Pet insurance is one of those things that most of us consider to be financially unnecessary. Heck, most of us can barely afford to make our own health insurance payments let alone to pay for insurance for our pets! However, there are some people who do stand to benefit financially from investing in pet insurance. Are you one of those people?

Photo: BenSpark

Here are ten signs that it may be financially worth it for you to get pet insurance:

  1. You do not believe in euthanizing your pets. When a pet starts to get old and begins to need a lot of expensive medical care, most pet owners decide that enough is enough. They accept that their pets have had a good life and take the pet to the vet for euthanasia. However, some people don’t believe in euthanasia. It’s cruel to keep old pets alive for a long time without important medical care and that medical care can be expensive. If you do not believe in euthanizing your pets then it may be financially worth it to invest in pet insurance for their old age care.
  2. You have an elderly or sick animal. Of course, it’s tough to say when it’s time to euthanize a pet even if that’s something that you do believe in. You may find that there is still a lot of life left in an old or sick animal but that they need surgeries or expensive medication to live that life. If you have an elderly or sick pet that needs that kind of care then pet insurance can help decrease those costs. Be careful when choosing the insurance, though, because many policies won’t cover pre-existing conditions.
  3. You just got a new baby pet. Although elderly pets are the ones that are most likely to get sick, young kittens and puppies are most likely to get injured. Add this to the fact that pet insurance is often cheapest if you get it when the pet is young and you may find that it’s worth it to make this investment early on as a pet owner.
  4. You are highly interested in cutting edge medical care for your pets. Technology has advanced a lot when it comes to pet medicine. Pets can now get kidney transplants, radiation therapy and other advanced procedures. If you are the kind of person who really likes to be among the first to try things like this with your pets than you can defray costs with pet insurance.
  5. You are diligent about wellness pet care. Many of us get the basic shots for our pets and then take them into the vet only when they are very sick or injured. However, smart pet owners are diligent about wellness visits and checkups for their pets. Some pet insurance is specifically designed to reduce pet care costs for ongoing wellness care visits (including dental care).
  6. Low cost pet insurance is available through your employer. If you are a pet owner who works at a forward-thinking place that offers affordable pet insurance (such as Google) then you may find that it’s financially savvy to go ahead and invest in it.
  7. You have a pet that won’t stop swallowing things. Some pets seem to be particularly prone to this problem. They swallow clothing, rocks, sticks, bones, balls and chew toys. Those items then need to be surgically removed at a very high cost. You can pay for pet training to hopefully prevent the problem but if that isn’t working then maybe you should consider buying pet insurance to reduce surgery fees.
  8. You have an outdoor pet. Pets that are left outdoors face a variety of risks. They may get out of the yard and get hit by a car. They may get into fights with other pets in the neighborhood. They may face injuries related to extreme outdoor weather. If you keep your pet outdoors rather than indoors then it may at least be worth it to consider pet insurance. Some good pet insurance policies even help cover the costs of advertising to find a lost pet.
  9. You have an aggressive pet. Some pet policies help cover legal costs if your pet harms someone else or their pet. Aggressive pets may also be more likely to get injured themselves. If you are dealing with pet aggression at home then you may find it worth it to get pet insurance.
  10. You have an unusually strong emotional attachment to your pet. We’re all attached to our pets. However, some people have serious attachments to their pets. People who live alone without a partner or children, especially as they get into old age, may be prone to this problem. These people may make decisions about pet care based on their hearts rather than their heads. This can end up wasting a lot of money over time. In such a case, pet insurance may be a smart choice.

Do you think it’s worth it to get pet insurance?

KathrynV

KathrynV

San Francisco based blogger for businesses and writer for the web. 10+ years of professional writing experience across a diverse range of different interests.