Why Pet Insurance is Important

Recent studies have shown that over half of all Canadian households have at least one pet; usually either a cat or a dog. However, in North America, less than 1% of all pets are insured. Thus, the question one has to ask is: Why aren’t our beloved pets benefiting from pet medical insurance?

Let’s face it; all pet owners love and cherish their pets. Therefore, just as you would have coverage for you and your family members, why wouldn’t you take out pet medical insurance for your pet? The policy you choose is as important to the maintenance and overall health of your pet as it is to you.

Each year, about one out of every three domestic pets will have an unexpected injury or illness that will require veterinary care. Sometimes, a simple checkup and/or treatment may be required. However, there may be other times when our pets may need expensive tests using additional diagnostic equipment that can also be just as costly.

Prescription drugs for pets are expensive. Since there are no government programs or subsidies in place to provide our furry friends with the care they need, pet insurance provides us with a way to cover these unexpected costs.

As with most insurance companies, the premiums vary. For example, while there are different policies depending on your pet’s breed; some may include annual check-ups and the required vaccinations, while others may include spaying and neutering; and death benefits. Others may just include accident and illness.

Pet medical insurance covers all unexpected health costs for your pet, up to the limit on your policy. On the other hand, with our own health insurance, our government plan covers only our basic care needs.

Due to the fact that pet insurance is kind of a niche insurance market for older pets, it is the kittens and puppies that do not have as much risk of becoming ill as will older pets as they age. But consider that while puppies and kittens may not fall ill as easily as older pets, young pets are just like young children. They lack full coordination and are more likely to experience injuries or get into trouble. So too, younger pets also lack perception and judgment that comes from experience.

While most pet insurance claims arise from costs related to illness, puppies and kittens are more likely to become injured in accidents. Of course, prevention is always important and taking out pet medical insurance while they are still young will afford you peace of mind should any serious illness develop or any accident occur.

If you have an outdoor pet, or pets that spend time inside and outside, it is likely they can come into contact with things that indoor pets may not. This could include traffic, ticks, and exposure to other animals. However, when we think of the unexpected, accidents come to mind first. According to statistics, 75% of pet medical claims are illness related. Indoor pets are not any less vulnerable to illness than outdoor pets. Your Wheezy may still fall ill from a variety of ailments such as allergens in the home, and having pet insurance is the only way to ensure she gets the treatment she needs to fully recover.

For more information on pet medical insurance and the benefits derived thereof, please visit: www.insurance-rates.ca/pet-insurance-rates.html.

You know the old saying, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Keep your pet active through exercise as well as a proper diet. Research the breed; the more you know about your pet, the better equipped you will be to prevent any onset of illness or disease. Pet medical insurance is vital to the health and care of your “best friend.”

Why Do I Need Pet Insurance

People normally take out pet insurance to cover the bills for serious vet treatment as this can become extremely expensive. In fact so expensive in some cases that the animal has to be put down as the owners cannot afford the treatments. Pet insurance is there to ensure this doesn’t happen as the insurance company will pay the medical expenses, which leaves you time and energy to help your pet back to good health.

What Is Pet Insurance?

Pet insurance is an insurance policy that provides cover for your household pets and is usually used for dogs and cats. Most pet insurance will pay for the vet costs if your pet has an accident or is taken ill. Pet insurance can also provide third party cover for any damage your pet cause to other people’s property and cover other expenses such as emergency kenneling costs, theft, travel and even death. Pet insurance also provides you with peace of mind, knowing that your pet will always get the best possible medical treatment available.

On average one in every 3 pets require treatment from a vet each year following injury or illness and more than 50% of the visits to the vet are unplanned due to sudden illness or an accident. Treatment for broken legs, hip treatments, spinal injuries and internal complaints can quickly run into thousands of dollars, especially if medication or x-rays are required. There are also the unforeseen associated costs that may be incurred like holiday cancellations and court costs (you are liable if your dog causes an accident). All of these can add up quickly.

Many pet health insurance companies only cover dogs and cats as a rule. However, there are some companies that also provide cover for other animals such as reptiles, horses, exotic birds and rodents.

What Types Of Pet Insurance Policies Are There?

Generally pet insurance companies provide a variety of policies from the basic through to premium plans that provide cover for every aspect of your pet’s medical care. You need to decide what level of care is right for your pet and then pick a plan that closely matches your requirements. As with other insurance policies, the higher the premium, the more cover that is provided.

It is important to look out for the following main points to see if they are covered in the pet insurance policy:

1. Cover for life or fixed term

2. Vet Fees

3. Death from illness

4. Accidental Damage

5. The policy excess

6. Dental treatment?

7. Third Party Liability & legal expenses

8. Death from accident, theft or straying

9. How much of the vet bills are covered. 70 – 100%

10. Emergency treatments, X-rays, lab fees etc

As with humans, some pet insurance companies require your pet to have a medical exam before any cover is provided. This is so the insurer can manage their risk and keep premiums down as they are not supplying cover for animals that are on deaths door and having to payout on an animal that are known to be dying. The insurance companies will often put a cap on the total amount they will pay on a policy either on any one type of illness or in any given year. If your pet has a pre-existing medical condition, you may struggle to find an insurance company that will provide cover.

The best way to save money on your pet insurance is to shop around and compare prices. Check at least three different insurance companies to compare pricing and terms to ensure you get the best deal.

Pet Insurance Even For Your Lizard

A pet unfortunately is often considered an accessory not important in a household. But if you decide to have one, you will be surprised how a simple animal can enrich your life. Soon your pet will be part of the family and you will feel obliged to take care of its well being as much as you can afford to.

One of the ways to provide your pet with a healthy life is to heed every advice the vet has given you and thus to afford all the medical attention your pet require which also means buying them a pet insurance policy.

If Your Pet Is A Cat

When your pet is a cat and because of its docile nature, you may think it unnecessary to invest for it a pet insurance. But the fact remains that cats do age regardless of where they stay and they are prone to suffer medical as well as dental problems that can put them at risk from a health point of view. Therefore, if you want to afford the medical bills that your cat may summon, you must have a cat pet insurance, regardless of its circumstances.

Another reason to get your pet cat an insurance policy is to have it act as a safeguard to take care of the pet cat and give its owner a certain amount of money in the event of the death of the cat.

Also there is another manner in which a cat may be insured. Cat health pet insurance is most often favored by those who are old in age and who wants their pet to be taken of in case of their deaths.

This means the elderly owner pays a fixed amount of money into a trust and if the cat does outlive him or her then the person or persons that become the pet’s new guardian will receive the sum of money for its upkeep. Thus, cat health pet insurance will take care of the pet when the master dies and it can continuously live a normal and healthy life in the care of its new owner.

If Your Pet Is A Dangerous Dog Breed

Unfortunately, some of our pet dogs have been classified as dangerous breeds. These dog breeds usually fall on the larger dogs.

There are homeowner associations that have put restrictions on certain dog breeds. Some of these associations have banned specific breeds in their neighborhoods. Those associations who have not banned specific breeds have strongly requested that the homeowners purchase dog liability pet insurance.

Fortunately most insurance agencies will not label your dog by its breed, but by its history. They often understand that it is not the particular breed that determines whether a dog is dangerous, but its circumstances and training.

Most of these agencies impose different options for their dog pet insurance. If for example, your dog might be a biter, then your dog pet insurance will be a little higher than the dog which is calm and submissive.

While most of those which are classified as dangerous are the larger breed dogs, some of the designer dogs can be just as fierce. The owners of tiny dogs should also invest in dog pet insurance in case these dogs injure someone. But to be safe, any dog owner should purchase dog pet insurance. Not only will it help in case of liability, but will also help with the general health expenses of your dog.

If Your Pet Is An Exotic Animal

If you are inclined to have an exotic animal for a pet, it is all the more reason to get it a policy. After all no matter what sort of exotic pet you have, you most likely to have spent a huge sum of money on them. Since exotic pets are also not cheap pets to maintain, and when it is time to purchase an insurance policy for them, exotic pet insurance is going to be the best.

Another main reason that you need to have exotic pet insurance is that most vets will probably not know a lot about your pet, and so they aren’t going to know what to do when your pet needs care. This will mean that if you have to see the vet with your exotic pet, you might be spending a lot more money than you realize. This is very important for you to know, because if you get an exotic pet insurance you are making sure that the pet care is covered, no matter how much it costs you.

What You Should Know About Pet Insurance

Keeping an animal as a pet means adopting it as part —practically a member, if not really a member— of the family. Your children pet it, you talk to it, you care for it and you love it, especially if your pet is a dog or cat that can also reciprocate with love for you. It is therefore natural for you to fret and worry if your pet gets sick, hurt or otherwise unhealthy.

What happens, then, if your pet suddenly gets hurt or falls ill, and you don’t have the budget for its hospitalization or treatment at the time? Will you nevertheless take it to the vet, hoping to find him a compassionate professional, who can ‘advance’ you the cost of medical treatment? Or would you just accept the inevitable -whatever it is— result of your pet’s injury or ailment? To avoid such scenario, the answer is pet insurance.

Why Insure your Pet?

Whether you accept it or not, your pet is an investment. You probably bought it from a pet shop or a kennel if it is a dog. You provided it with food, water, shelter, and plenty of attention. In return you expect to derive pleasure and reciprocal attention from it. It may, of course, simply be psychic in terms of fulfillment but fulfillment nevertheless. Therefore it follows that you hope to receive such fulfillment from your pet as long as you can.

But pets, like humans, are also subject to ailments, accidents, and hurt. In such instances they also need medical treatment and attention, but it does not follow that you can always support such need. The need may come suddenly and unexpectedly, that you may not be ready for it. Therefore, as you insure your loved ones you should think of insuring your loved pet or pets to provide it with a continuous opportunity to reciprocate the love and affection you bestowed on it.

Insurance coverage

Pet insurance, just like normal insurance for humans, also underwent a series of development phases. After the barrier of non-acceptability was hurdled, the extent of insurable coverage also grew in a series of spurts. Today, after many decades, pet insurance has evolved into an insurance industry sector with its own rules, regulations, levels, standards and requirements. Pet insurance has come of age.

Like any other kind of life insurance, pet insurance basically covers health and hospitalization, veterinary care and medicine, and life and accident insurance in varying combinations of cover, depending on many different factors. These factors may include, among others, pet species and other specifics (if a dog or cat, for example, breed, age, and whether its master is a family or an individual), living and other domestic conditions, and level of care normally bestowed by its owner. Some might even consider the economic stratum the owner belongs to as a significant factor in determining the appropriate insurance cover for the pet.

Insurance Particulars

As stated above, insurance coverage of pets vary with companies in terms of coverage and eligibility requirements. Some pet insurance companies will not cover animals not certified by their veterinarian as ‘normal’, ’stable’, or ‘controlled’, those prone to certain ailments or diseases, ‘old’ pets, and the terminally ill. Other companies, notably those insuring pets of high-profile owners such as the rich and the famous, may even require authenticated and certified pedigree papers, but the coverage amounts may also be astronomical and incredibly large.

Premium payments also depend on the capacity to pay and desired or agreed on terms. Some may be monthly, semi-annually or annually, and may cover regularly scheduled check-ups, standard or special preventive medication, vaccination, grooming, and other wellness requirements. Group insurance options are also available, often at rates lower than individual costs, as well as accident insurance, which may specify coverage terms.

It is best to check around for the best deals, but one thing is sure: pet insurance is your best gift for your pet.

Is it Wrong to Buy Pet Insurance?

Do you really need a pet insurance? The answer is very simple: it’s a big NO. No, no, no, you don’t need a pet insurance but your pet does. Seriously speaking, when you talk about pet insurance, other people would usually raise one eyebrow. Others may even raise both arms to protest, figuratively. One big question mark can be seen sitting comfortably on their head: Is pet insurance really worth it? Why not find it out right now?

Pets are living longer and it’s because of the love and care you’re giving to them. You sometimes pay more for their treatment when they get sick or injured or there are some other things that might happen to them. And when you’re standing on the edge of a cliff, you might get to wonder: “Wow, I just realize that I’m spending more for my pet than I have presumed. Why, I even spend more for my little tabby than for my own and my family.”

Yes, that’s right. One of these days, you’re going to be thinking that way and you could decide that you need to cut down some expenses for your pet.

That’s okay and that’s perfectly alright but don’t you know you can cut down on expenses for their treatments without ever depriving them of the love and care and treatment that you’ve been giving to your pet which he is now accustomed to? The answer is pet insurance. If your pet is affected with diseases and needs veterinary treatment, the cost can be expensive and this is the result of a surge in pet insurance and depending on situations, a pet insurance can be expensive or not, an overkill or not.

So, does your pet need pet insurance? As what have said, it depends. If you have a small pet, a bird or a smaller dog or cat that isn’t that hyperactive, they may be less likely prone to accidents and therefore less likely to require expensive emergency attention.

If you’re willing to shoulder all the expenses for paying treatment for your pet, insurance is deemed unnecessary. But sometimes, a chronic illness or a serious accident could make you end up shelling out hundreds of dollars and in this case, insurance is well worth considering especially if your dog behaves like a horse. So it depends upon the situation. If you have a Border Collie which is considered very hyperactive, pet insurance. But if you have a two-toed sloth, no more pet insurance, get the point? Always depends on the situation.

You may also opt for a self-insurance. You set aside a sum of money each month and build up that some in case of situations or emergencies uncalled for. But the problem to his solution is what if your pet has caught a severe illness in the first few months of your self-insurance? Now, that’s where the headaches lie and self-insurance doesn’t cover you for liability. What if your dog bites someone? That someone might bite back at you.

All in all, after weighing the odds, if you’re very concerned with your pet’s welfare and yours, sometimes a pet insurance is your best choice. With insurance, it covers the illness & injuries of your pet. You get instant coverage the next day as long as the insurance takes effect and it protects you from other people when they get bitten by your dog or something like that. But the last question is, where can you find a nice, affordable and reliable pet insurance? Could there be something worthy to choose over the Internet? So, how about it? Pet insurance, anyone?

Next Page »