Pet Care Insurance is for many pet owners an expenditure that is often put on the proverbial "backburner" and then sadly forgotten about until it is too late. Almost all people would agree that it is most sensible to have sufficient vehicle insurance before an accident or have enough home insurance coverage prior to a fire, yet ask a pet owner about pet care insurance and in most cases "they haven't really considered it or haven't yet got around to it".
This will seem very shocking to hear since most pet owners do love their pets, care for them in other ways, and generally think of their pet as part of the family. So why this reluctance on the part of pet owners to invest in some type of insurance for their precious pet?
One explanation might simply be a lack of understanding with respect to the cost of having a sick or hurt pet taken care of by a vet. It's not unusual to find that medical costs for treating a dog with a broken leg may reach as high as $1000 and for a cat with a broken leg around the $300 mark. Naturally you can expect these costs to vary based upon where in the world you live and the availability of veterinarian services. There may even be fluctuations within the same geographic region depending upon if you live in a rural area with only a handful of vet clinics, or in large city setting where you have more choice, more competition and therefore lower prices. Then you will discover the hidden costs like kenneling of an hurt pet while in the recovery stage following an operation and the prices of post-recovery medicine such as antibiotics and pain-killers which adds more on to the total cost of the treatment.
A second reason why many pet owners may steer clear of getting pet care insurance stems from the naive belief that "it won't happen to me". True there are many pets that live an extended and vigorous life while rarely seeing the inside of a veterinary clinic apart from their yearly checkup and shots. Regrettably recent data indicate that 65% of pet owners are making unplanned visits to their local vet clinic and are coming away in shock and disbelief at the size of fees following treatment.
Either one of the above reasons can be utilized to build a strong case for caring pet owners to seriously consider buying pet care insurance. As with most types of insurance, it may appear costly and not needed in the beginning, especially if your pet is young and in good health. This must be cautiously measured against the other scenario of having to pay veterinary bills at full price in a situation where multiple visits are necessary should your pet become seriously injured or sick.
Making the decision to put money into pet care insurance is surely a proactive step in the right direction, however this does open the door for more inquiries. Recent years have seen a sharp rise in the numbers of insurance companies expanding into this pet insurance market along with more choice in the type of insurance for pets. Today's pet owner needs to think about a wide range of factors prior to deciding on a specific pet insurance policy.
One traditional consideration that appears to be central in most pet care insurance policies is the age, health and type of a pet. The very first thing that should "jump out" at you is the need to think about purchasing insurance for your pet when they are young and healthy if you want to get the best deal for your money. Additional insurance factors would include:
- higher costs to insurance a pure-bred in comparison to a mixed-breed
- some varieties of animals including dogs are generally cheaper to insure than cats
- more exotic animals may require more specialized treatment and thus higher costs to insure.
Most pet care insurance companies provide a variety of insurance plans to cater to their customers needs. Often the "all-inclusive" plans are most popular as they tend to be more adaptable and some may even reimburse unexpected costs resulting from the pet becoming sick or injured unexpectedly such as your hotel bill in case you are forced to stay away from home having driven a great distance to bring your pet to the vet clinic.
Many pet insurance plans have some type of liability protection where the pet owner will be insured if ever the animal injures another person or causes damage to personal property. Some pet insurance companies even offer special policies for pets whenever they stray or get stolen. Pet owners may be reimbursed for the money they spent on advertising for the lost animal and will also recover some of the pet's original price if it isn't found.
In the end, the onus is on you, the pet owner, to ensure that you not only comprehend the terms of the policy, but also are aware of what's not covered to prevent any nasty surprises later on.
Pet care insurance shouldn't be taken for granted. Given the financial and "piece of mind" benefits, pet owners should not think twice about buying insurance for their beloved household friend. As with any other type of insurance, it pays to shop around for pet care insurance, and this has never been easier than at the present. Many highly regarded pet care insurance carriers promote on the world wide web these days so it is just a matter of spending time in front of your computer to find out what is available and obtain the top value for your money.
