Pet Insurance -should You Have It?

Some years ago when I was a new Cat Mom and we were visiting a large animal hospital
For an emergency I noticed several signs in the waiting room.

The signs said that it was their policy to NOT euthanize the pet as long as there was a treatment available and the animal was expected to recover.

Asking what they meant by that, I was told of the many times when they were asked to euthanize the pet because the owners were not able to financially afford the treatment.

In the old days, veterinary medicine was a lot more "basic", there were not as many sophisticated diagnostic tools, nor cutting edge medicine utilizing the finest science has to offer. Let alone medications for pets�.

Today veterinary medicine is a highly sophisticated, high-tech field with resources rivaling that of medicine for humans.

One can ofcourse debate the big question of how far should one go? How far does the animal want us to go? Does our dog really want the chemo treatments, or to have a kidney transplant with the medications that will follow for a life time?

What is morally right, or not right, as far as our best friend goes, not being able to provide treatment because of financial difficulties is a heart wrenching situation.

Providing medical insurance for your pet can be a life saver for your pet, and a life saver for your state of mind should a serious illness strike, or an unforeseen accident.

One very common complaint is when the insured did not read the fine print, or did not quite understand the ramifications of it, and had an awful surprise that what they thought was covered, was indeed not.

Besides spending money on premiums only to find out that your case is excluded because of a clause in the contract can at best mean that you wasted your money, and at worst mean that you now do not have the means to treat your pet.

Utmost care should be taken before deciding on a insurance company. Ask your veterinarian for guidance. Do due diligence and learn what questions you need to ask.
What are the exclusions? Is there a per incident cap?

How much will they cover per calendar year? Are wellness checks covered, and what about vaccinations and heartworm medication? Are genetical defects covered? Some defects are breed specific and may be ecluded. If your pet is a pedigree, make sure there are no breed specific exclusions.

Finding an insurance company for your pet should not be done in haste.