Does Your Pet Need Health Insurance?

Well, maybe. It depends on your pet.

Let's take a look at your situation.  You need to consider what kind of animal you have, you and your pet's lifestyle and the veterinary health insurance policy itself.

What Type Of Animal Do You Have?

If you own a cat, a health policy will cost less than if you have a dog.  Do you show or breed your pet or is it a working animal?  Does your pet go outdoors; how often?  What age is she?  Is she a purebred or a mixed breed?  If she is a purebred, what diseases or afflictions are common in that breed?

Lifestyle

Do you spend a lot of time away from home, or are you at home with your pet more of the time?  Is your home close to a busy street?  Are there young and rowdy children around who may act unpredictably with pet?  Do you take long vacations or business trips that would require boarding your pet?  Answers to these questions can help determine the type of animal health insurance you need.  If, for example, you live near a busy road, accident pet health insurance is highly recommended.  If you travel frequently, then you should look for a health plan that covers some of the boarding costs while you are away.

The Policy

As a rule, the higher the rate you pay for your vet pet insurance, the more the policy will cover, such as medications and  diagnostic tests.  The budget vet pet insurance policies will have many restrictions on coverage.  Also be sure to ask if the policy will cover older animals – often times they don't.  If you can afford only a low-cost vet pet insurance while your animal is young, you might want to purchase a term policy, and decide if you want to continue or alter the policy a year later.

Other Options

There are many ways you can help your pet to avoid needing unexpected medical care:

• Be sure to spay or neuter your pet. They will be healthier and calmer and not add to the tremendous suffering caused by unwanted animals.
  
• Keep your cat indoors. Much better for the cat and small wildlife. Keep dogs confined in a safe and roomy area.
  
• Identify your pet with a microchip or tattoo.  Collars and ID tags can fall off and be lost.
  
• Feed your animal buddy the best quality food you can afford.
  
• And keep your pet at a healthy weight. Overweight animals are susceptible to a wide variety of health issues.

Take good care of your buddy!