Is pet insurance worth it?

One of the most common questions we hear from our clients is “is pet insurance REALLY worth it?”. Many times the emphasis is on the word “really.’ It’s as if the client has a hunch pet insurance companies are all a big scam and hearing us say “nope, not in the slightest” will vindicate their suspicious theories. Well, here’s the thing-in many, we would dare to say in nearly all ways, the answer is yes. Yes its worth it. Absolutely. Go get some. Like, now. Did you sign up yet?

The problem is, health care for pets is expensive. Sometimes, when you’re least expecting it, its REALLY expensive. For instance on a Sunday afternoon a few hours after you get home from the pet store…

Lets say your dog happily chews upon, then swallows, the $5 toy you bought her at the pet shop.  Suddenly, through no fault of your own you’re staring down the barrel of a $3000 surgery to retrieve that adorable squeaky dinosaur. Now, that’s a problem. Despite our best efforts most of us don’t have a few thousand dollars set aside ready for situations such as this. Ideally of course we would all be prepared for all eventualities, but in an ideal world would our furry companions swallow plastic dinosaurs? No, probably not.

If you had it, pet insurance would make this situation MUCH easier to swallow.

Many of the popular policies we see clients sign up for reimburse around 80% of their bill. That’s $2400 coming your way just after you paid for that $3000 surgery! And its not just for emergencies…there are different policies for different requirements, some pay completely for wellness visits, vaccinations and lab work. (There are different monthly premiums depending on how much coverage you are looking for) In addition pet insurance companies work differently than those for humans, they’re generally much simpler…You don’t have to call around searching for an ‘in network provider’, you can see whomever you like (or perhaps more importantly, whomever your pet likes) Generally speaking once you pay your bill at the vets office, you submit a copy of your invoice and the insurance company reimburses you directly in the form of a check or a direct deposit .Its simple, easy and can really save the day in terms of paying for expensive pet health care.

So until healthcare for pets becomes nationalized and we all get free vet visits, insurance is the next best thing. We would encourage all our clients to look at getting insurance for their pets. Especially new pet owners who might not realize the hidden dangers of $5 plastic dinosaurs…

(For an up to date comparison of insurance companies and their rates, click on our pet links tab and scroll down to compare all insurance companies, then get shopping…)

Happy visits, the value of a cookie...

Lets face it. Going to the vets isn’t generally top of the list for most of our pets. Asking your pet to get in the car and go to the vets is like convincing your kid going to the dentist will be a hoot.

It starts with the car ride. The fresh air, the vague promise of adventure, or at least a walk round the park. But then you make that righthand turn in to our parking lot and the suspicion starts. The treachery, the deceit…how COULD you? Nothing ruins a perfectly good doggie day like that righthand turn in to our parking lot…

But what if it didn’t have to be that way? What if we could turn that fear of the vets office around? What if your dog dragged you in through our front door, tail wagging eager to see his or her friends? What if all this was not only possible but easy to achieve? Well, sometimes all it takes is a cookie…

So lets try this…Next time you’re passing try coming in for a happy visit. A few minutes to come in, let your pet say hi, get a cookie and then leave. No prodding, no poking and no uninvited strangers trying to look in your pets ears. Then, in a few days or a week, do it again. Before you know it your pet will not only be accepting of that dreaded righthand turn into our parking lot but might be downright excited about it!

On a more serious note happy visits are more about cookies and giving the staff here someone to fuss over for a few minutes. They build trust. They build trust between pets and staff and in an emergency hospital that trust is priceless. Simply put if a pet is more familiar with the staff, the layout of the building, the smells and sounds of the facility they’re much less likely to be stressed next time they come in. Even if its just for vaccines. But the real value is with emergencies… Imagine the difference in going to your doctors office if you were personal friends with everyone from the receptionist to the surgeon and how much more comfortable you’d feel next time you had to go in.

So thats what we’re going for. Its simple, easy to achieve, fun and best of all it builds that priceless trust. Besides, who doesn’t like cookies?