If you just got a new pet, you may be really looking forward to the new family member, forgetting about a lot of issues that should be analyzed in advance. We all age, and animals are no exception. In fact, many species of animals have fairly short lifespans. And like any other living thing, animals get bored and get sick too. And of course, like humans, pets are in dire need of medical care. This is why the subject of pet insurance has become so important these days. Many insurance companies offer different pet insurance packages, but there are a few important things to consider when you first start owning a pet.
The types of domestic animals and their health conditions
Needless to say, finding a good insurance package for a cat or dog is much easier for a variety of reasons. They are widespread, have fairly predictable lifespans and, of course, the cost of veterinary services for these animals is predictable. As with other animals, you might encounter some obstacles here.
When you consider small mammals like hamsters, rabbits, and mice, getting insurance for them is almost impossible. They don’t live long and are predisposed to many types of serious health problems that are either untreatable or the cost of treatment is very high compared to the generally lower monthly expenses for groceries and supplies. Modern society is becoming more pet-friendly every decade, but it is still not that easy to get a great pet insurance deal buy as a cat accessory or dog chew toys.
Among the decisive factors affecting the general possibility and insurance conditions, we should mention the health of your pet. It’s easier for a younger pet to get good insurance, but they still need to undergo a variety of health screenings to rule out the presence of any serious medical conditions. Some insurance companies do not offer insurance benefits for dogs older than 7 years.
Chronic diseases and even the dog breed itself will affect the final price and decision. Insurance companies use consulting services and scientific facts in the process of estimating their value proposition. For example, because Pugs are predisposed to many bone and blood vessel diseases, they are harder to insure against potential health issues. So many factors should be considered.
Cases for which you need insurance
Of course pets are living beings but there is a common case for their insurance where property insurance is the case. It’s theft. Many pet owners whose beloved babies represent a certain unique breed, cost a lot, or just look very attractive may choose to insure their pets against theft. Also, the other main cases for insurance are the following:
– breeding risks
– Regular health services, such as dental care
– Planned visits to the veterinary clinics
– Urgent health issues (injuries, illnesses)
– Pet’s death
As for health issues that may be of more concern to you as a pet owner are contagious diseases that are common in your area, congenital diseases, hereditary diseases (if you know your pet’s origins) and of course the common diseases of the breed will become.
treatment and care
Treatment and care that can be covered by insurance
- Check with an insurance company to make sure you understand what cases they are willing to cover. Because it often happens that the problems that you want to get rid of with the help of insurance are not covered by any insurance basis. So, if you are analyzing general insurance practice around the world, here is a short list of the issues you can negotiate with insurance agents:
- General veterinary expenses: usually the treatment of accidents, injuries and illnesses.
- dental care: Not always covered by some pet insurance policies. Most often, it covers dental care due to accidents in the condition of a serious injury.
- Ongoing conditions: normally only insured in the case of a lifetime policy. Hereditary and Congenital Problems: These include health problems that arise from inherited traits of the pet or that persist throughout the pet’s life. Insurance companies rarely classify them as existing or ongoing conditions. But you need to make sure that coverage is possible in such cases.
- Breeding risks related to pregnancy are not always included. If you are planning to use your pet for breeding, you need to make sure that the company you have chosen for insurance is willing to include this case in the plan.
- Alternative medicine: Homeopathy and acupuncture are hardly covered by most health insurance companies.
Pet Insurance Perspectives
To call pet insurance, if not a luxury service, is a pretty expensive proposition, so do your homework. Of course, there is no government support for health authorities in dogs and other pets compared to humans, and the only additional support you can think of is charities and crowdfunding proposals.
When it comes to animal welfare organizations they usually lack funding so the amount of health you can get is really limited. Volunteers cannot also cover large bills, they can provide other assistance, such as e.g. B. Free veterinary solutions in limited quantity.
In any case, the only support you can count on to keep your pet healthy and to deal with some urgent situations is your own funds or insurance. However, many pet owners are unaware of the importance of this topic. However, the general awareness of the topic is steadily increasing. Therefore, there is reason to hope that their cost will decrease in the near future due to the increasing demand for such services. So regardless of an alternative, it is up to you to select the best pet insurance policy that suits you and your pet’s needs. However, let’s not forget that caring for an animal is both a pleasure and a duty.
Credits: Photo by Louis Hutchinson, Viktor Grabarczyk Ross Artley At Unsplash
