The Results of Insuring My Chihuahua with ipet from Ages 3 to 6

Few people would think of dogs as guard dogs these days.
I have owned a Chihuahua since I was single, and I think of her as a partner or a member of the family (even though I have a husband).

We welcomed our dog as a rescue when she was 3 years old, and we enrolled her in pet insurance at the same time.

Unlike human medical care, veterinary clinics often involve a large portion of out-of-pocket expenses, and costs tend to be high.
By the way, my husband's family cat had gastroenteritis in March 2024 and required visits, examinations, and treatment; we paid over 120,000 yen in total for about four visits in one month.
This included IV drips, X-rays, and barium tests to examine the stomach, which required imaging every few hours.

Fortunately, the cat recovered, but seeing her become lethargic day by day and refusing to eat or drink was heartbreaking for us as owners, and my husband was so worried about her dying that he even took time off work.

I had anticipated that pet medical expenses could be high, so I decided to get pet insurance from the moment I brought my Chihuahua home so that I wouldn't have to give up on treating illnesses that could be cured.
Among the many pet insurance options, I was drawn to the direct billing at the counter and the brand reputation of the Dai-ichi Life Group, so I choseipet Insurance's "Uchi no Ko 50%" plan.

The following is a personal account of my experience, including the medical history and total payments, for the three years I insured my Chihuahua from age 3 to 6.
Since this is based on my personal experience and actual usage, I hope you find it useful as a reference.

Why I chose ipet

The biggest reason is definitely the direct billing at the counter.
I believe ipet and Anicom are the most well-known names right now.
Both have posters in pet shops and veterinary clinics, so they likely have high brand awareness.

As I mentioned before, payments at veterinary clinics often exceed 10,000 yen. By the way, when I was attending a vocational school for pet care about 15 years ago,
"If you have 10,000 yen in your wallet, you'll be fine for payments"
was the advice given, but with recent inflation, 10,000 yen doesn't feel like enough anymore.
For example,
even just a prescription for heartworm medication, which isn't even a treatment, costs over 7,000 yen, and if you add a rabies vaccination (which is mandatory) at the same time, 10,000 yen is not enough.

In that regard, with direct billing, you don't have to pay a large amount upfront, so you don't need to have a lot of cash on hand, and it's convenient because you don't have to go through the hassle of filing claims with the insurance company later.

Q. Were there actually any clinics that didn't accept direct billing? A. There was one.

There was one in the area where I live.
When it came to my Chihuahua, she often felt unwell in the beginning, so I visited three different veterinary clinics.
Based on what I've heard from acquaintances, relatively new clinics usually allow direct billing, but among the older clinics, there was one that did not.
However, even there, I was able to have them fill out the prescribed forms and statements, and by submitting them to the insurance company, I was reimbursed later.

Q. How many times did you visit the clinic in three years? A. A total of 15 times.

The table below showsthe medical history and insurance payouts for my Chihuahua over the past three years.

This amount is because we had 50% coverage, and not all treatments are covered by insurance.
Considering that coverage is up to 12,000 yen per day for up to 22 days per year, we never exceeded this amount, and naturally, we didn't visit 22 times.
Some clinics would ask if I wanted to use insurance when the amount was low, but I made it a point to use it.

Q. How much are the insurance premiums? A. About 30,000 yen per year for a small dog like a Chihuahua.

Even though our dog is a rescue, she had a pedigree, so we knew her exact birth date and breed.
At age 3 (enrollment): 32,070 yen
Age 4: 35,410 yen
Age 5: 38,890 yen
Her birthday is December 3rd, so she is 6 years old as of the time I am writing this article.
This is the amount for a small dog like a Chihuahua; the price increases for medium and large dogs.
Please compare this payment amount with the amount covered by insurance.
How you feel about it depends on your own perspective, so I will write my thoughts in the conclusion.
By the way,insurance premiums tend to increase with age, and it is 42,550 yen when she turns 6.

It's a strange thing about humans that when the ten-thousand-yen digit changes, it suddenly feels like a large amount...
And this was the moment I started thinking about the next renewal.

Q. What kind of illnesses were most frequently covered by insurance? A. Otitis externa was common. I was able to use it for medication that costs nearly 5,000 yen per dose.

My dog's ears get dirty easily, and he also seemed to have some kind of allergic constitution.
Steroid medication is effective, but long-term use puts a strain on the liver, and he hates having his ears cleaned, perhaps due to past trauma.
At the clinic, there is a liquid medication that can be put directly into the ear, and while its effects are long-lasting, it costs about 5,000 yen per bottle, so I was asked during treatment what I wanted to do.

I thought that if it would stop the itching in my Chihuahua's ears, I would take advantage of the insurance coverage when needed.
Steroid medication was also covered by insurance, and I used it on an as-needed basis when his allergies flared up severely.

Q. I asked 7 people around me: Do you have pet insurance?

That number might seem low!!
However, these 7 people are the actual voices of those who own dogs and cats, and since they are actually living with pets, their opinions can sometimes be more useful than you might expect.

● Person who owns a Border Collie, female in her 50s

I was encouraged to sign up for pet insurance when I bought my dog at a pet shop, but I didn't really use it after that, so I canceled it around age 3.
However, when she turned 11, she was in a traffic accident and injured her shin.
Because Border Collies love to run, I decided to go ahead with surgery, which cost about 200,000 yen.
After that, it seems she contracted some kind of infection post-surgery, requiring another operation, and she had to pay the same amount again...
Also, as she has aged, there is no insurance she can join now, so I have given up on it.

● Person who owns a Chartreux (cat), female in her 20s

My previous cat ended up with a respiratory disease and required repeated hospital visits.
In the end, the veterinarian made house calls to provide treatment, which became expensive, so I enrolled my next pet.
I get annual health checkups, and it's a relief to be able to go to the vet immediately when she has diarrhea or isn't feeling well.
I also heard that she has naturally weak knee joints, so I am anticipating that she might have some health issues in the future.

● Person who owns a cat (mixed breed), 30s

I had insurance for the dog I owned previously, but I didn't actually go to the vet that often, so compared to the annual premiums, I don't feel it's worth it or that I'm coming out ahead.
If treatment becomes expensive, I have set aside money for this child specifically for those high-cost medical expenses.
While saying that, the cat recently ran inside the house, crashed into a wall, and broke his front teeth, requiring treatment.
It seems it took two visits and cost about 50,000 yen, but I was able to pay for it with the money I had set aside.

As for the breakdown of the 7 people, 2 were enrolled in pet insurance and 5 were not.

Conclusion

・Pet insurance can be a safety net for when something happens, but in my experience, not many people are actually enrolled.

・Also, regarding ipet, the cost increased with age, and I stopped using it once it exceeded 40,000 yen per year for my small Chihuahua.
I am currently in the process of switching to another company where costs can be kept lower.