The first few months after a puppy enters into your life are filled with joy, love and a hefty vet bill. It’s just a fact of life. Puppies cost a lot of money. Vet bills seem to get higher and higher up, and there’s heart worm and flea and tick medicine to buy. There are even differences in vet healthcare costs depending on which state your vet is in. I am sure you are asking yourself, “Is pet insurance worth it?”.
For instance, a first round of shots can tower in around $400. Depending on your location, it can be a lot cheaper, but where I live that price is fairly standard because it includes the vet visit, etc. Then there are emergency visits, which, if you have a dog who eats everything (no comment), you might end up in the emergency room a few times a year (again, no comment!)
If you plan on welcoming a dog into your home in the near future, I beg you to consider getting pet health insurance. If we’d gotten pet insurance right away, we would have saved over $1000 on vet bills, ER visits and “getting fixed”.
It may seem like a frivolous expense, but run the numbers. Figure our how much would the pet insurance cost versus completely paying out of pocket. Calculate these numbers for the first year that you have your dog and get it right away to save the most money. The most you’ll spend on your dog will be in the beginning and end of his/her life.
And by the way, pet insurance costs a tiny fraction of human health insurance, usually only $10-$20 per month depending on your coverage and number of dogs.
Now take those two yearly numbers and multiply them by your the average number of years your dogs breed lives for. Maybe it will be worth it to you?
Here are few things to ask yourself before purchasing (but hopefully adopting) your pup:
- Is the dog breed known for its health issues?
- At what stage in life does it experience these issues?
- Is the breed considered hyperactive or high strung?
- Does the mother of the puppy have any pressing health issues?
- Has the breeder had any experience with congenital health defects in past litters?
- How important is it to you to save money?
Stuff happens and puppies will be puppies. If dropping $200 or $300 dollars on a emergency vet bill makes your cringe, don’t hesitate and shop around for the right pet health insurance. Stop asking “Is pet insurance worth it” and do your research. You may find that the answer is pretty easy to find.
Is pet insurance worth it? We think yes, a thousand times yes, especially in the first year. What do you think?
Image source: Ilovemypit on Flickr
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It’s nearly impossible to find well-informed people about this topic, but you sound like you know what you’re talking about! Thanks