Let’s face it - Fido and Fluffy are an important part of your family. Do you want to have to assign a dollar value to them if they become sick or injured?
That may well be the case if you don’t have pet health insurance. Rising veterinary costs mean that pet owners can pay hundreds - and even thousands - of dollars for their pets’ health problems. As the bills stack up, uninsured pet owners must determine how much they are willing to spend on their animal friend. It can be a heartbreaking decision to make.
Much like insurance for health, cars and homes, pet insurance helps people put a little money away now to avoid a major payout later. Coverage and cost vary, so it’s important to thoroughly research the options if you decide to insure your pet.
Step one: Determine if Pet Insurance is Right for You
When people decide to get a pet, they often don’t consider how they will deal with the inevitable unexpected illnesses or accidents. Keeping a pet indoors by no means eliminates all the hazards. They can still swallow foreign objects, ingest a poison or injure themselves. As well, living indoors does not make a pet immune to disease and infection - particularly those that are common to their breed. Pets with access to the outdoors have even more opportunities to pick up a disease or get hurt.
Don’t have a dog or cat? Insurance companies are starting to offer plans that meet the needs of a variety of pet owners. Some now offer coverage for birds and exotic animals.
Not all owners are good candidates for pet insurance, however. Pet insurance is ideal for owners who deeply love their pets and are willing to spend a significant amount of money to keep them healthy and extend their life. They buy their cherished companions the best food and care they can afford, sometimes even putting their pets’ needs before their own. For this type of owner, pet insurance can be a smart investment that can prevent considerable costs and bring peace of mind.
Pet insurance is not a good investment for owners who don’t have a strong emotional tie to their pet. Owners who would rather have their pets euthanized than spend money on vet bills are not good candidates for pet insurance.
Step two: Decide What Type of Coverage You Want
Most pet owners will weigh two main considerations when shopping for pet insurance: budget and coverage. Peace of mind can also be an important factor, but far more difficult to quantify.
Pet health insurance is still relatively new in the United States and Canada, so the options available are fewer than for other forms of insurance. That said, North American pet owners can choose from a variety of coverage choices, ranging from injury/accident-only to all-inclusive.
As with all insurance products, the cost of pet insurance increases as the coverage improves. As a pet owner, you must decide what is the right balance between affordability and the care you want for your pet.
- Coverage
When choosing pet insurance coverage, first consider what kind of insurance customer you are. Do you prefer all-inclusive coverage that pays for everything from routine checkups and vaccinations to accidents and chronic illnesses, or are you comfortable with a lesser degree of coverage that just kicks in during emergencies? Perhaps you prefer a flexible plan that offers discounts on a wide range of services, from veterinary care to training. This decision will lay the groundwork for your final choice.
Some issues to consider:
* Make sure to check for coverage of pre-existing conditions as well as breed-specific genetic ailments, such as hip dysplasia for large dogs. Some plans refuse to cover these conditions.
* Some plans place limits on annual, per-incident, per-illness or lifetime costs.
* How old is your pet? Coverage usually starts at eight weeks, but some plans won’t cover pets over a certain age (usually between six and 10 years old, depending on the breed, type of animal and other factors).
- Cost
Payment options for pet insurance include flat fees or deductibles and/or co-payments. Not surprisingly, plans with lower monthly premiums come with higher deductibles and/or larger co-payments.
Some issues to consider:
* Insurance premiums are affected by the age, health and breed of your pet, as well as the type of animal.
* Some plans offers discounts for multiple pets.
* Plans generally require customers to pay the vet bill first and then submit receipts for reimbursement.
* Find out if the insurance premiums will increase as your pet ages.
* Depending on the plan you choose, the monthly premiums can range from less than $10 to about $40.
Step three: Choose an Insurer
You’ve determined what you can afford to spend and the amount of pet insurance coverage you want.
Before selecting an insurer, here are some final considerations:
* Make a list of your questions and priorities in advance. Make sure to answer or check off each item when reviewing plan options.
* Research the insurer thoroughly. Review its website and sales materials, read its testimonials, talk to other pet owners and look for on-line reviews. How long has the company been in business? Are its customers satisfied? Make sure you feel comfortable about everything you hear or read.
* Compare the plan’s benefit schedule with your vet’s fees to determine to what degree the plan will cover the actual treatment costs.
* Find out how quickly the insurance company reimburses customers’ claim payments and if it has claim deadlines.
* Read the fine print. Make sure you completely understand the plan’s benefits and, more importantly, the limitations. If something isn’t clear, ask - and get the answer in writing. Otherwise, you might find you don’t have the coverage you need if an accident occurs.
* Start a file for your pet. Use it for all receipts and insurance paperwork so you can keep on top of your claims and make sure you are maximizing your insurance investment.
Your responsibility as a pet owner doesn’t end with food, shelter and affection. Pet health insurance can give the smallest member of your family a longer and healthier life - and provide you with more time to enjoy the unconditional love it so willingly offers to you.
Burke Jones is a frequent contributor to Pet Health Depot.
Tags: cat medicine, dog medicine, pet, pet health, pet health insurance, pet insurance, pets
Many factors need to be considered by a family, before bringing home a new pet.
Some are as followed:
GENDER - SIZE - HAIR:
What about the gender of the dog? Are you interested in a male or female? Will you breed the dog once it is grown? If a breeding program is not in its future, consider neutering the dog. Are you interested in a large or a small dog? Often, potential owners don’t consider the frame size and weight of the puppy when it becomes an adult. Also think about the grooming needs of a long-haired dog versus a short-haired one.
VETERINARY CARE:
The dog will also need regular veterinary care. All these costs can add up, especially if you’re on a limited budget. What type of dog do you want? Purebred or mixed breed? Research the traits of the breed that interests you. Be aware that some breeds have specific benefits or problems. In addition, some purebreds can be very expensive. Perhaps adopting from your local animal shelter is an option.
TIME:
Another important factor is your family’s lifestyle. Do you work all day? How much free time do you have? Remember, a new puppy will require four or more feedings a day and will need to go out just as often. Do you spend a lot of time traveling or entertaining? Do you have small children or other animals at home? Are you physically able to handle a dog? What about your location? Do you own a home or rent an apartment? Will your landlord allow pets? Do you live in the city or in a rural area? Is there enough fenced-in yard space for the dog to properly exercise?
DOG ROLE IN YOUR FAMILY:
Think about the role your new dog will play in your family. Will it be used as for:
a) My son/daughter/children
Trust me; this will be YOUR dog! After the ‘honeymoon period’, the kids may only play with the dog, occasionally. They may groan and grumble about any dog-related responsibilities, doing them, begrudgingly, only after significant prodding from you. As children’s interests and activities change, over the years, their level of involvement with the dog will most likely be, inconsistent, at best. Additionally, your children, especially, young children, will need to be ‘trained’ in how to behave with the dog and will need to be supervised when with the dog.
b) Protection
I know some may disagree but, it is my opinion, that the only time is it a good idea to get a dog for the purpose of protection is in professional or agricultural situations and only when the owner/trainer is humane and knowledgeable of dog behavior and dominant dog training/handling. In all other situations - probably 99.9% - an alarm system, security fence, or other measures are much more appropriate and effective.
c) To breed puppies
If you’ve read the third paragraph of this piece and still feel this way, there is probably little I can offer to change your mind. But, just in case, let me restate the case a little more thoroughly. The breeding of dogs is a responsibility not to be taken lightly. If it is not your intention to remain responsible for all of your puppies for their entire lives, including being willing to take back and care for those who may find themselves homeless, do not enter into this endeavor. If you are planning on breeding for profit, understand that there are much easier, more profitable and ethical ways to make a buck. Dogs are living beings and dog breeding requires a significant investment of time, money, labor, knowledge, both academic and practical, patience, and emotional fortitude, to be done responsibly and humanely. Please visit a few of the shelter and rescue websites, or your local shelter, and witness the problem yourself. View the faces of the homeless dogs and talk to the volunteers and staff who, all too often, must take that ‘final walk’ with them.
BUYING STRATEGY:
Once you’ve decided on the type of dog you want and where you will purchase it, do not buy a puppy on the first visit. Instead, potential owners leave, think about the decision, and then go back. Avoid the temptation of buying two or more puppies. A single puppy will bond to its owner better and will be easier to train.
Depending on the breed, the best time to purchase a puppy is between 7-9 weeks of age. As soon as possible have the puppy examined by a veterinarian. If possible, ask the seller if you can have the puppy checked by a veterinarian before you purchase it.
Mike Freije A Pets Health Guide Specialist
http://www.pets-guide.com
http://www.health-shop.info
Over the past 30 years we have learned so much about taking good care of our pets, right? We feed them “premium” high dollar pets foods, give them tasty packaged treats, vaccinate them yearly, bathe them with expensive shampoos, give them heartworm preventative, use flea collars or flea and tick preventative, brush their teeth, and get yearly checkups with our vets.
Then why are our pets not healthier? Why, instead, are they getting more and more humanlike diseases such as allergies, diabetes, thyroid problems, cancer, and on and on? Why are their coats not so shiny anymore, and they seem to scratch and itch all the time? Why are they so lazy and sleep all the time? Why do they still smell bad, have waxy ears, and bad plaque on their teeth?
The biggest problem points to nutrition, or lack thereof. But I feed my pet a high premium pet food recommended by my vet you might say. Exactly - that, however, is the problem. These so-called premium foods are full of “byproducts”, corn meal, and many other things our pets were never designed to eat nor utilize in their bodies. The preservatives alone are not allowed in human products so how could our pets be expected to digest these toxins without repercussions to their health? The “byproducts” are things that should just be destroyed and not used for anything let alone pet food.
Another problem is exactly the thing you thought were protecting them: yearly vaccinations. This is a huge problem because the rabies vaccine is the one that is mandated by law and it the very worst one for your pets. These yearly vaccinations are not only not necessary but could be a major contributor to the diseases that are plaguing our pets. Vaccinosis is the result of all this over vaccinating and possibly even the culprit behind all the diagnosed diseases resulting in the decline of the health of pets.
Combine poor food, over vaccinating, with the toxins from flea collars, pet toothpaste, packaged treats, and preventative medicines and you’ve got unhealthy, immune suppressed pets that lack the energy to do much more than sleep.
Okay, so now what? Fortunately there are solutions and the best one to start with is food; preferably raw. If that doesn’t appeal to you there are other solutions and answers to help you help your pets on the road to wellness. There are now pet foods on the market that have human grade ingredients without all the toxic preservatives and byproducts. Here are a few to get you started:
http://www.canidae.com
http://www.pets4life.com/
http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/petfood.htm
http://www.holistichorse.com
http://www.herbsnbirds.com
There are solutions to protect your pet in lieu of vaccinations and still comply with the law. Holistic veterinarians have alternatives to help you in this area:
http://www.altvetmed.com,
http://ahvma.org
When a pet has a healthy immune system, they won’t smell bad, have waxy ears, and cruddy teeth. There are alternatives to using toxic flea collars and preventative medicines for your pet. Use the resources provided in this article and you will find the best solutions for you and your pets. You can lower your vet bills and your pets can live longer, healthier lives.
Kim Bloomer operates a home and internet business in wellness for both people and pets! She also publishes a pet wellness newsletter,
Aspenbloom-WellPet. Go to http://KimBloomer.com for details on
all her business ventures.