Pet insurance is a well deliberated topic in the veterinary world. Sadly in this day and age the affordability of veterinary treatments is becoming increasingly influential on whether pets recieve the care they need. Insuring your pets means that the financial pressure can be taken off of owners when it comes to making decisions regarding veterinary treatments.
There can be variation between different insurance companies but the general process remains the same. Essentially, you pay a monthly or yearly premium to cover your pet up to an agreed amount. Depending on the policy you have, you may be given a financial limit up to which you are covered that resets each year or a policy whereby any new conditions get paid for for up to 12 months from the start of the condition. Once you have paid your vet fees you file a claim with your insurance company, and they pay you back the money spent on your pet’s condition.
Is Pet Insurance Worth It?
Often pet owners will be in two minds about whether they insure their pets. Understandably, owners want to know they are getting their money’s worth when paying for insurance premiums. Generally when pets are still young, they do not create as many vet bills as older pets do so it’s easy for owners to feel that paying for insurance is an unnecessary cost.
However, accidents and emergencies are often overlooked. If for any reason your pet is involved in an accident or suddenly becomes very sick and requires diagnostic investigations, medications or even the expertise of a specialist at a referral centre, the cost of their vet bills can quickly rise from just the one off appointment every now and again. This is unfortunately where a lot of owners simply cannot afford to give their pet what is needed if they are not covered by insurance, and sometimes very difficult decisions have to be made.
There can also be occasions where even in your pet’s young life they develop a condition that may need lifelong treatment. Should you then seek insuance to help pay for their ongoing care it may transpire that insurance companies will not help you, as the condition existed before the policy was taken out which means it is excluded from their cover.
It’s nice to think that the unforseeable won’t happen to your pet, and most of the time it doesn’t. No one can predict the future however, and it’s better to be covered so owners don’t get caught unprepared.
What Do We Recommend?
As a veterinary practice we see first hand how costs have risen over the years, and how some owners struggle to afford their vet bills. We would always recommend insuring your pets. Although we can’t recommend any sole provider of pet insurance to our clients we strongly recommend owners take the time to look at cost comparison sites to ensure they find a provider that best suits their pet and provides the best value for money with their policy.