dog health insurance

Dog health insurance can be a great way to budget for your pets ongoing medical needs.  The cost of quality care for animals can be very expensive.

I first embraced the idea of pet insurance 8 years ago, due to a cat emergency.  Our cat had a blocked urinary tract.  Because the emergency happened on a holiday weekend, the costs were doubled.  After the cost of surgery, medication, and a 4 day stay, the total bill came out to $1,400.00. 

Unfortunately, with cats the likelihood of a new blockage was increased after the first blockage.  This was an unplanned for expense, but I didn’t want to let our cat suffer.  I did however want to be prepared for any future veterinary emergencies and ongoing medical expenses.  Purchasing a policy for existing conditions can be difficult.  I made sure however, to review insurance early on when we had explored getting a puppy.

Pet insurance programs are available for cats, dogs, and exotic pets.  Purchase your policy while your animal is young.  Obtaining your dog health report early can save headache down the road.  This can reduce the chances of exclusions & issues based on pre-existing conditions.  Before you choose a specific program, you should perform your own independent research on the various pet insurance companies.

You can find various pet health insurance programs online.  The average cost per month is about $40-50 dollars.  Veterinary pet insurance policies differ greatly, as well as the costs for coverage.  It is important to compare each policy with regards to specific coverage details. 

Areas you should research include alternative therapies, cancer coverage, wellness visits, and dental care. Alternative pet therapies include chiropractic, acupuncture and homeopathic remedies.  Other potential claims may involve dog organ transplants, heart disease, prosthetic limbs, drugs and dental plans.

Unfortunately, there is no one size fits all dog insurance plan.  You will need to make your own personal inventory of what coverage is important to you.  Certain breeds are known to have specific ailments due to genetic conditions.  It is important to review whether or not your policy may have exclusions for certain ailments such as hip dysplasia. 

You can also ask your current veterinarian for advice.  They are a great resource to learn about dog health problems based on their own treatment experiences.  Certain issues are age related, while others are purely based on breed.

Another important item is to make sure your coverage is applicable with a veterinarian of your choice.  Some providers may limit coverage to certain participating veterinarians.  Your current veterinary office may also offer insurance plans too.  Be sure to check online for pet insurance reviews before you make your final decision.  You do not want to be in a position where you believe you are covered, only to find out that there is an exclusion which can prevent you from making a claim on your dog health insurance.