I saw a client of mine the other day that really embodies what the average pet owner thinks about pet insurance… not that there was any negativity by any means. She was a very concerned and lovely young woman who loves her dog and would do anything for him. She just didn’t know much about pet insurance and didn’t see why she would need it.
Now, this situation wouldn’t be noteworthy, at least for this blog, but there were circumstances that makes her attitude wholly surprising. You see, two years ago, her dog ate a stuffed animal that almost killed him. After an intensive abdominal surgery and a week in intensive care, the dog lost about a foot of intestine, a week of running around the yard and his owner was out of pocket about $4000. The dog made a miraculous recovery, but I’m not sure how her bank account fared.
So, the other day, I performed an annual exam for her little 4 year old Westie and pronounced him the picture of perfect health. I asked her, though, at the end of the appointment, if she ever considered getting pet insurance, thinking about what they went through 2 years ago. She said,”Why? You just said he is perfect. ” I was speechless (trust me, that’s saying alot as I am also known as Dr. Jibber Jabber).
What I proceeded to talk with her about is a very important thing that all pet owners should consider… Buy pet insurance when your dog is healthy and you don’t think you need it. You will.
As far as this Westie is concerned, I just couldn’t believe that his owner forked over $4000 of her hard earned cash (albeit for a great cause) and never once explored a way to save money if the dog decided to chew on another toy.
As far as this young lady is concerned, I took a few minutes to describe to her why in particular she needed to look into insuring her pet. I’m hoping she went home and signed him up.
So, the point of all of this should be clear. Please, please, get pet insurance the moment your vet says that your dog (or cat) is in perfect health.
Tomorrow they could just as easily swallow their favorite toy, and take your credit card with it.

Looking out for you, even if you don’t think you need it,

Dr. AJ