Dog Owners know that a pet soon becomes a much-loved family member. It would be terrible to have to place a cash value on your pet’s life. If you do not have adequate Insurance you could be faced with that heart-rending decision. Do you want that extra trauma if your dog is sick or injured?

Increased veterinary fees and expenses mean you could be faced with a bill for hundreds or even thousands when your pet becomes unwell. The costs rise and pet owners without insurance are forced to decide how much they will spend to keep their best friend alive. It makes sense to take out a pet insurance policy to avoid major unforeseen expenses.

Like any other family insurance, pet insurance helps you put a small sum away now to avoid a hefty unexpected bill. There is a wide range of cost and cover options so it is a good idea to shop around online to see what is available to you.

Do you need pet insurance?

The answer is a resounding yes: apart from covering vet fees, policies also include your legal liability as a pet owner. If your pet causes a road accident, damages property or bites or scratches someone, you will be covered and the company will appoint lawyers to deal with the claim.

At the stage of getting a pet, most owners do not think about the inevitable unforeseen expenses of illness or accident. Even if your pet lives indoors there are still dangers. They may sustain an injury in the home, drink or eat something poisonous to them, or swallow a toy. And they can still fall prey to an illness or disease specific to their breed. Of course if your pet goes outdoors the possibilities of injury or infection are higher. Unless you can afford to set aside at least $1000 to cover vet bills every year, you should find that pet insurance is the better budget option.

Like most types of policy, pet insurance is a tradeoff between cost and cover. The cost will increase with the scope of cover.

Policy Cover

Like most types of policy, pet insurance is a tradeoff between cost and cover. The cost will increase with the scope of cover. The pet owner can usually choose whether to take inclusive cover that pays for everything from routine checkups and vaccinations to accidents and chronic illnesses, or a lower cost policy for major treatment and emergencies only. In addition you can cut the cost of either option by paying an excess - a set sum is your responsibility then the policy picks up the balance up to the policy limit. Most plans place limits on annual, per-incident, per-illness or lifetime costs.

Be sure to ask whether the policy covers existing conditions and breed specific ailments, such as hip dysplasia. Your pet’s age also affects the cover available: according to the breed you could find some companies will not offer cover after the age of eight to ten years old.

Cost

Payment options for pet insurance include flat fees or excesses or deductibles and/or co-payments. Insurance premiums are affected by age, health and breed, as well as the type of animal. You normally need to settle the bill first and then claim from the insurer, so it is worth setting aside an emergency fund for this. Ask whether premiums increase with the age of your pet. If you have more than one pet you can usually get a multi policy discount.

Choose an insurer

Once you decide on your budget and the type of cover required, you can look for a policy to suit you.

When you approach pet insurance companies these are some ideas to help your research:

List your pet insurance priorities and check each one off in turn. Do your due diligence on the chosen insurance company. Read consumer and professional reviews, focusing on how long they have been established and how fast they settle claims. You should be able to look at a sample policy summary before you buy. Check the benefits, maximum payments and the time limit for making claims. If you have a question, put it in writing and get a written reply so you can refer to it in the event of a claim.

Keep a file of all papers relating to your pet, starting with the adoption or purchase and include receipts and insurance papers to keep track of expense and ensure you claim your entitlement.

Pet insurance is an unavoidable expense but attention now can give your best friend a longer and healthier life, and extend the enjoyment and love you get from your relationship.

Adrienne Davis publishes Kevin’s Doggie Tips with regular Dog Tips Updates. Get moneysaving tips for pet owners at http://dogs.homebusinessadvisers.com

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Posted on July 3rd, 2008 by itbsuperrich
Filed under: pethealthinsurance.pet-insurance-zone.info | No Comments »

If you’re wondering what the point is to paying for pet insurance then just think about all the massive claims that currently go through the courts.

It’s easy to assume that you’ll never make good use of pet insurance but with the ‘blame’ culture becoming increasingly evident over recent years its sheer folly to even consider having a pet without taking out pet insurance. Just imagine if your pet caused an accident, damaged someone else’s property or attacked someone. We all think it will never happen to us but it does happen.

Another good reason for having pet insurance is the soaring costs of veterinary care. Like most things in life veterinary science is moving on in leaps and bounds but with the new found technology there is one hell of a price tag. We all know insurance companies are out to make money and pet insurance is no different but what you need to ask yourself is if you have to come up with a few thousand pounds at short notice could you do it.

Having pet insurance is like every other insurance policy we take out. It appears on the surface to be an absolute waste of money that is until the major catastrophe occurs. Could you really handle loosing your home over a third party claim or would you be able to find the cash for major veterinary work?

I’m not saying that having pet insurance will get you out of every hole. There’s always the little question of deductibles, the small print that acts as a get out clause, the annual caps, the exclusions for pre-existing conditions and the insurance premium hike for older pets but if you do your homework, before taking out your pet insurance, the funds will be there when it really matters.

You might believe now that if veterinary treatment is too expensive you’d rather have your pet put down instead of taking out pet insurance but will you feel the same way once you’ve become attached? Also you still leave yourself wide open to that little matter of third party liability claims which is where the unexpected accident would really hurt. Isn’t it better to just opt for a really high deductible to keep the cost down rather than risk all you own?

Besides selecting the maximum level of deductibles another way of reducing the cost of pet insurance is to avoid pure bred pets. Pure bred pet insurance premiums are significantly higher than those of the basic mutt.

Also, make sure you shop around, there are loads of different pet insurance policies available and you can half the cost if you do your homework.

For more on pet insurance visit http://www.24-7-insurance.com

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Posted on July 1st, 2008 by itbsuperrich
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Pet insurance is not a new concept; people have been doing it for years and saving money on health care of their pets. For some people it seems like an unnecessary expense, but it is not a wise decision to go without pet insurance. As you would never think of going without insurance of your family members, then why you should not insure your pet?

Pet insurance can vary greatly and you should choose one very carefully for your pet. Most insurance plans cover expenses like routine care and annual checkups. But some of them only cover injury or sickness. If you can handle general problems, fine then it will be better for you to consider a pet insurance that caters with serious conditions. Others only cover sickness or injury. Emergency coverage is also there but for other coverage you will have to wait for one month or so.

Coverage and costs of a pet insurance depend on pet’s age, size and breed. Good health of your pet will be a positive point when acquiring pet insurance.

Here are some reasons why you should buy a pet insurance.

1) An average of seventy five percent family pets visit veterinary clinic every year for treatment.

2) Forty percent of all vet fees come from unforeseen illnesses or accidents.

3) Only 20% of family pets are covered by pet insurance.

4) The average vet bill for attention and care needed following a road accident involving a cat or dog last year was around $1000 to $1,500.

Of course, the statistics is scary. It will seem scarier when you will come to know that only a monthly payment of $40 to $80 can do it all for you.

Some pet insurances to choose from:

Pet Accident Insurance

This pet insurance gives coverage to your pet against any accidents. But some companies do not cover the incidence of poisoning your pet, so before choosing read the fine print to clear all major and minor points.

Pet Accident and Illness Insurance

In this case you will get full coverage insurance. Your insurance company will pay you all the costs and expenses incurred in case of your pet having suffered any accident or illness.

Some important points to be consider while choosing a pet insurance:

1) Before going to apply for a pet insurance you should make a search for the best one. A simple search on Google for “pet insurance’ will give you many results. There is a long list of pet insurance companies, so compare them and choose wisely.

2) Often insurance companies start insuring pet from the age of six months but some does not give coverage to your pet if he or she is more than of eight years. Therefore search the most suitable insurance for your pet.

3) Some options are always there, when it comes to healthcare. If you do not want to take an expensive policy then you can search for discounts. Your discussion with a vet will give proper information about all discounts available.

Tyson J Stevenson writes on a wide variety of “every day” subjects,
most often with valuable news & reviews. Expect to see his name often.

A related resource is Affordable Pet Insurance

Further information can be found at HubbuH

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Posted on June 30th, 2008 by itbsuperrich
Filed under: pethealthinsurance.pet-insurance-zone.info | No Comments »