For thousands of years, dogs have proved to be more than just a man’s best friend. They have loyally remained mans’ worthy ally by actively participating in sharing joy and offering consolations in times of emotional distress. Additionally, dogs have been known to offer top notch protection when one is either asleep or away from home. Yes, many households embrace a dog as a family member and love it abundantly.
For these reasons and many more, it’s only fair to say that a dog should be treated worthy of its title. Thus, the big question is, “What exactly is the best possible way of doing this?” There are numerous options available. These include scrutinizing its food by picking the healthiest choices, ensuring that it’s well groomed, securing for it plenty of toys, and scouring pet shops for the right bed and beddings.
Yet, according to a latest survey, it’s shocking that only a small number of dog owners’ care about dog insurance policy. It’s still an unresolved puzzle as to why thousands of dog owners are madly in love with their pets, yet fail to welcome the concept of dog insurance, as dog insurance comes with a wide range of benefits.
Discussed below are 5 reasons every dog owner ought to consider buying dog insurance.
1. Dogs’ sickness and ailments
Just like humans and other animals, dogs get sick at one time or another. Common symptoms like weight loss, lack of appetite, fever, diarrhea, vomiting, and constipation are always assumed to be as a result of minor ailments. Since dogs can’t communicate and explain the extent of pain or how they feel, these common symptoms can as be as a result of something more serious. Dogs also develop chronic ailments like diabetic, heart disease, liver and gall bladder disease, organ failure (heart, liver, kidney), disease of the pancreas, fever or inflammation, paralysis of the esophagus, disorder of the central nervous system, tumor of the intestine, and neurological disorders. The list is actually quite long. These chronic ailments not only cost a fortune in terms of tests, surgeries, medication, and regular veterinary doctor’s visits, but also cause immeasurable emotional distress.
Dog insurance offers a medical coverage which ensures that the dog gets the best medical attention available for an affordable cost. The insurance covers a percentage of the costs associated with treatment and to some extent surgeries. This, in turn, gives the dog owner some piece of mind and helps relieve emotional pain as the dog is medically taken care of.
2. Injuries and accidents
Accidents are inevitable and most tend to come at the most inappropriate time. A dog owner will never know when a tragedy might strike and accidents can occur even if your dog isn’t mischievous. Yes, accident do occur and this can result in a broken bone or bones, laceration, torn nails, injury to the eye, or any other body parts among others. A higher percentage of dogs will require emergency medical attention under such conditions. Accidents and injuries can result for a need of life saving surgery, which might requires extensive post-surgical attention that can lasts for several days, weeks, or months. How sweet, easy, and comfortable this can be if dog insurance is in place to take care of all the medical bills.
3. Prevents using saving or emergency funds
Savings and emergency funds are better used for what they are set for. Dog treatment and care is not one of the reasons why such funds are set a side. Some can reason that there is no reason you can’t set aside an emergency dog fund to cater for its needs and emergencies. While it’s true that there isn’t any harm in doing this, but this can better handle travels and vacations and not the huge medical bills that come with treating some dog ailments and accidents.
Besides, such funds are prone to abuse as there is a strong tendency of a dog owner dipping in to such funds to pay for other needs. With a home renovation expense, pricey car repair expense, or other unexpected expenses starring directly at a dog owner, there is a strong tendency to dip in to such funds.
Should an emergency situation strike after misuse of the funds, it might be hard to offer the dog quality medical attention and one can only watch as the dog writhes in pain. Desperate situations calls for desperate measures and the only possible option available is misusing family savings to rescue the situation. One would never know the amount required to settle the bill.
It’s only dog insurance that is tailor made to handle emergencies that relates to dogs health and care. Dog insurance thus acts as a cushion against family savings and family emergency funds.
4. Gives surety to afford the best veterinary doctor
Dog insurance operates differently from human health insurance policy. Dog insurance doesn’t require a dog owner to use specific veterinary doctors or a particular facility. It gives ample room for the pet owner to seek the services of a preferred vet anywhere, anytime. The dog owner only needs to notify the insurance company of the services given for payments to be effected. Alternatively, the dog owner can settle the bill out of his pocket and present the bill to the insurer for reimbursement of amounts used. In addition to this, the pet owner can seek the services of an experienced vet other than being coerced by one whose skills are not yet proven. In a nutshell, one gets the service of a facility or a veterinary doctor of his or her preference.
5. Provides easy and flexible way to budget for dog care
Dog insurance policies are tailor made to fit most common income patterns. There are monthly, quarterly, semiannual and annual premium payments. One can quite easily settle monthly premium payments which are not as huge as semiannual or annual ones. All that a dog owner needs to do is to select the payment plan that best fits his pattern of income. The flexible premium payments thus, give a pet owner a piece of mind. As long as the dog owner can afford the flexible premium payments, he or she can rest assured of the best medical cover as soon as the dog needs it.
Dog insurance policy is perhaps the best thing that has ever happened to dog owners. Should a misfortune happen, the dog insurance will not only give a pet owner assured satisfactory and professional health care to its pet, but also acts as a source of hope to extends the dog’s life.