Guest Post: Pet Insurance

This guest post comes from Heather Kalinowski, a pet lover and internet journalist at pet insurance company Trupanion.

No one wants to think of their beloved dog or cat getting sick or injured. We like to think we can protect them from everything that can cause them harm. I was like that. I prided myself on taking extra special care of my dog, keeping her out of danger, making sure she was up to date on all her vaccinations, and never allowing her to get in contact with a sick dog. I even carried her in a dog sling when there were a lot of people around, or when there were potential dangers on the ground.

But unfortuantely, I learned that we can’t protect our pets from everything. My dog ended up developing an auto-immune disorder, which is something I never could have protected her from, never could have predicted, never could have added to a list of ‘possible dangers to keep her away from’. She developed it not because of anything I did or didn’t do – or anything she did. It just happened based on heredity and genetics. And diagnosis and treatment was costly. Extremely costly - in the thousands of dollars.

I shed a lot of tears and lost a lot of sleep during those months she was in and out of the hospital. But luckily, I had pet insurance so I was able to make all my decisions based on what was best for her, not what I could actually afford at the time. We never want to have to put a price on our pets’ lives, and because I had pet insurance, I didn’t have to. And now my sweet little pup is doing well.

Now, it’s true that pet insurance only becomes financially beneficial if something actually happens to your pet. I have a second dog who I have insured as well, and (knock on wood) I haven’t had to submit a claim yet. But just as with human insurance, while you can’t predict if you’re ever going to need it, you don’t want to be caught without it when you do.

Here are some common claims we see here at Trupanion, and the costs associated with each:

1. Patellar Luxation – A condition that occurs when the kneecap moves in and out of place, which can cause lameness. Cost: $600 – $2,000+
2. Glaucoma - Just like with humans, this is an eye condition in which excessive fluid buildup causes increased pressure which may damage the optic nerve and lead to progressive loss of vision. Cost: $1,400 – $3,000
3. Ingestion of a Foreign Body – Our furry friends are curious and like to eat things they shouldn’t be eating. Sometimes this can require surgery. Cost: $2,000 – $3,000
4. Portacaval Shunt – A condition in which the embryonic blood vessel in the liver fails to go away after the puppy or kitten is born. As a result, blood bypasses the liver and never gets detoxified. This causes a litany of issues, including neurological symptoms. Cost: $6,000 – $7,000
5. Seizures - Seizures can be caused by a number of issues, including epilepsy, brain tumors, and portacaval shunts. Cost: $1,000 – $2,000

Pet insurance can give you peace of mind if your beloved pet develops any of these conditions, and more. And remember that if you only invest in pet insurance after a pet becomes sick or injured, it’s too late to receive reimbursement for that particular condition. Invest early to ensure that you are covered for any and all future health issues.

What caused your most expensive trip to the vet?