Older Pet Insurance Needs

Older Pet Insurance Needs

Aging pets can present unique health situations. Not only are they susceptible to more age related problems, theyve also been a valued member of your family for many long years.

It can be very difficult when faced with the choice between high veterinarian bills or parting with your pet. If youre the owner of an older pet, insurance might be the answer. However, you have to look closely for exclusions that may affect the senior pet.

The elderly pet can face a whole host of age-related problems like cataracts, possible blindness, deafness, arthritis, strokes and seizures, bone fractures and serious illnesses like cancer and heart disease.

Older Pet Insurance Choices

While many pet insurance plans exclude many of the problems related to senior pets, some policies are available especially for the them. You can usually expect to pay more, since the elderly pet is much more likely to develop health problems.

Unfortunately, many pet insurance companies will not offer coverage for pets over 10 years old. On the other hand, there are companies that have specific Senior pet plans. You probably wont find coverage for pre-existing conditions and youll want to check to see if the policy covers cancer.

There are some companies that have coverage specifically for Senior Cats and offer no upper age limit for enrolling your pet. The premiums will usually increase as your pet ages.

Why You Might Want To Consider Insurance For Your Senior Pet

As your pet ages, it is more important than ever to see that they get regular veterinary care. With dogs, for instance, vets recommend you start getting geriatric screenings anywhere from 4 to 9 years of age depending on the size of the dog.

These preventative screenings can be extremely important in catching problems early and will usually include a physical exam, blood tests and might even include an electrocardiogram and other tests indicated by your pets health history.

Some vets even recommend semi-annual visits for older pets and all this can become quite expensive. With the right pet insurance plan, you might be able to defray some of the costs related to prolonging your dogs life.

There are a lot of things you can do to help your older pet live a long and health life things like keeping their weight under control, good dental hygiene, regular checkups and staying alert to any changes in your pets behavior.

With an older pet, insurance might be able to help you through the stress of having an seriously ill pet and being faced with the possibility of enormous vet bills.