S/o (sort of) Pet Ownership is Becoming Elitist.

[calihil]

Or have a canine psychologist work with him so he will stop eating the cat turds.

I seriously laughed for 10 minutes after I read this. Lol!

[luuknam]

Maybe it would help you to look at it this way. You buy car insurance, right? A little money to potentially save you a lot of money later. Guess what? Quite a few people care more about their pets than about their cars.  :)

 

Every state I've lived in requires that you have car insurance (the liability part, not the "replace car if it breaks" part) or you're breaking the law. Just saying.

[Guest]

Maybe it would help you to look at it this way. You buy car insurance, right? A little money to potentially save you a lot of money later. Guess what? Quite a few people care more about their pets than about their cars. :)

Car insurance is legally required in order to drive.

[Ausmumof3]

When so many citizens CAN'T pay human medical bills, it comes off as "let them eat cake" to pitch medical coverage as a solution for their pets. It's an elitist POV that ignores the reality of the common pet owner (or wannabe pet owner) in the states, At least to me it is. Bc people first. There's only so much money to go around in any given household and most of the households using common sense on limited budgets don't give their pets better healthcare than themselves and their fellow humans.

 

I have no issue with the principle of pet getting basic medical treatment in general.

The difference is pet insurance isn't always crazily expensive but doesn't necessarily cover a whole lot either. Because where for a human we will generally do whatever it takes for a pet we might not. So basic level of pet insurance may only cover very basic stuff and euthanasia still. It's a way of smoothing the bill when it comes.

[Ausmumof3]

And I have to say when I heard of it I had your reaction but when I actually looked into it I realised it's nowhere near as outrageous as it sounds. It is similar I guess to people paying a monthly electricity payment so they don't get one high bill or splitting council rates over a year. Unless you don't plan on vet care at all no matter what you will have some expenses and it makes it more manageable if you can plan for it.

Edited July 19, 2016 by Ausmumof3

[marbel]

When so many citizens CAN'T pay human medical bills, it comes off as "let them eat cake" to pitch medical coverage as a solution for their pets. It's an elitist POV that ignores the reality of the common pet owner (or wannabe pet owner) in the states, At least to me it is. Bc people first. There's only so much money to go around in any given household and most of the households using common sense on limited budgets don't give their pets better healthcare than themselves and their fellow humans.

 

I have no issue with the principle of pet getting basic medical treatment in general.

 

You could say that about anything that some, but not all, people can afford.

 

I don't think anyone is suggesting that pets should get better healthcare than humans.

[Bluegoat]

I think I get Martha's point: the expected level of pet care is often higher than the routine level of human care. It can be hard to agree with a expectation that pets must get an annual check up when many people don't get an annual checkup.  

 

So there can be a disconnect between people who live where healthcare is more universal, and people who live in the states or other places where it's much more sporadic. 

 

 

I believe that was for Australia. 

 

Yes, I think it may make a difference in attitude.

 

Though, in my experience, annual check-ups are not common in places with universal health care.  I was very surprised when I found out that many Americans consider that basic health care.  Here, after about age 5, people don't have an annual check-up.

[MercyA]

Every state I've lived in requires that you have car insurance (the liability part, not the "replace car if it breaks" part) or you're breaking the law. Just saying.

 

Car insurance is legally required in order to drive.

 

 

I did have in mind something more like collision or comprehensive coverage, but admittedly my analogies are rarely perfect.  :)

[MercyA]

I have no disdain for people who love their pets. I love my pets.

 

Good to know.  :)

[Guest]

I did have in mind something more like collision or comprehensive coverage, but admittedly my analogies are rarely perfect. :)

I understand. I don't carry "replacement" insurance on my cars. Only liability once my cars are no longer under lien, and while under lien, whatever the lender requires.

[Guest]

Yes, I think it may make a difference in attitude.

 

Though, in my experience, annual check-ups are not common in places with universal health care. I was very surprised when I found out that many Americans consider that basic health care. Here, after about age 5, people don't have an annual check-up.

I don't do an annual physical for myself or my kids. I am more in the No News/Good News camp.

[marbel]

I don't do an annual physical for myself or my kids. I am more in the No News/Good News camp.

 

Yeah, I don't  know anyone who has yearly physicals unless there is a known problem.  Our doctor and insurance recommend every two years but no one comes chasing us down if we don't have one. There are exceptions - mammograms after a certain age, paps every few years - that recommendation keeps changing.  

 

[TechWife]

When we went looking for another cat a couple of  years ago, we found one with a rescue group. His information said he had an eye infection when he was younger and that it could recur. So, instead of taking him home, we went home and did some research on the infection and decided we were comfortable with it. Because we were then getting ready to go on vacation, I called the rescue group and told them we would like the kitten and asked if we could pay a boarding fee for them to keep him until we returned from vacation and they told us they would do that (brining a cat home has to be carefully done when you already have one in the home and we didn't want to leave them alone during the process). When we got home, they told us we didn't qualify because we seemed hesitant to bring him home. So we went to a shelter and ended up bring two kittens home. They are fantastic cats! 

[luuknam]

And I have to say when I heard of it I had your reaction but when I actually looked into it I realised it's nowhere near as outrageous as it sounds. It is similar I guess to people paying a monthly electricity payment so they don't get one high bill or splitting council rates over a year. Unless you don't plan on vet care at all no matter what you will have some expenses and it makes it more manageable if you can plan for it.

 

It's different though, since insurance is offered by an insurance company that needs to make a profit. In other words, on average, people who insure their pets are going to pay more in than they get back. Whereas spreading the electric bill or w/e over the year does not cost more in the end than paying the exact amount every month (at least not in my experience).

 

I did have in mind something more like collision or comprehensive coverage, but admittedly my analogies are rarely perfect.  :)

 

But what percentage of people have comprehensive/collision coverage? We never have had comprehensive/collision coverage, because it's so expensive compared to buying a used car if something were to happen. We've either been too poor to pay for comprehensive/collision coverage, or had enough money to not need it (and we're hardly rich).

[hornblower]

I don't do an annual physical for myself or my kids. I am more in the No News/Good News camp.

 

Annual exams aren't covered in my province either, unless you have a chronic health condition that requires it. 

 

BUT, pets are different because they can't talk. (Or we're not very good at listening...)

 

They can't always tell us there's anything wrong or that they feel a bit odd for an hour after eating (liver problems0, or that they are getting headaches (ear infection? neuro? tumor?), or that there's a deep nagging pain in the bone of their left front leg (arthritis? sarcoma? sprain?)

 

part of the veterinarian's skill set is learning to tell very tiny signs of pain but even that is hard because pets are often so stressed at the vet. Mine aren't really fwiw, and I've observed several times my vets get a small pain response from my dogs in areas I had no clue there was an issue - & heavens knows I'm a pretty hands on owner & go over my dogs with my hands all the time and watch them like a hawk for any changes. 

 

And this too is why bloods and urine are necessary. You can't see what's brewing inside, how the organ function looks etc, unless you run them.

Urine infections for ex can be very stealthy and asymptomatic until they've proceeded to wreck their kidneys or filled up their bladder with infection stones which will require surgery to fix. 

 

If a human feels fine & doesn't require to be seen by a doctor, fine. (though my doc now says - look by the time you're in your 40s & 50s, you can find a reason to see me every year. A mole, a soreness, an odd symptom, etc  -- which then gives them a code to write for the insurance and they can then also request some additional tests etc.) 

 

A pet needs to be seen yearly. Not for vax ( I don't vax after the puppy series is done). For the very important check up. 

 

 

 

 

[MercyA]

But what percentage of people have comprehensive/collision coverage? We never have had comprehensive/collision coverage, because it's so expensive compared to buying a used car if something were to happen. We've either been too poor to pay for comprehensive/collision coverage, or had enough money to not need it (and we're hardly rich).

 

I wasn't suggesting that everyone buy pet insurance. I don't. I said that it might make sense for some people, and therefore shouldn't necessarily be scoffed at. That's all. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

Edited July 19, 2016 by MercyA

[Jean in Newcastle]

Yeah, I don't know anyone who has yearly physicals unless there is a known problem. Our doctor and insurance recommend every two years but no one comes chasing us down if we don't have one. There are exceptions - mammograms after a certain age, paps every few years - that recommendation keeps changing.

 

The ACA compliant policy pays 100% for human yearly physicals. I always have my yearly physical.

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[hornblower]

I wasn't suggesting that everyone buy pet insurance. I don't. I said that it might make sense for some people, and therefore shouldn't necessarily be scoffed at. That's all. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

 

I did suggest it. 

 

Though I personally don't have it LOL because I have a very big pet savings account & I keep adopting adult dogs with expensive pre-existing conditions which wouldn't be covered anyway. I might if I ever adopt a puppy as there are now a couple plans that lock in your premiums. 

 

My advice is either 

 

1. Get insurance. Pick a coverage you're comfortable with & remember that most likely your insurance won't cover everything and you will likely still need a savings account but it can be more modest.

 

OR 

 

2. Put the amount that you'd pay in premiums, into a savings account every month. If you're adopting an old pet, count how many months old they are at the time of adoption, multiply by the premium $ and put that amount in the account right at the start to 'seed' it and then keep adding your monthly savings amount. If you're disciplined and won't raid the account for anything else, this will frequently build a nice nest egg for emergencies and older age health care for your pet. 

 

AND/OR

 

3. Acquire a credit card with a liberal limit and keep it *only* for pet bills. 

 

AND/OR

 

4. Look into the loan programs which are specifically for unexpected vet bills - just so you know what's avail and how it looks if you should need it (dog falls off couch, breaks leg on one side & rips ACL on other... you can get a loan for just the unexpected vet bills.) 

[Ausmumof3]

It's different though, since insurance is offered by an insurance company that needs to make a profit. In other words, on average, people who insure their pets are going to pay more in than they get back. Whereas spreading the electric bill or w/e over the year does not cost more in the end than paying the exact amount every month (at least not in my experience).

 

 

But what percentage of people have comprehensive/collision coverage? We never have had comprehensive/collision coverage, because it's so expensive compared to buying a used car if something were to happen. We've either been too poor to pay for comprehensive/collision coverage, or had enough money to not need it (and we're hardly rich).

Yeah true. My viewpoint is probably somewhat coloured by the fact that I suggested pet insurance to dh and he wasn't interested. Then we had an expensive vet bill shortly afterward. However on averages we probably wouldn't have ended up better off.