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Do You Need Pet Insurance?
By
Alanna Parke Kvale
Into every life shared with an animal companion eventually comes sickness or accident. You plan for the yearly shots and checkups, but what do you do if your furry family member develops something serious? How prepared are you financially to handle what could possibly add up to thousands in pet care?
Veterinary care has progressed amazingly in the last few decades. Just about any kind of care available to you is now also available for the animals in your life, right down to major surgeries and cancer treatments. How will you handle the vet’s bills if Fido develops diabetes or cancer?
Maybe up to this point, you’ve used a credit card to pay for your four-legged family member’s health care bills; however, one serious health problem can use up your card and put you over your limit very quickly. Then you still have to pay for all those charges plus interest and that could keep you in debt for many years to come.
You might have a sizable savings account that you’re willing to use should Fido require serious care. Once again, that can disappear very quickly on the vet’s bills. If you pet requires long-term care, you could be looking at an empty savings account, over the limit credit cards and an overdrawn checking account. Then what do you do?
Until the latter part of the last century, there wasn’t much else you could do to save your beloved pet. The first policy sold in the United States was to cover one of television’s most famous dogs-Lassie. Still pet insurance for the average person’s furry companion didn’t gain in popularity until the late nineties. As veterinary costs rise with every year, the idea of pet insurance makes more and more sense. A simple Google search reveals a vast array of companies and policies, the most well known of which is through the ASPCA.
With more and more people spending enormous amounts of money to keep their animal companions in the lap of luxury-designer clothes, collars and leashes, doggie day care, hotels and spas-why not have pet insurance? When a simple fracture could cost you anywhere from $2,000-$3,000, and long-term care even more, health insurance for Fido makes a lot more sense.
When an animal suddenly becomes sick or injured, the last thing you want to worry about is whether or not you can afford to get them the health care you know they deserve.
In my own case, I discovered after adopting a cute three-year-old Siamese cat, that he was a special needs kitty. The poor little thing had asthma and needed to be on medication every week, with more checkups during the year, and blood tests to boot. Then he developed a problem with his liver, and had to be hospitalized and spent a week in an oxygen cage. The vet finally told us there was nothing more he could do for our little “Buddy” and we had to put him to sleep.
My daughter and I went to say our final goodbyes to poor, little Buddy, before they put him to sleep, both of us in tears. As we headed out to our car, the woman in the front office wanted us to decide on a payment plan right then and there. They had given us a discount, according to the vet, but we still owed several hundred dollars. If we’d had pet insurance, we might have avoided all that emotional furor and stress.
Surprisingly coverage is not expensive. Check out the many, many companies available online and get a quote. Some are as little as $7.50 per month, depending on the coverage and deductibles, as well as the age of your animal.
Your decision will be based on many factors, but it does bear thinking about, especially if you have just adopted a new animal companion. You want to give that furry little guy, or girl the best possible care and pet insurance makes it affordable.
