Pet insurance isn’t only for the BIG emergencies

"Huey" - photo credit: Suzanne Quigley

We’ve all read about pet insurance and how insuring your pet is a good idea. I doubt a pet owner hasn’t experienced a pet emergency and found herself staring down a massive bill.

But the argument for pet insurance goes beyond protecting yourself financially in a big emergency. Sometimes expenses pile up a bit at a time, and you find yourself paying out way more than you anticipated when you did your monthly budget.
​
Here’s proof that this happens.

In the past two months, I’ve dealt with two unexpected trips to my vet because of mysterious injuries to my little darlings.

My dog, Doc, began limping one Saturday morning in late September. It was a noticeable limp, and after waffling on whether I should or shouldn’t, I decided to call the vet.

Fortunately, they could see him that day, but it would incur an emergency visit fee. (I mention this not to complain about veterinary costs but to make you aware that this is how expenses add up.)

When all was said and done, Doc’s visit totaled $99. Luckily for me, x-rays weren’t required.

A few weeks later, I noticed my cat, Sunshine, sitting behind the couch. She was holding up her left front paw, and a small puddle of blood was beneath it. The paw looked a little swollen, too.

“Oh boy,” I thought, “I don’t like the looks of this.” Soon I was on the phone scheduling an appointment to bring her to the vet that day.

Sunshine got checked out, and again, fortunately, it wasn’t serious, but it cost me $145.

My other kitty, Huey, went for his annual checkup two days ago. He requires a yearly diagnostic screening, and he’s also on maintenance meds. The final tally was $275.

I spent several hundred dollars on my pets in two months when I only anticipated paying for Huey’s annual exam. Who knew?

But that’s the nature of pet ownership; you don’t know what CATastrophe lurks around the bend, which is why insurance is a sensible idea.

Pet insurance requires you to pay the vet up front and then submit a claim for reimbursement. For some, that requirement may be a burden, so another consideration is CareCredit, a credit card that allows you to pay interest-free over six months. (I used my CareCredit card to pay for Huey’s expensive but necessary dental cleaning a year ago.)

Hoping you’ll avoid bad luck isn’t a plan. No one knows what surprises life holds, which extends to your pets. Pet insurance will give you the security of knowing that if the unthinkable happens to your pet, you’ll have the means to pay for the care he needs.

What pet emergency have you faced? Feel free to share in a comment!

If you want to grow your veterinary practice or animal health business by sharing helpful content or want to learn more about content marketing, contact me or call 508-277-4929.