Pet Insurance … Have You Heard?
I’ve recently realized that only about half of the people that I know are familiar with how beneficial pet insurance can be. Our family had no idea how helpful this decision would become when we welcomed our wild little puppy into our home. Bonus: We might be able to send our daughters to college because of this savvy decision.
Our dog, Cozzie (nick name for Cosmopolitan) is a white, precious, tiny, spoiled rotten prince, who is extremely high maintenance. He was our family’s first pet, and I am slightly embarrassed to say that I did not do the best job with teaching him who is the boss of the house. He quickly took ownership of this position, and we couldn’t stop it. I wasn’t aware that I was supposed to establish dominance or let him know I was the Alpha in the relationship, so he has pretty much gotten his way since we brought him home at 6 weeks old. I did a much better job with my children (luckily) and taught them things like routines, boundaries, moderation, etc. I did none of this with our dog. So, from a very young age, he has learned that he can yell / bark at us as soon as we walk in the door, and we will give him a treat. He has learned that if he cries loud enough, he can sleep in our bed. And after 8 years, the only command he can follow is “sit,” but only for about 2 seconds. He has apparently never seen himself in a mirror, so even though he is tiny and scared of butterflies, he thinks he is a Great Dane, and bullies the other animals in the neighborhood when we take him for a walk. He thinks he is protecting us, and we appreciate the effort. He is loved beyond measure in our home, and we will do anything to protect him.
My husband is in the insurance business (the human kind), so fortunately he thought to immediately get a pet insurance policy when Prince Cozzie became a part of our family. Cozzie’s first “accident” happened when he was just a puppy. He jumped off the sofa and hurt his leg, so we took him to the hospital. Between the x-ray, medication and follow up appointments, it cost a pretty penny, so we were so delighted when we ended up with about 80% of this expense reimbursed to us. This was just the beginning. Within his first couple of years, he started having some medical issues that required a plethora of veterinary care, including special prescription food, prescription medication and numerous x-rays. He has had three surgeries, has been hospitalized a couple of times, and requires a lot of services to keep him as healthy as possible. Anyone with a pet, that is like your child, knows that you will do whatever it takes to keep them healthy, happy and a part of your family. So having pet health insurance has truly saved us thousands of dollars over the years. I can’t imagine what we would have done without it, or the financial strain this would have put our family under. Before you bring that expensive little canine to join your family, research a policy that can truly help your bank account.
Obviously, each insurance company will vary in costs, based on location, age, breed, and your choice of deductible and reimbursement level. But to have coverage for your animal, it might be more affordable than most people realize. Even though it will not cover the cost of excessive treat giving (I asked), it will cover many surprise unfortunate circumstances.
I am happy to report that our pup is happy, healthy and still ruling the house after 8 years. We are thankful for our insurance policy that enabled us to afford all the necessary medical care that he needed so that he can continue to enhance our lives with his unconditional love and unwavering adorableness.
If I ever decide to retire from teaching, you might find me going door to door as a pet insurance agent ….. I’m a BELIEVER!!!!
