how many of have it, and if you do what company do you use?  i'm thinking of doing this...

i searched for our dogs and found that vpi was the best out of the options available, but i've noticed that there are some new ones so i'm not so sure if it's the best still. we didn't end up getting pet insurance, though, because you have to pay up front and then file a claim and then the insurance company reviews it and reimburses according to the benefit schedule allowance or the invoice amount. so instead we just put a little aside here and there to pay for vet visits or anything unexpected.

gooood idea sam.i.am.  thank you so much for saying that.  i would say that's the best way to go.  it's very expensive for the insurance (like $40 a month) and the coverage is good, but i feel like the same amount if not more could be saved over the years without it.

if you have one or two pets it's great but more than that it's almost not worth it because it's so expensive to pay month to month.

We don't have it (but wish I knew about it before all the puppy vet bills) but my FI's work offers a pet insurance through their insurance company, it is only around $15 a month.  I am not sure all that it covers since we didn't know about it until after we paid all the vet bills (puppy shots, getting fixed ect) but if we get another dog we will be!  As your employer or look in your handbook.

Make sure to check into what the insurance policies cover as well. I had a cocker spaniel (ended up having to give him to my parents) and bought insurance on him. I'm glad I did, he ended up having some breed related knee problems and I made sure to get a policy that covered breed-specific hereditary problems and they're covering most of the surgical costs to fix him. Without it, my parents would have had to go into some major debt.

I have this thing called "Care Credit"  I got it whe nI had dental work done ...and I can use it for kids , spouse , and pets

Unfortunately I cannot find a vet who will take it ... so whatever you get check with your vet first and make sure they take it

I don't have insurance, but I go to Banfield Pet Hospital (they're in Petsmart), and they have something called a wellness plan. You pay monthly for the pets basic care. It covers shots, office visits, dewormer, heartworm tests, etc. It keeps me from having to shell out a ton when I take my dog to the vet. I pay around $20 a month, and that covers a bit more too since my dog has some health problems.

http://www.banfield.net/optimum-wellness-plans

care credit, like niecy said, is another idea (aside from/in addition to saving a little bit monthly ;D). it'd make bigger vet bills easier becuase it's like a credit card you use to pay the vet and then you just monthly payments to the card instead of having to pay the whole vet bill out of pocket. (that's how it was explained to me anyways.) and you can go to care credit's website and look for a vet in your area.

i use vpi, they have been really good to me.