When you add a fur kid to your family, you may breathe a sigh of relief knowing you’ll never have to put them through university or buy them a car. However, your precious doggie or moggie still requires some investment, not just in food, but also things like grooming, bedding, toys, flea and tick treatments and regular vet care. They could also take a major chunk out of your budget if they ever get sick, or run into trouble with an accident or a fight. Vet bills for more serious matters can cost thousands. So when you take home a dog or cat, there are some very good reasons to consider taking out pet insurance too. Here are 5:
1. There’s no Medicare for pets
When we get sick or injured in Australia, we’re lucky enough to have things like Medicare, public hospitals and private health insurance to fall back on, and help us foot the bill. Unfortunately, there’s no Medicare for our furry family members. They can’t just pull a Medicare card out of a furry wallet if they do get into strife. They rely on you and your vet to get them back on their paws, and without pet insurance, you’ll have to foot 100% of the bill, often with no advance warning.
2. Vet bills can really bite
On the plus side, veterinary care has become incredibly advanced in recent years, and can do plenty to heal your dog or cat’s injuries, alleviate conditions and help them live longer and healthier lives. Advances such as digital x-rays, tiny cameras, better arthritis treatments and rehabilitation techniques are making news, and making our pets’ lives easier all the time. But just like the advances in human medicine, this care doesn’t come cheap. Without the help of pet insurance, some of these treatments could be out of your reach, just when your pet needs them most!
3. Even minor things can cost major bucks
Of course, your dog or cat may bound through life without a scratch (yeah right!) and never get sick or pick a fight with the neighbourhood possum. But even something as simple as a tick bite can be life threatening to your pet and devastating to your family budget. For instance, when Janine and Jamie’s dog Indy got a tick bite in her ear, she needed emergency vet care and ongoing treatment to get well again, with the bill adding up to over $3,000! Something as little as swallowing a peach pit or other foreign object can cost on average $1,200, and a cat fight could easily swipe over $600 from your savings. If you don’t have that kind of ready cash stashed away, pet insurance is a must.
4. It can save your pet’s life
One of the best reasons to get pet insurance is that it can save you from making the most heartbreaking decision of all. If your pet does face a life or death situation and needs expensive medical treatment to pull through, you may have to decide to put your best friend down instead because the cost is something you just can’t afford. You can’t put a price on your love for your pet, and with the relatively affordable cost of pet insurance, you won’t have to.
5. It can keep your pet healthier for life
And finally, if your pet has pet insurance, it’s not just there when it comes to the crunch. Your pet can also get their paws on some great yearly benefits that can help them stay healthier for life. For instance, some policies offer yearly benefits toward things like paralysis tick treatment and vet checks, and some top level plans even offer help with routine care, such as teeth cleaning and vaccinations. It pays to read the fine print so you know what’s covered and what’s not. Also remember that the sooner you get your fur kid covered, the better. That’s because the older your pet gets, the more pre-existing conditions they may develop, and most policies do not cover pre-existing medical conditions. Younger dogs and cats are also naturally curious, playful, and prone to mischief and mishaps, so pet insurance is a great safety net if they do sniff out trouble.
Now you know why you’d be barking mad to do without pet insurance, why not get a quote? With up to 85% of your eligible vet bills covered, no excess to pay, 3 choices of cover, and $10 from every policy going to the worthwhile PAWS Pet Therapy, MiPet Insurance is definitely a great option.
