Dog Health Insurance – An Investment or a Cost?

Why on earth would you want to invest in a dog health insurance policy? Isn’t it bad enough that you have to insure your house, your car and even your life without having to insure your dog as well?

The fact is it is very expensive to have your dog treated at the vet these days. Unless you want large potential vet bills, it’s a wise owner who invests in dog health insurance for their own peace of mind.

Most dog owners look after their dog’s health and think their chances of having to take their dog to the vet is fairly minimal. Unfortunately accidents can happen and you could suddenly find yourself out of pocket due to a huge vet bill. Then you have to make the unpleasant decision whether to pay for a life saving operation, or have your dog put to sleep. Believe me it isn’t a nice decision to have to make.

Then of course there’s the routine vaccinations, yearly check-ups and spaying. At the bare minimum, you should have your dog checked out once a year to identify any potential health problems.

Dog health insurance actually saves you money

So how much would you have to pay to insure you dog? In general, if you start when your dog is a puppy, you’ll find the cost is comparatively low. The advantage here is, this will probably cover all the puppy shots your dog will need early in life. The older your dog is at the time you think about insuring him, the more expensive it will be. On top of that most dog health insurance companies won’t insure your dog if he has a pre-existing condition. At the very least you may have to wait for a while before making any claims, except for emergencies.

Policy costs also depend on what you expect to claim. If you insure your dog only for accident and emergency treatment, the costs are quite low. A full policy covering every vet visit plus medication will come in much higher. Even your dog’s breed can affect the policy cost because some diseases and conditions are breed specific.

Prepaying dog health insurance may save you more

If you prepay your policy, there could be some good savings. Annual premiums usually cost less than paying by the month. It’s best to do some research on health insurance for dogs to make sure you’re getting the best possible deal which suits both your dog and your wallet.

Bottom line is this type of insurance is going to save you money over the lifetime of your dog. If you factor it into your budget along with the cost of dog food and other necessities, you’ll find you will hardly notice it. Think of dog health insurance as an investment rather than a cost!