Information about Pet Insurance
A Companion Animal Care Article from All-Creatures.org

This Companion Animal Care article is being presented to help people seeking reliable resources, tips, and information for companion animals.

FROM

Dr. Michael W. Fox
April 2014

Question:

Hello. How do I get information about pet insurance? We have a dog who is almost 4 years old. We would like to get another, but would like to have some sort of way to offset the cost of vet bills for a new puppy.

Do you have any recommendations?

Answer:

I have no recommendations since I feel it best to set up a savings account for each animal in the household -- for instance, you can set aside the $10 to $20 a week you might spend at the local coffeehouse if you switch to brewing at home. Discuss your concerns with your veterinarian, who may help you identify the exclusions and conditions, some of which may mandate overvaccination and questionable annual tests.

It would be good to have a reserve fund of at least $2,000 for each cat and dog in case of some health emergency so that you are not cut short and have to pay interest on your credit card.

Some veterinary hospitals will arrange for fees to be paid by installment, but having some funds at hand can save a lot of uncertainty and anguish.

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Dr. Michael W. Fox is a well-known veterinarian, former vice president of The Humane Society of the United States, former vice president of Humane Society International and the author of more than 40 adult and children’s books on animal care, animal behavior and bioethics. He is also a graduate veterinarian from the Royal Veterinary College, London, whose research lead to a PhD (Medicine) and a DSc (ethology/animal behavior) from the University of London, England.

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