance.

It's a bit like playing the lotto, you play and you are guaranteed to loose money but you might stand a chance at coming out ahead, but statistically speaking more people waste money on it than benefit...

So, instead of sending them $20 a month, just put it in a puppy savings account.

aidandj

iTrader: (5)

I like that idea.

rleete

iTrader: (21)

I wish I'd bought it when I got my last pair of rescue cats. Injuries are expensive, but the 3-4 day hospital stay when the one cat had renal failure was a kick in the teeth.

aidandj

iTrader: (5)

The dog im getting this afternoon (leaving in 45 min...much excite) is 5 years old, which i just remembered might be the age at which it switches to be injuries only.

Chiburbian

iTrader: (1)

I have considered the concept of pet insurance myself. I can't afford several thousand dollars in medical bills for a pet, and if I were to have a bill like that I would most likely have to make the choice to put them down.

Which - is why I don't have pets. I feel like if I can't commit to the proper health and care of the pet including inevitable medical bills I can't in good conscience have one in the first place.

I guess ideally you would adopt with the idea that it's going to cost you say, $5k in the lifetime of the pet for unplanned medical care and put away that amount of money divided by the pet's expected life every month. Most people would rather just pay for insurance or risk it.

Concept fluffy the pit bull:
Initial Purchase - $1,500 (reputable breeder)
Life expectancy of 13 years
Food - $50/mo
Yearly shots etc - $200 or $17/mo
Lifetime catastrophic - $8,000 (or $52/mo for 13 years)

$52+$17+50= $119/mo over the course of the dog's life. Not including pet toys, other care items, boarding for vacations, damaged furniture and carpet cleaning, etc.

aidandj

iTrader: (5)

They for real? Smallest print you can fit, and it basically says were going to call you whether or not you buy it. I'm out.



I'm at a point in my life with a high income to financial responsibility stage. No debt, no major expenses, cheap rent. It would hurt real bad to have to drop 5k on surgery, but it wouldn't be the end of the world. Which is why I finally decided to get one.

deezums

iTrader: (3)

I will not ever understand a person's desire to spend $1500 on a dog when they nearly give the things away for free.

Even if you do adopt a dog and it gets sick and has to be put down in a year, it's a better year than that dog likely ever had. You can not think about what happens to unwanted animals in shelters, but that doesn't mean it's not still happening.

All spending $1500 gets you is a genetic time bomb, IMO.

aidandj

iTrader: (5)

I've said this before. I will only go to a breeder for a hunting dog. And there are a variety of reasons behind that.

I'm actually getting the cheapest dog at the shelter. Most of them are $150, some are $250, Daisy is $85.

Always finding the deals.

Something cool about the Oregon Humane Society is their second chance program. They take unwanted animals from shelters all over the country and give them a home until they are adopted.

The average adoption time for a dog at the Oregon Humane society?.....2 days. No joke. Sunday they had 65 dogs in the morning, 36 dogs when the closed.

deezums

iTrader: (3)

Bird dog, coon dog, what have you. Those aren't really pets, not the ones I'm familiar with. They live outside in kennels and have a tight schedule to stay on point. The guy I know says treating them like a pet makes them soft and less likely to work as you'd like them to. Why'd they go chase coons in the snow if they're used to living inside in the heat? I can kinda see it, my dog won't go out in the rain.

I don't like the whole deal, but it's something I can understand and respect. Watching this pair of dogs chase birds is damn impressive.

aidandj

iTrader: (5)

Bird dogs are a little different. (I know nothing about hounds/coon dogs) Something like a GSP can be a really good house dog (if they get excersize) and are an amazing all around hunting dog. They will retrieve, flush, etc. And they are the best in the business at pointing. Funny you say that about being soft, because the best bird dog I know is treated like a freaking princess. But in the field she is amazing.

There also is a decent market for breeding and studding your dog if they have good heritage and field experience.

Its very different from the designer dog market though.