Pet Haven

Pet insurance is a huge business these days and it’s easy to see why if you take a look at how much a visit to your local veterinary clinic can cost you.  Between initial consultation costs, to routine procedures and medication, you can be looking at a couple of hundred pounds before you know it!  That doesn’t automatically mean however that insurance is actually worth it for your dog.

Insurance is usually quote on your breed/size of dog, the state of his health when you take out the insurance, his age and other factors such as the area in which you live.  As with all insurance policies there will be a monthly payment to be made, and a basic payment for each claim (policy excess) you’ll need to pay before the insurance policy can be claimed against.

Check out a number of different policies.  Read the small print carefully.  Watch out for clauses that imply you will pay larger premiums and/or excesses the older your dog becomes.  Also make sure that they don’t have a list of excluded conditions and medical conditions.  What you need to remember is that pet insurance isn’t there to help you budget financially for your dog’s health – no matter what the advertising tells you – pet insurance is a business where the insurers hope to make money!

If you have a large dog that you are insuring from a puppy then it’s probably a good idea to take out health insurance on it, especially if you have a tight budget in your home because medical expenses on big dogs can be enormous!  An alternative however would be to take the monthly payment and make a financial commitment to placing it in the bank each month and only using that account for your dog’s medical bills.  This way you’ll build a financial safety net should your dog need medical attention and you won’t have to worry about whether or not the veterinary’s fees will be covered by an insurance policy.

• Could your Cat have Feline Diabetes?
• Microchip Fido or Not?
• Dogs Get Car Sick Too!
• 3 Things to Consider When Planning to Buy a Large Dog Breed
• Buying a Puppy from an Animal Shelter

Comments are closed.