Do you need pet insurance? The short of the long answer is YES!
I am going to tell you two real stories that I faced with my clients. Neither were during life threatening emergencies but the situations could be the similar during a more critical time. The names of those involved are changed to protect their privacy.
Bella is an 8 year old middle sized mixed breed dog. She had a history of having both her ACL's repaired, which were only possibly because of her pet insurance. This story is not about those surgeries though. I saw Bella the other day for a recheck of an ear infection that had been treated for 2 weeks with a broad spectrum antibiotic. She still had a very bad ear infection in one of her ears. This was determined by taking a swab of her ear and analyzing it under the microscope. I recommended an ear culture with antibiotic sensitivity at test that costs about $500. The total cost for the appointment was over $700. This owner had pet insurance company that can do pre-approvals. The estimate was submitted for approval and approved. In the end the owner only had to pay $72 for the appointment.
Scout is a 1 year old German Shepherd dog. He presented with intermittent limping in one of his hindlimbs. His owner also had pet insurance. We were able to do x-rays of his hindlimbs, which showed that he had severe hip dysplasia in both of his hips. He went on to have 2 separate surgeries to fix both of his hips. The pet insurance that he had paid 80% of the bills. His owner said multiple times that he would have never been able to do the surgeries without the pet insurance.
Unless you have unlimited funds to spend on your animals, I highly recommend pet insurance. It is best to get the insurance when they are young to prevent having any pre-existing conditions on their record. Some insurance companies have wellness plans which are great. Some companies only cover illness and injury which is certainly enough in an emergency situation. Forbes puts together a list of the top pet insurance companies every year. They also have a great analysis of lots of different companies. Visit the website for the 2024 list.
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