The North American Pet Health Insurance Association estimated that, in 2017, the total number of pets insured in the U.S. and Canada increased with 17% when compared to the previous year, ultimately reaching a 2.1 million number at the end of the year. It’s clear, then, that pet insurance is popular, but why do pet owners open such policies for their furry children and should you get your dog insured?
Why Is Dog Insurance Worthwhile?
The answer is quite simple: because of the high and rising veterinary treatment costs. Among the most common conditions that can afflict your dog are cancer, diabetes, heartworm, kennel cough, rabies, and much more. Some of these conditions are extremely expensive to treat: cancer can cost around $9,000 to treat, for instance, and that’s only for the easiest to treat type of cancer.
It is obvious that if such treatments that can lead to thousands if not even tens of thousands of dollars, then for most Americans this is just not a possibility. Many confess that they don’t even save up to $1,000 for pet emergencies. To avoid being forced into euthanasia for an unlucky pet simply because of financial issues, then the right insurance policy can make all the difference.
Pet insurance isn’t just a marketing tool of insurance firms, therefore. It is a vital financial vehicle that can make the difference between your dog’s life and death, helping you to offer your most faithful pal the right treatment in case he or she becomes ill. This will undoubtedly happen sooner or later, remember, so it’s better to be prepared.
Is My Dog Eligible for Pet Insurance?
Eligibility criteria for dogs in order to be insured differ between pet insurance firms. Firstly, there is the issue of age. While most companies set a limit for the maximum age a dog can be to get insured, there are a few that don’t have such a restriction. Limiting the upper age at which the four-legged companion can be insured makes sense: the older a dog gets, the more likely it is that they will develop several very expensive to treat conditions. To avoid this, it is recommended to enroll your dog as young as possible.
Next, there it’s worth considering the exclusion of preexisting conditions. This means that if your dog has a preexisting condition, they will not be able to be insured for that specific condition with most pet insurance companies. However, as always there are a few exceptions for this.
There are a few providers that make the difference between curable and incurable preexisting conditions. This means that if your dog develops such a condition and is cured of it, after a certain period of time the policy will once again cover against that specific condition as well. There are only a handful of companies that offer this, though, so make sure you carefully read the insurance policy contract before signing it.
And finally there is obviously the issue of where you, the owner, are living. You will need to live inside the U.S. though some pet insurance companies also provide coverage for pet parents who also live in Canada and even Puerto Rico.
Best Dog Insurance of 2024
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More Dog Insurance FAQs
- Should I Get Dog Insurance?
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- What Is the Average Cost of Pet Insurance for a Dog?
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