Pet Care Insurance- The Great Dilemma

Pet Care Insurance- The Great Dilemma

Pet Care Insurance is usually neglected by nearly all pet owners. The majority of us believe in insurance for our homes and automobiles, so why not our pets! In this article we will examine (1) two the important reasons concerning why many pet owners stay away from purchasing pet care insurance and (2) discuss what things you need to think about before buying insurance for your pet.

Pet Care Insurance is for a lot of pet owners an expense that is usually put on the proverbial "back burner" and sadly forgotten about until it is simply too late. Most people would be of the same opinion that it is most sensible to have ample vehicle insurance before an accident or have sufficient home insurance coverage prior to a fire, yet ask a pet owner about pet care insurance and in most cases "they haven't really thought about it or have not yet got around to it".

This may seem very shocking to hear since most pet owners do love their pets, care for them in other ways, and customarily think of their pet as part of the family. So why this reluctance on the part of pet owners to invest in some form of insurance for their precious pet?


One reason might simply be a lack of knowledge with respect to the cost of having a sick or injured pet treated by a veterinarian. It is not unusual to find that medical costs for treating a dog with a busted leg may reach as high as $1000 and for a cat with a busted leg around the $300 mark. Naturally one can expect these costs to vary depending upon where in the world you reside and the supply of veterinarian services. There may even be fluctuations inside the same geographic area depending upon if you live in a rural area with only a few veterinary clinics, or in large urban setting where you've more selection, more competition and thus lower prices. Then there are the hidden costs like kenneling of an hurt pet while in the recovery phase following an operation and the costs of post-recovery medicine including antibiotics and pain-killers which adds more on to the total cost of the treatment.

Another reason why many pet owners may avoid getting pet care insurance stems from the naive belief that "it will not happen to me". True there are many animals that live an extended and healthy life while rarely seeing the inside of a vet clinic except for their yearly checkup and shots. Regrettably recent statistics indicate that 65% of pet owners are making unplanned visits to their local veterinary clinic and are coming away in shock and disbelief by the size of bill following treatment.


Either one of the above reasons can be used to make a strong case for caring pet owners to seriously reflect on buying pet care insurance. Like most types of insurance, it might appear expensive and not required in the beginning, especially if your animal is young and in good physical condition. This must be carefully measured against the other scenario of having to pay veterinary bills at full price in a situation where numerous visits are required should your animal become badly injured or ill.

Making the decision to invest in pet care insurance is surely a proactive step in the right direction, however this does open the door for even more questions. Recent years have seen a sharp rise in the numbers of insurance companies expanding into this pet insurance market together with more choice in the type of insurance for pets. Today's pet owner needs to consider a large range of variables prior to choosing a specific pet insurance policy.

One standard consideration that appears to be central in most pet care insurance policies is the age, health and kind of the animal. The first thing that should "jump out" at you is the requirement to consider buying insurance for your pet when they are young and healthy if you want to get the very best deal for your money. Added insurance factors would include:

-higher costs to insurance a pure-bred as opposed to a mixed-breed
-some types of pets including dogs are generally less expensive to insure than cats
-more exotic animals may require more specialized treatment and therefore higher expenses to insure.

Most pet care insurance companies offer a variety of insurance plans to cater to their customers needs. Often the "all-inclusive" plans are most popular as they are usually more flexible and some may even reimburse unforeseen costs associated with the pet becoming unwell or injured unexpectedly such as your hotel bill in case you are required to stay away from home having driven a great distance to bring your pet to the vet clinic.

Many pet insurance plans have some type of liability protection where the pet owner is going to be insured if ever the animal hurts another individual or causes damage to personal property. Some pet insurance companies even offer special policies for pets whenever they get lost or get stolen. Pet owners may be reimbursed for how much they spent on advertising for that lost animal and will also recover a portion of the pet's original price if it isn't found.

In the end, the onus is on you, the pet owner, to make sure that you not just understand the terms of the policy, but also are informed of what's not covered to prevent any nasty surprises later on.

Pet care insurance shouldn't be taken for granted. Given the financial and "piece of mind" benefits, pet owners shouldn't think twice about buying insurance for their beloved family friend. As with any other kind of insurance, it pays to shop around for pet care insurance, and this has never been less difficult than now. Many highly regarded pet care insurance companies advertise over the internet nowadays so it is simply a matter of spending time in front of your computer system to learn what is available and obtain the top value with your money.

Show your pet that you truly care! Take action now to find out more about pet care insurance and protect both yourself and your pet. Visit our website now to find pet insurance reviews and much more. Articles on pet medical insurance, pet health foods and links to many other resources. Let us help you as we have already helped hundreds of other concerned pet owners find pet care insurance.