You think of medical insurance for your spouse and children, why not your dog as well? Your canine companion will probably end up in the vet’s office at least once in his life and the medical costs for caring for your pet can really add up fast, just like human hospital bills. With a canine medical insurance plan, you are covered if your dog is hit by a car, gets sick or is poisoned.
Dogs are curious creatures and sometimes they get their noses into places they don’t belong. Instead of having to worry about money and how you will pay the vet bill, you can just concentrate on being there for your pet and making sure that he is alright. But choosing the right medical insurance is important. Here are a few tips to help you find the perfect insurance plan for your dog.
The age of your dog needs to be taken into consideration. Some pet insurance companies have special plans for aging canines that will treat the most common health issues associated with aging. If your dog is getting on in years or is already starting to suffer from age-related health problems, you might want to consider an older dog policy.
Look for the most coverage for the least monthly amount. This means you will need to shop around, but it is worth it. If you are able to afford to pay some costs upfront, you may want to go with a 90% or even a 75% coverage policy. This means that you will pay the first amount and then the insurance company will take over. The monthly fees for these are usually quite a bit lower than policies with 100% coverage.
Make sure you read the fine print. Every policy will have some things that are excluded. For example, you may find that one insurance policy is for accidents only, which means if your dog suffers from heart worm or another illness, it won’t be covered. While this may mean lower costs on a month to month basis, you will need to be sure that you select the coverage that best suits you and your dog.
Check to see if you have ongoing coverage or one time coverage. For example, if your dog is diagnosed with cancer, will the insurance pay for repeated treatments or is it only good for one payment? This is very important to know ahead of time. Although you may opt for the one time payment, it is a good idea to know exactly what your dog’s insurance policy will and will not cover.
You will also want to check the deductible. How much will you have to pay before the coverage kicks in? The higher the deductible, the lower your monthly costs and vice versa.
Insurance for your canine companion may not seem as important as insurance for the rest of your family, but it will become very important if and when your dog is injured or falls ill. Having dog insurance may mean the difference between being treated and being put to sleep for your pet.