Report from veterinary circles show that over the past five years more than 1.6 million pet owners have had their dogs and cats put down because they could not afford the veterinary and medical costs of looking after their animals. Another 2.5 million people are reported to have refused the treatment recommended by their vet because they simply could not afford it.
One of the key issues behind all this is the rising cost of veterinary fees which is running at about 12 per cent annually. The average vet bill for a dog is now just over 300 pounds and owners are having, to fork out up to 4,000 pounds for some bone fractures and as much as 10,000 pounds each year if the pet has a complicated condition such as a spinal disorder or tumour.
Faced with the possibility of horrendous costs, you would have thought more would have sought the protection of pet insurance. However, research shows that as many as 11 million pet owners do not have insurance cover. This is very disturbing but it is also frustrating because if the owners had taken out insurance cover, they would have been able to treat their pet without any money problems.
But at the time you would expect sales of pet insurance to be flourishing, the reverse is occuring. As many as one million pet owners are looking to reduce their pet insurance cover, and some are cancelling it altogether.
The good news is that pet insurance is still good value for money. Reasonable quality insurance can come at an affordable price: you can be covered from as little as 6 pounds 84 pence for a dog and 4 pounds 50 pence per month for a cat. Be aware that there are many grades of pet insurance and whilst you don't want to pay over the odds, you do not want to be caught without it. When shopping for pet insurance it is crucial to read the small print to be fully clear what is included and what is excluded. Pay particular notice of the levels of cover for vets' fees, how long the policy will payout, the excess, and for dogs only, the third-party liability (third party cover is not available for cats.)
The primary objective is to ensure you are covered for vet fees. But you can also include emergency kennel or cattery fees, advertising and reward for a lost pet, holiday cancellation, pet-minding, death cover and even bereavement counselling. Of course preventive and elective treatments such as vaccinations, spaying and neutering are not included in the cover.
Besides the value that you are insured for, the next most important aspect is the length of time the insurer will payout.Th best is a "lifetime" policy - this will pay for all treatment without a time limit. Lifetime policies are more expensive, but they are designed to cover ongoing conditions, such as kidney problems, arthritis and skin problems. Quite a few insurers' offer this sort cover provided your pet has not been diagnosed with a pre-existing condition when the policy is first purchased.
The next type is a '12-month' policy. This places a 12 month time limit on the maximum period for which any single condition can be claimed. After 12 months of paying out, the policy stops paying for that particular condition and the pet will never again be insured for that condition. As you would expect these 12-month policies are quite a lot cheaper. They are useful for paying for emergency treatment such as road accidents and short and medium term illnesses, but they do not provide the same long-term peace of mind as lifetime policies.
The third alternative is a policy which simply limits on the total amount that can be claimed without any time specification. When choosing, our advice is do not be tempted to skimp. By and large you get what you pay for - a cheaper premium can mean compromised cover. If your pet is prescribed ongoing treatment for the rest of its life, you will be picking up the tab when the policy runs out.
Generally dogs are more expensive to insure than cats. And pedigree pets are more expensive to insure than ordinary heinz 57's. Very large dogs such as Masifs and Great Danes - and breeds such as Labradors, which are notorious for having health problems, cost even more. The age of your pet and your geographic location will also have an impact on the premium.
Finally, if you are insuring a dog, it is important to have third party cover. Some policies include it as standard - either 1 million pounds or 2 million pounds, others may include it as an optional extra. Third party cover covers your liability if your pet injures someone else or causes an accident. Remember, if that happened, you would be liable to pay damages. So check it out!Pet Dog Kennel
Pet Dog Kennel
Pet Dog Kennel
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pet dog kennel: Pet Dog Kennel
pet dog kennel: Pet Dog Kennel
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