Most of the expenses for keeping a pet are predictable and manageable. We gladly accept these costs because we love our pets, and we want to keep them happy and healthy. But as pets age, owners are often blindsided by veterinary costs that they cannot afford – leaving them with difficult decisions to make regarding their pet’s health.
What many pet owners don’t know is that there are pet insurance plans available to help manage these unanticipated costs. Like health insurance for humans, turtlecaring.com pet insurance not only helps keep pets healthy but ensures they can get the care they need when they are sick or hurt.
Here are some reasons to seriously consider investing in insurance for your animal loved one.
The joys and costs of pet ownership
Most people who have pets are animal lovers by nature. Whether they’re buying a brand-new puppy or kitten, taking in a stray, or adopting an older animal from a shelter in need of a new home, it’s always a pleasure having a new addition to the family.
When taking on the responsibility of caring for a pet, it may at first seem pretty easy to calculate the costs.
There are some known fixed costs up front, such as
- Spaying and neutering
- Vaccinations
- Collars/leashes
- Bedding
Then, of course, there are the regular or monthly costs like
- Food
- Treats
- Cat litter
- Toys
- Flea collars
- Grooming services
Even an occasional visit to the vet for a checkup can be part of a standard household budget and won’t necessarily break the bank.
But accidents happen. Injuries do occur. Cats are daredevil acrobats… and dogs sometimes don’t know not to pick on a rival ten times their size.
Animals can sometimes have serious conditions that don’t get detected when they’re young. They can also develop ailments over time or catch diseases from exposure to other animals.
Life throws as much at our pets as it does at us.
Sticker shock at the vet
So, what if you suddenly learn that your cat is diabetic and must take insulin for life?
What if an x-ray reveals that your dog has a congenital heart defect and needs expensive treatment?
What if your pet sustains a serious injury requiring surgery?
These are just a few examples of the kind of pet health expenses that can come out of nowhere. And the cost usually comes as a big surprise.
Just like people, pets can require hospitalization, sometimes for multiple days.
They may need
- Prescription medications
- Specialized diagnostics
- Therapeutic treatments
- Major surgeries
These costs can easily run into the thousands of dollars!
Unfortunately, if a pet owner is not financially prepared for the high cost of an unanticipated health event or increased monthly costs, they are often left with difficult choices such as giving their pet up for adoption or foregoing some treatments altogether.
Having an appropriate pet insurance plan allows pet owners to be ready in the event of an emergency or illness. Pet insurance can bring costs in the thousands down to hundreds, allowing pets to get the help they need.
An ounce of prevention…
Another great benefit of pet insurance is the coverage of certain types of preventative care. Many pet health problems can be stopped before they even start by ensuring that the pet has regular checkups, dental maintenance, and special dietary food.
The monthly costs of carrying pet insurance are easier to plan and budget for than catastrophic vet costs, and they ultimately pay off in the long run.
Pets enrich our lives and bring us joy every day. To keep them in our lives the longest, we sometimes have to think long-term.
