It might seem like an unnecessary expense; but you would never consider going without health insurance for your family - why should your pet be any different? Health insurance for pets is by no means a new concept - people have been doing it for years and saving hundreds of dollars on healthcare for their pets. Veterinary costs have sky rocketed and even a simple problem can cost you thousands of dollars to fix. You don't want to be put in the position of choosing between an expensive life saving operation or saying goodbye to your beloved pet.
Dog healthcare plans can vary greatly and you need to choose carefully when looking for the best coverage for your pet. Some plans cover normal expenses like annual checkups and other routine care. Others only cover sickness or injury. If you are handling the general costs fine and just need something incase of sickness of emergency its worthwhile to consider a plan that caters for serious conditions. Like human healthcare plans - emergency coverage begins right away but you might have to wait a month or so for the other benefits to kick in.
Coverage and costs involved depend on your pet’s age, breed- some even take into account whether your dog is a pet or a watchdog too. The insurance will also take into account whether your pet has preexisting conditions.
General plans should include regular vet visits and long term illnesses/diseases. There are more comprehensive coverage plans; these cost more but if you want the best treatment for your pet its worth considering a plan that includes coverage against poisoning or accidents. Most pet healthcare plans will start coverage when your puppy is as young as 6 weeks. They generally don't insure pets older than 8 years of age. But look around; some policies can cover pets up to 27 years of age. Be sure to read the fine print and check what you are getting for your money. Doing a simple search on Google for "pet health insurance' should return many results. There is a wide variety of pet insurance. Compare and choose wisely.
There are other alternatives when it comes to healthcare. If you don't' want to take out an expensive policy there are some small ways to offset the costs of pet healthcare. Consider asking your vet if there are discounts; cash discounts, discounts for more than one pet etc. You could also check out some discount policies like Pet Assure. It's recommended that you get pet insurance; try to think of it as a normal expense that comes along with having a pet. It's well worth it to think carefully about what kind of insurance you choose. Choose well and you can rest assured that whatever the emergency - you're covered.
Steve Allison is a third generation of professional dog breeders along with his brother Gary. It all started with his grandparents in 1970 with the Boston Terriers and has expanded to Maltese, Yorkshire Terriers, Pugs, Shih Tzu’s and Pomeranians. He is also actively involved with dog rescue and has a website that showcases the puppies they occasionally has for sale at All My Puppies Online Steve is also the co-author of two consumer guides, Carpet Secrets and Moving Secrets Guide.
