The Best Pet Insurance - Tips on Finding Coverage For Your Critters

The Best Pet Insurance - Tips on Finding Coverage For Your Critters

It doesn't matter whether your pet is a shelter-rescued mutt or an expensive purebred, a cat you found wandering the neighborhood or a distinctive long-haired Himalayan, an ordinary little gecko or an exotic iguana - finding the best pet insurance involves shopping for the plan that offers you the kind of coverage you're looking for.

Maybe you've never even considered getting health coverage for your pet. But if you've been a pet owner for any length of time then you already know how expensive even routine vet care can be. Hopefully you're pets have never had any serious illnesses or accidents that can often result in vet bills that run into the thousands of dollars.

Now that I've got your attention - it was the "thousands of dollars" wasn't it? - what do you need to look for in a good pet insurance plan?

That will depend on whether or not you want a plan that will only cover your pet in the event of a serious illness or accidental injury or if you want to also be covered for routine wellness care.

The coverage you choose, just like your own health care plan, will directly affect the premium you pay. You can often choose your deductible to further adjust your premiums.

You'll want to check on things like:

can you see any vet you choose
are there breed specific exclusions
are there lifetime limits
are pre-existing conditions covered
are there age restrictions (senior pet care)
can you get multiple pet discounts

Some companies offer basic "catastrophic" coverage and allow you to choose add-ons for wellness care like spaying/neutering, vaccinations, routine exams, etc.

Pet insurance isn't just for dogs and cats. You can find coverage for exotic animals (especially helpful if your pet is an expensive, rare breed), birds, reptiles, ferrets, hamsters, horses and more.

While it may seem like an unnecessary cost if your pet has never suffered an illness or accident, keep in mind that nearly 6 million dogs and 6 million cats are diagnosed with cancer every year. (American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 2005.) And just like human health care, new life-saving treatments become available every year. And also just like human health care, the costs for these treatments increase every year!