We all need to watch what we’re spending these days, but one place you shouldn’t scrimp and scrape is pet insurance. Speaking from personal experience, having pet insurance could mean the difference between keeping your furry family members alive and never being able to see them again.
With so many different types of pet coverage these days, from emergency funds to insurance plans, there’s no need for you to miss out. There’s a scheme, plan, policy, or fund to protect any breed, any size, and any health condition of a pet.
Stop Googling - Ask a Real Vet
Content:
- Pet Care Can Be Expensive
- You Can Not Expect the Unexpected
- You Never Want to Face an Impossible Choice
- It Gives You Options to Fit Your Budget
- You Have an Online Vet at Your Fingertips 24/7
- Conclusion
Pet Care Can Be Expensive
According to Policy Advisor, the average cost of a short hospital stay for your pet is up to $1,700. Let’s say your pet needs wound treatment while they’re there; that’s an additional $800 to $2,500. Emergency surgery can cost more than $5,000.
Do you have those funds available should your pet become ill or injured right now? What would you do if that were to happen? Take out a loan? Rely on your savings? Ask a parent to help you out?
With protection like an insurance policy or Emergency Fund, those questions are already answered. You must ensure that you purchase the right type of plan for your pet. Pet insurance for older dogs is often more expensive than for younger ones, but you might get a discount on pet insurance for multiple dogs.
You Can Not Expect the Unexpected
Unless you have a crystal ball, I’m guessing that you can’t predict the future. And, if you can, please, can you tell me next week’s winning lottery numbers?
My point here is that your pet could walk out of the front door right now with you to go for a walk and get hit by a vehicle.
Accidents happen. It’s not nice, but these things spring up when you least expect them. You can’t stop them from happening, but you can properly prepare for them, just in case.
The cost of emergency care from your vet is usually higher than regular care, which means that an emergency-based pet insurance alternative, such as the Emergency Fund Service, is a smart idea.
Also, let’s take a look at dog nappings, which are on the increase, especially for high-demand breeds such as bulldogs, pugs, and dachshunds. The best insurance for bulldogs, for example, is one that caters specifically to the breed, taking into account common health problems plus the higher-than-average chance of being stolen.
You Never Want to Face an Impossible Choice
We don’t ever want to think about our pets feeling pain, but if that happens, do you have the option to solve the problem? With vet care as expensive as it is, you might find yourself having to make an impossible choice: paying your bills or treating your pet.
I didn’t have pet insurance on my first ever "grown-up" pet. To be honest, I didn’t think she needed it. I kept her indoors, and I only had a little apartment. How much damage could she possibly do to herself?
Well, as it turns out, quite a lot.
My poor cat escaped out of the tiniest gap in the kitchen window. I found her the next morning, hit by a car, and placed on the side of the road. She was still alive, so I rushed her to the vet. Sadly, the cost of surgery was far, far beyond what I could afford, and I didn’t have insurance.
The only option I had was to put my precious pet to sleep.
With Petcube’s Emergency Fund, I would have been covered up to the value of $3,000, which would have put the total cost within my budget.
Lessons were learned that day.
It Gives You Options to Fit Your Budget
There are so many different levels of care these days. Whether you’re splashing the cash or on a budget, there’s a pet insurance plan or alternative that will work for you and your pets.
Take Petcube’s Emergency Fund, for example. It costs under $1 per day, but it gives you $3,000 worth of emergency healthcare each year for up to six pets in your household.
$1 per day is $365 per year for $3,000 worth of vet care. I’d say that was a pretty good bargain, wouldn’t you? Especially as 47% of all pet parents have experienced pet-related debt.
You Have an Online Vet at Your Fingertips 24/7
Some pet insurance plans, such as the Emergency Fund Service, offer an online vet service with vet care coverage, which means that you have access to pet health advice with a few taps of your finger.
If you have a dog breed that is renowned for having certain medical conditions, having a vet on call at any time can make life easier and less stressful. The peace of mind alone is priceless.
Scrolling the internet to self-diagnose your pet is not only a stressful affair because it’s likely to terrify you into thinking your pet is going to pass over the rainbow bridge any moment now, but also a dangerous one because you’ll probably get the diagnosis or treatment wrong. (Unless you’re also vet-trained, of course.)
Conclusion
Well, I think I’ve made my case for getting pet insurance or an alternative to pet insurance. Would you agree? You can’t predict the future, which means you never know what might happen. Whether it’s allergies, stomach issues, vehicle collisions, or other medical emergencies, having insurance will ensure that treatment is quick and effective and that success rates are high.
It doesn’t bear thinking about the long-lasting and devastating costs of not having insurance. (Trust me!)
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