Many pet owners will encounter an emergency at some stage during their pet’s life. Perhaps your dog or cat ate something they shouldn’t have, they have a tick, or they’ve been hit by a car. Even if your pet doesn’t need emergency care, pet owners know that routine care like vaccinations, worming, and teeth cleaning can really add up.
Pet medical care has been advancing and our furry friends can have many of the same procedures that humans have such as MRIs, CAT scans, organ transplants, and cancer treatments. But these procedures can be extremely costly (up to thousands of dollars) and can leave pet owners with debt or simply unable to pay.
Dr Mark Lawrie from Murdoch University’s Vet Hospital said that one of the biggest vet bills he’s ever seen was from a cat that was bitten by a snake. It took between two and three weeks of intensive care, the use of a ventilator and multiple anti-venines to get the cat back on its feet and safely home to its owners, but it also left the owners with a vet bill for around $40,000. Unfortunately, the owners didn’t have the available funds or pet insurance, Dr Lawrie explained, and they had to take out a mortgage on their house.
While pet insurance cover generally has a yearly cap of between $10,000 and $20,000, having a large portion of the bill reimbursed can be the difference between paying from your savings and potentially having to take out a loan.
“Nowadays people see their dogs and cats as part of the family—it’s like they’re children.” Dr Lawrie said. “When they’re confronted with the need to pay a large sum of money, they’re torn apart emotionally and sometimes their desire is to do whatever it takes.”
Pet insurance can help take away this stress by covering a portion of eligible vet bills if your pet is sick or suffers a specified accidental injury. This means you won’t be suddenly out of pocket or find yourself unable to pay a large eligible bill if your pet requires care .
Get a quote today and find out how Prime Pet Insurance can help keep your pet dog or cat in prime condition with a pet insurance policy.