That is where pet insurance comes in to play. If you never want to worry that you’ll be stuck choosing between paying rent, and keeping your dog alive, pet insurance is a great investment. It is basically the same thing as medical insurance for people. You pay a small amount every month, and in exchange, the insurance company covers large medical emergencies.
In many of the posts on this blog in the past, I’ve touched on the idea of pet insurance. However, I’ve never dived into this topic completely, and this past week, the topic is on my mind. Long time readers will know that I breed Boxer puppies with my dogs, Janice and Leroy. I don’t have a litter every year, and I don’t try to force them to breed – I just let nature happen and spread the joy of Boxers when it does. It looked like we may be getting a litter this fall – and then Janice started to act very strange.
Last week, Janice was showing signs that she may be pregnant. And then things got a bit weird. She was acting as though she was in pain, refusing to eat, and hiding from both me and Leroy whenever we tried to comfort her. That’s not like my cuddly girl at all, so I took her to our vet, Steve, right away. A few scans later, we realized that she wasn’t pregnant at all, but had a dangerous blockage in her intestines. Of course she was immediately prepped for surgery, and is now recovering nicely. Time will tell if she’s able to continue breeding or not.
But in the meantime, I’m left caring for her, and also dealing with the resulting veterinary bills. If you’ve ever had a dog with a medical emergency, you probably know how much those bills can feel like a kick to the gut. You want your dog to be safe and healthy, but do you have hundreds or thousands of dollars set aside for their care? Unless you are rich, or extra responsible, probably not.
That is where pet insurance comes in to play. If you never want to worry that you’ll be stuck choosing between paying rent, and keeping your dog alive, pet insurance is a great investment. It is basically the same thing as medical insurance for people. You pay a small amount every month, and in exchange, the insurance company covers large medical emergencies. Here’s what you need to know about pet insurance, how to shop for it, and a review of some of the top insurance companies for pets.
The first thing you need to know about pet insurance is how it works. It doesn’t cover the cost of medical care up front. You’ll be the one paying the vet directly. What pet insurance does is reimburse you for things you’ve paid for. So let’s say Janice’s surgery bill totaled around $750. I would have to fork out that much money to the vet, then send the pet insurance company the receipt, and they would send me back a check to reimburse me.