What You Should Know About Puppy Insurance

Puppy insurance is designed to help you rebound from the ruh-rohs of life, like illness and accidents. It’s an easy-to-use plan that pays 90% of covered vet bills for your puppy, which can save you thousands on costs over their lifetime.

There are many factors to consider when choosing a pet insurance policy, including coverage limits, deductibles and co-pays. Most importantly, you should always read the fine print and make sure you know what’s covered by each plan you consider.

Generally, pet insurance plans cover medically necessary treatments and procedures, like veterinary examinations and consultations, hospitalization and treatments, medications, surgeries and diagnostic services. Some policies also include hereditary conditions and congenital diseases that are specific to certain breeds, like a cruciate ligament injury for German Shepherds or an eye condition for Labradors. Preventive care add-ons, which include routine vaccines, wellness visits and blood tests, are also available from some pet insurers to provide extra coverage for those costs that you may not have planned on.

While accident coverage is important for puppies, many people choose to purchase a more comprehensive policy that includes illness coverage. With hereditary and congenital illnesses included, these plans usually cost more per month than an accident-only policy but can be well worth it if your pet gets sick or injured.

Illness coverage reimburses the eligible costs of illnesses and chronic disease treatment, such as cancer, diabetes, ear infections, allergies and thyroid problems. These costs can add up quickly, especially for ongoing health issues that require long-term care, such as diabetes or arthritis. Some conditions are excluded from coverage for a certain number of years, so it’s best to discuss them with your vet when you’re looking into a plan.

The best time to get puppy insurance is when they’re young, and before any serious illnesses develop. It’s also the cheapest option. Many policies have age and lifetime limits, so once your dog reaches a certain age the premium goes up or they’re no longer covered. Also, if your puppy has any pre-existing conditions when you buy the policy they’ll likely be excluded.

Most pet insurance companies will have a waiting period before any illnesses are covered, but you can still purchase accident coverage for your puppy during this time. Most of these companies will only allow a short waiting period before covering hereditary and congenital conditions, so it’s good to research each company when selecting a policy. You should also be aware that some policies don’t cover dental care or alternative treatments such as homeopathy, acupuncture and physiotherapy. puppy insurance