Everything You Need to Know About Dog Insurance
Dogs are rightly considered our best and faithful companions. The care, love, and affection they bestow us are worth providing them with a healthy and happy life. Insurance for your four-legged friend is one of those solutions that will definitely help your dog or puppy live for many years. So in this article, we will take a closer look at dog insurance, what its plans cover, choose the best plan for your companion, and more. Let’s get started.
What Is Dog Insurance and Why Is It Needed?
Animals, just like people, get sick, injured and wounded, conflict with each other, and can be poisoned. You never know where danger might lie. Dog insurance will help you always be prepared for any troubles with your furry friend’s health and help your pet get better as soon as possible. Moreover, the coverage will save you astronomical amounts of money if your pooch regularly needs medical attention as the treatment today can cost you thousands of dollars.
But dog coverage is not just about helping with treatment. There are many other situations where you or your pet may need the insurance company’s protection. You will learn more about these situations further in our article.
Does My Dog Need Coverage?
Many people believe that if their pet is healthy and does not require frequent medical attention, then paying for dog coverage is just a waste of money. But do the math: if your pet gets seriously ill or into an accident, can you afford to pay in full for his treatment?
Coverage for your beloved dog is not only financial stability but also mental one. If your staunch friend is insured against all risks, it will always be safe and secure. Moreover, old and purebred dogs are doubly at risk: both require more medical care as they tend to get sick more often.
How Does Dog Insurance Work?
In general, insurance for dogs is no different from insurance for other animals. Once your coverage kicks in, you need to pay premiums. They are usually paid once a month, although many companies offer discounts for those who pay for the entire year at once.
For your company to reimburse your money for treating your animal, you need to meet a certain expense threshold. This expense threshold is called a deductible. This amount is stated in your policy and can be annual or incidental. Once you have reached this limit, your company will pay you a certain amount, for example, 90%, of all your health care costs for your dog. Your policy also has information about this rate.
However, your company will not pay you endless amounts. There are certain annual payout limits. They usually start at $5,000 and can go up to $15,000.
What Threats My Dog May Face?
Dogs are kind of children. Few would object that these four-legged fidgets love to eat our personal belongings, for example, socks, or other objects out of doors. Even just drinking from a puddle, your pet runs the risk of contracting any disease. Let's take a closer look at the most common claims from dog parents.
Incidents:
Object ingestion. As we already mentioned, our tailed friends love to swallow various foreign objects which often leads to intestinal blockage or poisoning.
Cuts and injuries. Sometimes a usual peaceful walk ends up with a fight between your pet and another dog which leads to various injuries. Even a simple glass particle can cut your pooch’s foot.
Fractures. Falls, careless games, car accidents, which we are going to talk about next, can all lead to fractures.
Car incidents. Unfortunately, not all dogs are capable of being trained to be wary of cars. That is why this threat is extremely common.
Diseases:
Upper respiratory infections. Viruses and bacteria are the main causes of this disease. If your pet is breathing heavily or coughing, these are sure signs of respiratory issues.
Ear infections. This condition is especially common in hunting dogs with long ears. However, ordinary breeds can also get infected with this ailment
Skin allergies. Signs of skin allergies include redness, itching, and hair loss.
Vomiting and diarrhea. Occasional vomiting or diarrhea may not pose any danger. However, if you regularly see these signs in your pet, you should contact your veterinarian right away.
What Does Dog Insurance Cover?
When choosing coverage for your four-legged friend, remember that treating illness is not the only thing your plan will cover. The range of loss occurrences also includes other events.
- Death. Should your beloved pet have gone to a better world due to illness or incident, or you were forced to euthanize it, your provider will reimburse you for the cost of an injection, cremation, or funeral.
- A loss. A dog that is run away from home is a real challenge for every loving pet parent. Ads in the media and the Internet, even posters around your home – all this requires investments.
- Third-party liability. Dogs are pets that most often harm strangers or even acquaintances. For example, your companion can bite your neighbor or ruin his property. Here, your company must pay you for all costs that you spent to repair someone else's property or treat a third party as well as for legal expenses.
- Expenses for living in kennels. If you are the only parent of your dog, how is it supposed to live if you suddenly find yourself in the hospital? Friends and acquaintances do not always agree to take responsibility for caring for other pets. If this occurs, you can pass your furry friend on a kennel while you are in the hospital.
- Dental treatment. Sometimes, dogs suffer from dental issues, too. Therefore, companies offer dental care in case of accidents, although only a few of them treat teeth for various diseases.
What Does Dog Insurance Not Cover?
When choosing coverage for your four-legged friend, remember that treating illness is not the only thing your plan will cover. The range of loss occurrences also includes other events.
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Pre-existing conditions. If your pet has already suffered from any pre-existing disease, your company will not provide you with coverage for it. However, in some cases, if your pet has not needed medical attention for a long time, the provider may agree to work with you.
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Pregnancy and birth. You should not rely on your provider if your pet got pregnant or is about to give birth.
Which Plan for Dogs and Puppies Are Best to Choose?
If you are going to purchase coverage for your pet, the best period is its childhood. You can save a lot of money if you buy the coverage while your dog is still a puppy since the older your furry friend is, the higher your premiums. Below, we have presented some of the companies that provide the very best insurance plans for dogs.
Pet Assure
- Provides 25% discount for any veterinary service
- No deductibles
- Incredibly low monthly fees
- Covers dogs with pre-existing diseases
Pet Assure is not a typical insurance provider. Unlike other companies that reimburse a certain amount of health care expenses, Pet Assure offers a 25-percent discount to its customers. The company's service cost is very low: you need to pay only about $12 per month. However, the number of clinics and specialists working with this company is quite small, so finding a veterinarian near your home is a real challenge.
PetFirst
- Low premiums
- Low deductibles
- Discounts for those purchasing multi-animal coverage
- Coverage takes effect within 24 hours
If you care about your dog's health and want to prevent disease development, PetFirst is the perfect choice for you. The company provides wellness coverage for pets, and its service fee is relatively low. Low premiums are also associated with low annual limits, however, the range of wellness services that the company covers may negate this drawback.
Geico
- Low premiums
- Customizable policy terms
- A large number of discounts
Geico boasts not only low fees for its services but also several discounts which will make your premiums even lower. Dog owners can save a lot by purchasing a plan from this company. Moreover, a customer can adjust his policy terms to his taste: for example, increase a deductible and, thereby, reduce monthly fees. Geico provides policies through a third-party company, namely, Embrace.
Embrace Pet Insurance
- Reduces deductible if a pet does not require medical attention
- 24/7 helpline
- Offers its customer to find out the pet’s medical history
- Provides various discounts
Embrace offers its customers a huge number of plans and discounts. If you are purchasing coverage for two or more animals, the company will definitely reduce the cost. The same goes for the military. In addition, Embrace provides your pet's medical history for free. This way, you can see how well your future plan suits you and your dog and refuse it if you are not satisfied with the coverage.
If your dog is still very young, then purchasing coverage for it will be a great solution. First of all, you will protect yourself from worrying about costs if any unforeseen event occurs. One way or another, the choice is always yours. We hope our article helped you make the right decision on the road to a long and happy life for your best furry friend.
