Anyone who owns a pet understands how life-changing just one cute animal is. Pets are the furry members of the family who are always there for you. Pets offer us companionship, unconditional love, loyalty, protection, and even health benefits. Let’s be honest; there are days we love our pets more than humans. Pets can be a loyal dog that excitingly waits for you to come back home or a purring cat that snuggles up on your lap. We love them no matter what, even when they accidently break our favourite things in the house. Therefore, it’s safe to say you will undoubtedly do anything it takes to make sure they are cared for and healthy.
As pet owners, it’s your duty to care for them as much as you can. Caring includes taking them to the vet, getting them vaccinated and providing them whatever they need to be healthy. No pet owner wants to think of the unfortunate things that could happen to their pet. However, every owner should be prepared to provide any medical attention they need now or in the future.
Unfortunately, owning a pet and taking care of its medical expenses is not cheap. One would be ready to pay as much to help their pet. Rather than spending thousands of dollars for medical care and worrying about money: owners should purchase pet insurance. Pet insurance is designed to help protect your pet at every stage of life and ease your concern about potentially hefty bills.
What is Pet Insurance?
Pet insurance is something pet parents never want to have to use. However, it is a crucial insurance to have in an emergency or even sudden vet consultations. A good plan can help pay for the significant costs of vet care to major treatments, and more.
Pet insurance reimburses vet bills for unwell pets from minor injuries or severe chronic illnesses. You don’t have to worry about bills and focus on your pet getting the best treatment. We wish pets could grow as old as us, but unfortunately, they don’t. Therefore it’s the pet owners duty to provide them with the best and longest life medication can offer.
What Cover Does Pet Insurance Provide?
Vet Consultation Cover (Examination)
There are days your pet may not seem themselves and seem unwell. Such behaviour is usually a sign to take your pet to the vet. It is a scary trip for the pet and the owner themselves. Sometimes it is something minor that simple medicines and time can cure. However, there are times that multiple examinations need to be taken to get a more accurate result. These examinations are costly and can add up to a hefty bill to ensure nothing else is wrong. When the expensive examinations lead to nothing serious- there is a relief. Over time the bills of vet consultations could add up to more than HKD 8,000.
The older your pet gets, the more vet consultations you will take. Even if your pet is young and healthy now, you still need pet insurance. Pet insurance will reimburse all vet consultation costs. The insurance will give the owner peace of mind when the costs add up. Additionally, it allows the doctor to carry out all examinations without the owner worrying about the costs. Pet insurance assists you in making sure your pet is examined by the vet thoroughly, and the veterinarian can act on results quickly.
Medical Coverage
Even though we don’t want to think about it: sadly, there are moments pets will fall sick. A severe illness is when the veterinarian will recommend specific treatments and frequent medications. Some treatments can take longer to cure, such as ear infections, internal organ diseases and more. Long treatments mean more complex examinations and costly medications. Overall, treatment and medication can be hefty out-of-pocket payments, which you have to and want to make. For example, animal cataract treatment can come up to around HKD 30,000. However, you want to provide them with the best treatment and not worry about budgeting.
They do so much for the family, and pet owners want to do as much for them by opting for the best treatment possible. In a situation like this, pet owners should only worry and focus on their pets getting better. Pet insurance is the best cover in these situations: as the insurance will cover all costs of treatment and medications. Therefore the owner can hope for the best with the expensive treatment with the most success rate. Let the insurance deal with the payments.
Surgery Cover
Imagine this you are playing with your pet, and then they get too excited and run into a piece of furniture. Suddenly your pet is limping away and does not want to move- this could be a broken bone. Accidents can be quite common with an active pet, and it’s the saddest thing watching them in pain. The first thing you would do is take them to a vet for x-rays and possible surgery. The veterinarian informs you the surgery will be HKD 10,000. Obviously, you will pay for it, no matter the cost. Your pet may have to go through a range of surgeries to get better and live a healthier life. Some can be as serious as hip surgery, tumour removal and much more.
It is the worst feeling and worse when you can’t afford the most successful surgery. Surgeries are extreamly expensive for pets and can create a massive hole in your life budget. Pet insurance makes sure you don’t dip into life savings. Pet insurance will cover the cost of surgery, no matter big or small. The need for surgeries can be sudden, and you as a pet owner, should always be prepared with pet insurance. They deserve to be healthy and operated on by the best. It is perfectly normal to fear the surgery, but you shouldn’t panic about the costs.
Third-Party Liability
We all heard it before pets are a huge responsibility. It is possible your dog may get in a fight with another dog during their walk, harm another person or even damage someone’s property. These incidents are all known as third-party injury or damage. The dog won’t pull out a wallet and pay for their actions-it is the pet owner responsibility to pay for any injury or damages caused by their pet. These situations can be extremely costly and unpredictable, depending on the injury or damage. In some cases, the third party may sue the pet owner for negligence as an owner.
For example, a person may sue you for injuries if your pet has bitten them. The pet owner will be liable to pay for medical expenses and compensation costs. These costs can add up to thousands and even more depending on the severity of injury or damage.
Pet insurance, thankfully, will help pet owners in such situations. The insurance will provide the cost of covering third-party liability and lawsuit cover. It is vital for pet owners to be careful about their pet’s actions when in public, but unpredictable actions may occur. Pet insurance is the best cover to avoid any risks associated with pet third party liability.
What Factors Affect Pet Insurance Cover?
Pet insurance premium and cover will depend on the type of animal, age, medical past and breed. Hence it is best to insure your pet at an early age to get the best coverage at a lower cost. However, the older your pet, the higher your insurance premium. Insurers may not accept pets older than ten years old for pet insurance.
Additionally, pet insurance will not cover treatments of pre-existing conditions – illnesses or injuries that happen before you purchase a policy. The insurance will reimburse based on what you pay at the vet’s office, not what we think the treatment for specific conditions should be.
The insurance has great financial benefits, but most importantly, it protects your dog or cat from missing out on the care they need. Insurance increases the chances to diagnose illnesses and getting the best treatment. Pet insurance means you won’t have to make heart-breaking choices because of money. Your pet deserves the best, and you shouldn’t have to spend thousands for that.
To Learn More about Pet Insurance and get the best coverage for loving pets, contact Red Asia Insurance.