10/10 Very Highly Recommended!
My Bernese Mountain Dog was getting older, and I had been thinking about pet insurance for awhile. I did some research, and settled on Trupanion for a number of reasons – there were no disease caps (just a lifetime cap of $20,000, which they’ve apparently now gotten rid of), the reimbursement was 90% compared to the 70 or 80% of other plans, and the premiums were the same or even less than other plans for better coverage. I signed up with Trupanion in January. In February, I took my dog in for some vomiting after eating an old bone, and in March for his annual physical. In April I took him back for a dental cleaning, and they noticed some swelling on his toe. Some testing revealed a cancerous mast cell tumor. After consulting with oncologists at a major veterinary hospital in Boston, he had surgery to amputate the toe. I was worried that Trupanion would call this a pre-existing condition, and steeled myself for having my claim rejected, knowing at least how human health insurance companies work. But I went ahead anyway – filled out the one-page form, had my vet sign, got a copy of his records since it was my first claim, and attached the invoices and sent it off – the process was very easy. A week later, the claim was approved and reimbursement sent without any argument. Unfortunately, the biopsy and other testing after the surgery revealed some cancer cells on the two adjacent toes, so he had a three-week course of radiation, which was hugely expensive.
Chris E.

Pet Name: Clara Treated For: Patellar Luxation Total Repaid: $2,993.32 Time to Process Claims: 7 days

Just weeks before Christmas, our puppy sustained an injury which resulted in luxating patella.  The only option for our dear puppy was surgery with a specialist.  As this was our first Christmas with our new puppy, it was very important to us that she make it home from the animal hospital in time for Christmas. As this was our first claim and the surgery was very expensive, we wanted to make sure that our claim would be approved.  We put in a request for a pre-approval and asked Trupanion if they would expedite it.  Trupanion very graciously expedited our pre-approval which allowed us to get our puppy prompt surgery with an excellent specialist.  We were very impressed with how compassionate the staff at Trupanion was with us and how hard they worked to help us.  We recommend Trupanion to anyone who is seeking quality pet insurance for their beloved pet.  Trupanion is the only pet insurance company that has zero limits.  Our veterinarian bills for luxating patella came to almost $3,800.00 and with the exception of our vet’s and our surgeon’s office visit fees, Trupanion covered 90% of the total bills.  If we had gone with any other pet insurance company, we would have only been reimbursed for a small fraction of our total bills due to their per condition limits and their per year limits.  It’s been nearly 7 months since our dog’s surgery and her knee is as good as new, if not better.  Thank you Trupanion!

-Joy

10/10 I’m a believer
When I first started looking into pet insurance I was very leery of the whole concept. I calculated the cost of raising a dog over an average life span and thought that perhaps the benefits of pet insurance might not outweigh insurance cost per lifetime of my pet. I am definitely one of those people that tend to think nothing would or could possibly happen to my pet, I’m responsible, he’s a house dog, etc. After speaking with several old hand pet owners (friends, my parents, friends of friends)I decided to bite the bullet. In less than a year it proved to be very helpful. My little 15 lb. Ace got a cat tail stuck waaaay down his ear canal while bounding through a field with weeds twice as tall as he is. The removal cost me about $325, after submitting my claim, Trupanion reimbursed me 90% in 2 days!!! I was expecting a week. I am very pleased with the concept that they will reimburse for illness and injury and not for the cost of services you would normally incur. After all, if you didn’t have it, it would cost you the same. Lastly, i want to mention that their customer service and response time is really admirable. Typically, the online chat is friendly, quick and polite. All of my emailed inquiries were answered in a day.
Janelle L.

Trupanion Pet Insurance made it possible for Louis and I to live happily ever after…

Louis, my 6-month-old toy poodle pup, was urinating all over the place, including on himself.  This of course was wrecking havoc on our lives.  I never considered myself the type of person who would have a non-housebroken pup.  I started crate training immediately, I followed my trainers rules religiously, and I read “Way to Go” by Patricia McConnell several times from cover to cover.  I was doing everything right!

Finally, after a discussion with a coworker, I took Louis in to see the vet. The vet did some blood work tests, urine tests, x-rays and that’s when Louis was diagnosed with a congenital disorder that made it impossible for him to hold his urine.  He was going to need surgery right away.

I had already spent a small fortune on the aforementioned procedures, but now he was going to have surgery on top of it!  I was definitely worried about Louis, but I was starting to freak out about all of the medical bills.  A million questions started going through my mind.  Could I afford for Louis to get this surgery?  Will he get better?  Has he been suffering this whole time? There was never any doubt that I would have the surgery performed, so I took the boy in. Louis was insured by Trupanion and his policy was (hopefully) about to pay for itself.

The claim process was SO easy, there is only one sheet to fill out!  The vet fills out the bottom portion of the claim sheet and they fax it in.  I received an email the same day the form was faxed.  Later, I received another email letting me know that my claim had been processed and approved!  That was it! It was so simple, it surpassed my expectations of what dealing with an insurance company is all about.  All of this happened in a span of less than one week.  Now my check is in the mail, my dog is urinating outside and I couldn’t be happier!

Trupanion really came through for me.  I hoped I would never need to use the policy and I even had people tell me that it was a waste of money.  Thank goodness I didn’t listen to them.  Pet Insurance is something that we never want to use, but the alternative to having no coverage could have meant that Louis’ surgery would be delayed until I had the funds to cover the costs.  No pet should have to suffer with any disease or injury because of financial reasons.  Louis surgery cost $1000 and trupanion covered 90% or $900!

Louis disorder was a not an emergency, but imagine if the unthinkable happened: a broken leg, cancer, an infection.  Nobody plans for these things, but they happen every day to unsuspecting pet parents and their beloved family pets. If you have an uninsured pet, I urge you to at least look into your options.

Pet Name: Enzo Treated For: Myelopathy Total Repaid: $4,502.98 Time to Process Claims: 2 days

I apologize for taking so long to send this email, it was a long time overdue, believe me. Enzo had his surgery on June 29 and convalesced for 6 days until this past Tuesday. He is on crate rest but is doing exceptionally well, walking around in his crate at the same capacity as he was before surgery, which is quite promising considering that he is expected to improve considerably from just days after surgery. He is now in good hands at home, where he is expected to make full recovery, and hopefully, regain full use of his legs.

The entire hospital was quite impressed with Trupanion, they remarked at how they could not recall such a caring and cooperative Company as they had encountered with Trupanion, and I wholeheartedly agree. I am deeply touched with how expediently and professionally you rallied to assist us in this emergency situation. Specifically, it turns out Enzo was born without discs in the thoracic portion of his spine, and the good doctor implemented a procedure used on humans to treat Enzo (fitting as he is like a human to us), grafting bone from his legs to fuse together his spine.

All considering, we feel tremendously blessed that the stars aligned so wonderfully to give us a doctor equipped to handle such an operation and a supportive and caring team of individuals at Trupanion, who without the help of which, this would not have been possible in such a short time.

A special thanks is in order to you Joe, as your initial involvement and attention with this matter really served as a driving force to make what happened, happen. To say that you are good at the job that you do is akin to saying the Titanic was just a pretty big boat, words fail to do your performance proper justice.

Please also forward this email to Diana, whom I would be remiss for not properly thanking. Diana, your actions were truly all-star. While the hospital may be unaware, it was the expedience within which you made your decision to reverse the initially rejected claim, and the ensuing attention to the preapproval documents, that was a hugely contributing factor as to why Enzo is where he is today. You specifically altered the tide of this dire situation, and I just wanted you to know that. Your extra efforts in being available via cell phone for the preapproval, did not go unnoticed, and Jennifer and I will never forget your dedication in helping us obtain the treatment Enzo deserved so he would not be forced to limp for the rest of his life– at best.

On behalf of my family, and Enzo, I thank you all from the bottom of my heart. Trupanion has a customer for life.

Edward

Pet Name: Roku Treated For: Lymph node and Gastrointestinal Biopsies for Vomiting/Diarrhea Total Repaid: $3,468.77

A few months ago we adopted brother and sister twin kittens. Being a new pet owner I was new to the idea of pet insurance. I was offered a free 30 day trial of Trupanion and decided to give it a try. Not even two weeks later, I came home to find one of my cats, Roku, extremely sick. He had vomited and barely had enough energy to lift his head from where he was lying. Our vet recommended bringing him into the clinic immediately. After being examined, Roku’s blood pressure was dangerously low and the vet was concerned. To complicate matters it was Friday and the vet clinic was closed for the weekend. At my vet’s recommendation I took Roku to an emergency clinic where they had to perform emergency surgery for a possible blocked intestine. They had strong suspicions that he might have swallowed a foreign object or that he had contracted FIP (feline intestinal paracytosis) which is a deadly disease in cats. So one surgery and multiple tests later, the clinic bill had skyrocketed to over $4000. Not exactly the kind of money you keep lying around. I was freaked out by the bill but knew that I had the Trupanion trial. After submitting my claim, I was reimbursed for 90% of the entire bill, no questions asked. I had the check in my hands before the charge was even printed on my credit card statement. All of this and I hadn’t even made my first monthly payment to Trupanion.

Roku completely recovered from his surgery and is totally healthy today. Who knows how things would have gone if I was reluctant to get the procedures he needed to get better because I couldn’t afford them. Needless to say I have kept my monthly Trupanion service and would recommend their insurance to anyone. I’ve never experienced an insurance company that was easier to deal with. They truly care about pets and pet owners.

Sincerely,
Tara M.

Pet Name: Axel Treated For: Pelvis Cancer, Neoplasia in hips, Vertebral Canal Stenosis Total Repaid: $8,642.35

The care, compassion and efficiency of Trupanion was unbelievable when our dog was sick and needed several expensive tests done, which we would not have been able to afford without Trupanion. With all the stress of having a sick dog, the stress free experience EVERY time we submitted an invoice was so appreciated. I would generally receive an email stating that the invoice had been rec’d within a day or two of the vet faxing it and would have the check in my mail within a week and a half. Amazing! And the ONE time that Trupanion missed an invoice, the speed and accuracy at which it was corrected was fantastic. I got two emails from different people checking up to make sure it was being taken care of.

Unfortunately, our beloved dog Axel who was only 3yrs old was diagnosed with advanced stage cancer and although it was a terribly painful decision to put him down we were able to make that difficult decision knowing that we did every test necessary to be sure the diagnosis was correct and the only way we could afford to do that was because of Trupanion. Although we miss Axel terribly we carry no guilt because we know we did everything we could possibly do for him.

I have since referred two friends to Trupanion and have a few more who are looking into it. I sing your praises to anyone that will listen and feel a sense of relief now that our new puppy is covered too. Thanks so much!!!

- Debbie U.

Pet Name: Shaka Treated For: Hock OCD, Diarrhea, IBD Total Repaid: $7,525.05 Time to Process Claims: 2 days

This little guy was the perfect puppy. His mother was a Canadian champion and his father was a Danish champion. Given his pedigree, it seemed impossible that he should have any health problems—and he is related to my last Rottie who was the picture of health throughout her life. My vet, however, was quite adamant that I get insurance. Acquiescing to his suggestion has pretty well saved both our lives. My little guy ended up have having Inflammatory Bowel Disease, which took 8 months and endless tests to diagnose (including a bowel biopsy). And then he had to have operations of both his hocks for OCD.I don’t do endorsements. But vet insurance paid all the bills within days of receiving the receipts without any questions asked. As a result, I personally recommend this insurance to everyone who will listen: not because I have stocks in the company, but because I love my dog and I am grateful to them for being there for us.

- Susan H.

Pet Name: Kodi Treated For: Bacterial endocarditis, non-specific hepatitis, immune polyarthritis Total Repaid: $8,491.23 Time to Process Claims: 4 days

Kodi now close to 6 has always been very healthy and active and suddenly a few days before he was admitted to Hopital Rive Sud on February 11, 2010 he was just not acting his normal self, off his food which was definitely not normal for him. I immediately brought him to my veterinarians where they took over his care. Needless to say, from the day he was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit with very elevated liver function tests until the day he was discharged on February 22, 2010 it was an agonizing ten days with sudden onset of arrhythmias, polyarthralgias and liver function abnormalities and despite numerous diagnostic tests, and internists, orthopaedic surgeon, cardiologist, a consultant from New York, who is the liver queen of veterinary medicine and all the support staff, coming up with a conclusive diagnosis was very difficult due to the fact that his liver, heart and joints seem to be intertwined with involvement. This story does have a happy ending because all genetic abnormalities as well as any orignal problem with his liver were ruled out, the final diagnosis being determined as bacterial endocarditis since two days after admission, he was discovered to have a heart murmur which he did not have prior to his admission as he was checked yearly for this and even on the day of admission there was no audible heart murmur. On discovering the murmur, an echocardiogram did confirm the fact that his mitral valve did show some thickening, but his liver functions were still elevated and he needed a liver biopsy to rule out anything that could be associated. Fortunately, the liver biopsy came back negative for any diseases, and in fact was inflammatory reaction due to bacteremia throughout his system. We may never know how he contracted endocarditis since he was on broad spectrum antibiotics (three types) by day 2 of his admission – blood cultures would not have given an accurate diagnosis.

Had Kodi not been hospitalized under the best medical care available, things may have turned out very differently for us. Also, by having insurance made any decision to get to the bottom of the situation so much easier. Although I know in my heart of hearts that whether or not I had insurance, I still would have made the same decisions for Kodi. The [people who helped me] in the Claims Department were wonderful. They were caring and supportive throughout the whole ordeal always offering support for me and Kodi.

An amount of $10,000 can accumulate very quickly with a serious illness and I would strongly recommend to anyone who have beloved pets not to hesitate in applying for Trupanion insurance. There are many insurance companies to choose from, but none like Trupanion who do not limit coverage per illness. I have my five dogs insured with them, and fortunately I have not had to use it for anything serious until now. We all take out house insurance and car insurance with the hope that we never need it – they are for objects that are easily replaced – our pets are our family and deserve equal coverage if not so much more!

Kodi is at home and will be on antibiotics for four months, and will be followed for his mitral valve yearly, but he has made amazing rebound and except for having a very unusual hair cut now because of so much hair being shaved due to IV’s , biopsies, NG tubes, etc. you would never know he had been sick. I am attaching a picture of Kodi when he was shown to his US Championship and a current photo of him (one month before he was hospitalized).

I wish to thank everyone at VetInsurance/Trupanion for the wonderful service you provide to pet owners and their beloved pets.

Sincerely
Catherine K.

Pet Name: Rocco Treated For: Hip fracture Total Repaid: $1,526.55 Time to Process Claims: Within 24 hours

To everyone at Trupanion,
I just wanted to take a moment to thank all of the wonderful people at Trupanion. We recently had our puppy, Rocco, insured with you and soon after enrolling him, he fractured his hip. As you can imagine, the prospect of having to have this tiny little puppy, who we all loved, undergo surgery was frightening and overwhelming. Thanks to our insurance policy, and especially to your very helpful and friendly staff, we didn’t have to worry about the stress associated with the financial burden of this procedure. You were all professional and I received my refund check less than a week after his surgery! I have shared this wonderful experience at www.petinsurancereview.com but wanted to personally thank you. We are most definitely a happy customer!

Sincerely,
Pam M.