This past week was one marked with grief and sadness following the loss of our beloved Siamese cat, Flurry. He was only 12 years old and succumbed to intestinal cancer. As a family, we embarked on an intense journey with Flurry which entailed numerous veterinary examinations, diagnostic tests, bloodwork, medications and finally - the services of a palliative veterinarian, who performed the euthanasia in our home. Then we drove to a pet cemetery, where we laid him to rest alongside our other family pets.

We have always purchased pet insurance for all of our family pets: 4 cats and one dog at this point in time. Having the pet insurance in place proved to be an invaluable hedge against being dinged for thousands of dollars in veterinary expenses. Services such as biopsies, multiple medications, visits to the veterinarian, palliative veterinary services, euthanasia and burial at a pet cemetery were all expenses which were partially or fully covered under our policy.

So why are some pet owners hesitant to purchase pet insurance for their pets? Some believe that insurance carriers will deny veterinary claims and that they will end up paying more in premiums than the actual benefit they derive from owning a policy. Yes, it is true that there are times when deductibles go up as the pet ages and yes, there are certain breeds of dogs and cats - those over bred and prone to many medical conditions - that may be excluded from coverage with the pet insurance carriers. Yes, when our pets are young and healthy, and we find that our  insurance policy excludes annual examinations and maintenance visits, we start to question purchasing pet insurance. However, when our pets get older and start experiencing multiple health problems, then we start realizing the true value and benefit of having this insurance in place. Large dogs are more prone to cartilage and ligament tears which require expensive surgical intervention. Cats are prone to developing kidney issues such as kidney failure and intestinal cancers as they age. These conditions require very expensive and lengthy emergency and follow up intervention and treatment which often runs in the thousand, if not tens of thousands, of dollars. Our family’s experience with our pet insurers has been extremely positive and time and proven that when we needed benefits the most, they were there. We have no regrets about our long time commitment to carry pet insurance for all of our family pets and encourage others to do the same. Keep in mind that it is best to purchase pet insurance when your pets are puppies or kittens.

For more information about how pet insurance can work for you and your family pet, take a look at the following pet insurance carriers for more information about products and rates: www.petlineinsurance.com and www.trupanion.com