Do I Need Pet Insurance?

Pet insurance...do you really need it?  Sometimes the amount of insurance a human seems to have to acquire throughout life is daunting; we have vehicle insurance, medical and dental insurance, disability, and life insurance only to name a few.  Sadly as a result, pet insurance for our favourite 4-legged family members is often put-off and then forgotten about.   Unfortunately without pet insurance, pet owners either need to be diligent with their budgets and set aside money every month for their pet in case of accident or illness, or else be able to come up with the funds required when disaster hits.   The reality is that in the majority of households, this is not feasible and when Fido needs some diagnostics tests or hospitalization, the options are limited or dismal due to a lack of funds.  Many times the inability to pay for veterinary services results in the unnecessary euthanasia of pets that could have otherwise been treated.

At Wascana Animal Hospital, our team is on a mission to give all pet owners the information and opportunity to acquire insurance for their pet to try and reduce the number of times this happens! Our desire is for all of our clients to be able to make decisions regarding the health of their pets that are not dependent solely on cost.  For this reason, we actively encourage our clients to consider pet insurance, especially for our new puppy and kitten patients.  However, having an older pet does not preclude owners from being able to acquire pet insurance, nor does it necessarily mean (as many pet owners fear it will) that you will have to pay higher premiums.  It is true that if your older pet has a pre-existing medical condition (same as with human health insurance), the insurance company may not provide coverage for that specific condition.  For example, maybe your 12 year Dachshund already has heart disease and is on medication to control the congestion but otherwise is stable and doing well. Pet insurance may not cover medications and treatment associated with the congestion itself.  However, in the future there is a high probability that your Dachshund may encounter other common health conditions that could be covered such arthritis, dental disease, or routine blood work to monitor for underlying disease of the kidneys or liver only to name a few.  Pet insurance can benefit pets of all ages!

There are many different companies that provide insurance to Canadian pets.  Some of the companies that our hospital is most familiar with and that our clients are currently using, are Pet Secure, P.C., Petplan and Trupanion.  Visit our website for more information and links.  Next time you visit us at Wascana Animal Hospital, feel free to ask one of our team members for more information…unless we ask you first!