PET INSURANCE FOR DOGS

Before we delve into the discussion of this topic, pet insurance for dogs, it is very important that we revisit the meaning of pet.

WHAT IS A PET?

The word pet means an animal we keep primarily for our companionship and/or for the purpose of our entertainment. That is to say, it is normally not for laboratory, livestock, or a working animal purpose.

Dogs and cats are the most common pet animals in the world while others include; fish, crocodiles, rabbits, pigs, parrots rodents etc.

People who keep these pets derive both emotional and physical benefits from them. For example, pets give companionship to its owners who live alone. They also serve as a means of exercising the body for its keepers. This happens when taking the pet on a street walk. And equally serves as well as means of social interaction.

WHAT IS PET INSURANCE DOGS? 

This is the class of pet insurance that provides insurance protection for our dogs and helps cover medical costs when they are sick or sustains injury.  They are enormous benefits with buying pet insurance for dogs. Thus, apart from providing cover for its medical bills, it also affords the owner relative peace of mind.

Generally, pet insurance for dogs cover the costs that come with accidents or illness such as

1. Diagnostics
2. Surgery and hospitalization
3. Dental illness
4. Breed-specific, congenital and chronic conditions.
5. General Examination fees
6. Consultation fees.
7. Prescription medication
8. Procedures and treatment.
9. ER and specialist care
10. Prosthetic limbs, devices and other mobility aids

Filling a claim

In the event that your dog encounters or suffers any of the perils or risks insured against, these are the steps to take

Visit any vet your choice

At the point of purchasing your policy, the insurance company will usually avail you with a list of veterinary clinics you can access health care for your dog. It follows therefore that when your dog falls sick or get involved in an accident, the first step to take is to visit the clinic you have chosen to find the right care for your dog and secure treatment for him.

Submit your claim:

After you have access the clinic, submit your claim before your insurer together with copies of the payment receipt to enable the insurance company to reimburse you completely depending on your agreement with the insurer.

Receive your claim

After the submission of your claim, the insurance company will investigate it and if satisfied will pay you the insurance benefit.

BENEFITS OF PET INSURANCE FOR DOGS

There are plenty benefits of pet insurance for dogs. One of these benefits is the provision of peace of mind to the owner. This level of peace of mind comes from the certainty of mind that the health of your dog is guaranteed in the circumstances where the insured perils happen to it. It further guarantees that your dog will get the best health care it deserves and you do not have to pay out of your own pocket. A good insurance plan ensures your dog will get the protection they need, even if you do not have the money to cover the cost of the treatment.

COST OF PET INSURANCE FOR DOGS

There are a number of factors that determine the cost of dog insurance. Some of these factors include the breed of the dog, age, the deductible, and the policy limit.

CATEGORIES OF PET INSURANCE FOR DOGS

They are two major categories and they include;

1. Comprehensive coverage.
2. Accident coverage

COMPREHENSIVE COVERAGE

This category of pet insurance coverage represents the highest level of insurance cover you can get for your dogs.

It covers loses arising from accidents and illnesses unlike the accident-only insurance cover. The amount of premium payable under comprehensive pet insurance policy is higher when compared to accident-only insurance coverage. And this is because the scope of coverage is always higher. However, there is an existence of higher reimbursement rates when compared with other classes of pet insurance policy.

The Comprehensive pet insurance for dog policy covers your pets over a wide range of accidents and illnesses. These illnesses may include; surgery, cancer treatment, x-rays, skin conditions, de-worming, hospitalizations, etc. And these largely depend on your insurance companies.

However, comprehensive pet insurance policy may not cover your dog against pre- existing health/accident conditions. Others may include pregnancy of your dogs, banned breeds, behavioral issues as well as illnesses preventable by vaccination.

ACCIDENT ONLY PET INSURANCE FOR DOGS

The accident only coverage is a category of coverage available in the event of accidents only. Thus, it does not extent to coverage for illnesses. The extent of the coverage here includes injuries, bites from other animals or insects, poisoning and general accidents.

The primary advantage of accident-only insurance coverage is the premium. It is not expensive in comparison with its comprehensive plan. In other words, it comes with cheap premiums.

In a Similar vein, accidents-only dog insurance coverage equally presents much cheaper premiums for younger pets which are more unlikely to have bad health conditions.

However, it is always at ones discretion to check out what a particular policy will cover when buying pet insurance plan. For instance, some insurance companies my cover third party liabilities while others may not. While some may cover bad health conditions that developed as a result of the accident, some others may not. And moreover, you should equally check out if your policy will cover incidents such as poisoning and attacks from other animals.

In addition, some insurance companies can even offer you coverage for losses arising from delays from embarking on holidays as a result of your pet’s accident.

The disadvantage with Accident Only Pet Insurance is that it only covers accidents unlike its comprehensive cover counterpart.

Conclusion

Having read through this peace on pet insurance for dogs, you will discover that the advantages with purchasing the policy outweighs the disadvantages of same. It is in the light of the foregoing that we strongly advise that you get the policy for your dogs today so as to enjoy the enormous benefits