You’ve welcomed your newest family member into your home, you’ve purchased all the crucial things, like dog food and a soft bed, gotten him a checkup and shots and started obedience lessons. Now it’s time to sit back and relax, right? Wrong.
Most dogs, especially purebreds, will need more than preventative veterinary treatment at some stage in their life. It might be something pretty trivial, such as a broken leg or a skin rash, or it might be major, such as a chronic disease or an unknown malady. It could take place when your Lab is young and apparently strong, or it might come as he ages. Your beloved canine might go to see the vet no more than a few times over the years, or he could be one of those that your vet knows by name.
From a financial point of view, the uncertaintly is the difficulty. You could make plans if you knew how much you would spend on medical care over your dog’s lifetime. You could put money aside every month to cover the expenses.
But as any pet owner can attest, that’s not how it works. When your pet needs expensive health care, it usually happens suddenly and unexpectedly. While you’re stressing about whether your dog is going to be okay, in the back of your mind you’re also worried about how much this is going to cost. Then of course you feel guilty because how can you think of cost at a time like this?
There is a way to reduce the tension about your wallet at a time like this. Make a plan to handle the medical expenses before your pet gets hurt or ill. Carry out your own pet insurance comparison to identify the one that offers the best possible protection for the cost for your Labrador while she’s still a baby – if at all possible before he has the opportunity to get sick or hurt!
Purebred dogs like Labrador Retrievers are the most costly to insure. There’s a reasonable explanation behind this. Dogs are more likely to need costly health care than cats, partially because they get into more mishaps. Cats can stay out all night, dodging dogs, cars and other dangers. Dogs, especially young ones, are more prone to run out into the street or have some other accident.
Purebred dogs are more susceptible to certain diseases than mixed breeds. Labrador Retrievers are susceptible to hip and elbow dysplasia, cataracts and skin allergies. Hopefully you got your puppy from a reputable breeder who made sure that your dog’s parents were free from these problems before they bred them. Even so, these types of issues keep cropping up for Labs, and they often mean pricey vet bills.
Make sure to check whether the pet insurance policy you’re considering covers hereditary conditions. Those that do will naturally cost more, but it’s worth it. After all, the reason you need a pet insurance policy in the first place is to guard against large unpredicted costs. If you buy insurance based only on price, you might find out at the worst possible time that you aren’t covered as well as you thought you were. That defeats the point of purchasing veterinary insurance in the first place.
Take your time and evaluate several policies. Don’t settle on one unless it meets your needs. It’s out there.
Written by Coleen Smith VIP Pet Insurance Labrador Rescue
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