A lot of you out there may be thinking, “What? There’s PET insurance?” or “Why would my pet need health insurance?” or even “Can they be covered by my own insurance?”. This post will give you some ideas and some brain waves to think about whether you feel your pet needs health insurance or not. Sure, some pets may go on for it’s entire life and never need anything more than their annual vaccines, but there are many more pets that will end up needing a doctor’s appointment outside of the routine. September is the month to showcase the reason that pet insurance exists, and also to help you choose if you and your pet are the right candidates.
What is Pet Health Insurance?
Pet health insurance helps pay some or most of the costs of diagnosing, treating, and managing your pet’s illness or injury. Thanks to ongoing improvements in veterinary medicine, your veterinarian is able to offer ever-progressive therapeutic plans and improved outcomes for your dogs and cats. With improved care, however, comes increased cost, and that’s where pet health insurance comes in.
Who needs Pet Health Insurance?
Pet Insurance can be for absolutely any pet, of any size, sex, breed or species. Not only is it relevant for high energy, active dogs or dogs that go camping or hiking, but low energy, couch potato dogs are also prone to long term health concerns. Some of these long term health concerns include arthritis, heart disease, kidney disease and other hormonal conditions. Your veterinarian is the one who can help you explore the different health concerns that may be anticipated based on your pet’s breed and lifestyle.
Some of you may be asking, “What about my cat?” Outdoor cats are especially more at risk of accident or illness because the great outdoors is an uncontrolled environment. Indoor cats may not be as “accident-prone” as their dog counterparts, but in their senior years they can also develop long term health issues such as diabetes and kidney failure.
Overtime, a lot of these diseases and illnesses can become quite expensive to manage without pet insurance. Therefore, pet health insurance gives owners peace of mind and the ability to make decisions about diagnostic testing and treatment based on your pet’s needs.
Who offers Pet Health Insurance?
There are a few different companies in Canada that offer insurance:
OVMA Pet Health Insurance – ovmapetinsurance.com
PetSecure Canada – www.petsecure.com
Pets+Us – www.petsplusus.com
Trupanion – www.trupanion.com/canada
CAA – www.caapets.com
Whichever route you decide to choose, whether it is with pet insurance or not, the option is always there for you. If you need more assistance with insurance plans, please feel free to contact any of the companies above and they will be more than happy to help you find the right plan for you and your pet.
