When Your Pet Hits Your Wallet
Up until recently I had two dogs. I ended up giving my greyhound, Angel, to a local Elderly Greyhound rescue group. With the divorce, being back in school full time and my daughter, it was very difficult to care for two older dogs. Angel is now living on a farm with another Greyhound and happy as a clam. I still have my Maltese, Echo, living with me.
Having an older dog is expensive, though. Echo has been sick a lot lately. She has a tumor on her spleen and is anemic. She had extensive dental work a few months back and needs special supplements. Since she is not in pain and actually still active enough to interact with us, I will not put her down. Actually, I have a problem putting her down in any situation. I just cannot bring myself to be the one deciding to end a pet’s life.
I’ve been thinking a lot recently about how humans have health insurance, or at least many of us do. But when it comes to pets, we end up paying for treatments that can be just as expensive as treating a human, out of our own pockets. I have paid for X-rays and blood work lately that would shock you for its dollar value. Taking care of Echo in her old age is one of my major expenses. You don’t think of how much it can cost to keep a pet healthy in their old age when they are cute balls of puppy fluff. You thin about the actual cost of the dog and the food you feed them. Your first sticker shock is usually annual shots. But, that is only the tip of the proverbial iceberg.
There is a growing trend toward pet health insurance. When I think back to the three times we had Angel in for emergency care in the middle of the night, or the cancer that Echo has right now, I see the need in my own life for pet insurance. Health expenses tend to come out of the blue and I am not always prepared to pay right away. The weeks I’ve had Echo to the veterinarian have been the tightest for me financially. PetCare Pet Insurance has pet insurance programs in both the United States and Canada. I’m looking at the list of services covered and I’m impressed. Getting insurance for your pet “just in case” is worth it in the long run. My advice is, look into it while your pets are still young and healthy.
I did a case study on my pets and pet insurance and found that it was not worth it. You can read about it here.
http://www.livelearninvest.com/2006/12/10/is-pet-insurance-worth-it/