Ensuring the well-being of your animal necessarily involves its health, which has a close link with the quality of the veterinary care it receives.
In the event of illness or accident, they can be very costly. Animal health insurance makes it possible to cover this veterinary care, which is a huge relief for owners. However, very few pets benefit from this optimal protection. Why is animal health insurance important?
Animal health insurance takes care of reimbursement of veterinary costs
In France, one in two households owns one or more pets. However, most are unaware that it is possible to insure these or are unaware of the value of this act. Even if an animal can live for many years without worry, it is unfortunately not immune to dangers and its health must be preserved. Expenses related to veterinary consultations, treatments, vaccines, surgeries, and unforeseen accidents can represent a huge budget for a pet owner. For financial reasons, each year more than 250,000 animals are euthanized.
It is therefore wise to protect yourself against these risks and the best solution is to take out pet health insurance. Depending on the type of contract, the latter reimburses you between 50 and 100% of the expenses incurred in the health of your little companion. It is also recommended to take out dog or cat insurance while the animal is still very small.
Preventive actions are covered by pet insurance
As prevention is at the heart of veterinary medicine, the ideal is to take the necessary measures to protect your four-legged companion. The advantage of a prevention package is that it allows owners to have an annual amount of money which will be used to purchase care, maintenance, food, and even accessories products.
You can prevent him from contracting heartworm or leishmaniasis through preventive treatments. To insure your pet, it is then wise to choose health insurance which also provides a package for preventive veterinary care. This will be used to finance certain veterinary procedures such as health checks, sterilization, antiparasitics, deworming, etc.
Health insurance for pets: a guarantee of assistance in the event of an emergency
A pet may require emergency care during its lifetime. Taking out insurance for your dog, cat or new pet (rabbit, guinea pig, ferret, etc.) allows you to face unforeseeable hazards when you choose the appropriate formula. You also guarantee better assistance to your companion.
For example, if the animal is lost, the owner benefits from valuable help from the insurance company to find it. The latter also pays him a financial contribution to relieve him of the expenses linked to the search for his companion. To benefit from this service, you must take out animal insurance which includes this guarantee, and whose telephone assistance service is available 7 days a week and 24 hours a day.
Insurance adapts to the specific needs of your pet
Certain animals are particularly exposed to infections or attacks from wild animals because of their activity (hunting dogs for example) while others are not. Each breed of pet therefore has its particularities to which animal insurance should be adapted..
For example, a French bulldog whose breed is highly predisposed to eye diseases cannot have the same health coverage as a hunting dog exposed to pathologies linked to wildlife such as Aujeszky’s disease. The same goes for an alley cat which is used to living outside and an indoor cat like the Persian Chinchilla. Mutual animal health insurance offers formulas adapted to the specific needs of the animal and the owner’s budget. The latter can choose between various formulas which allow them to take out more or less extensive animal cover, at a better price. Generally, specialized insurers offer three types of tiers:
- entry-level animal health insurance contract (on average from 15 euros per month),
- mid-range contract (from €25),
- high-end contract (from €30).
Be careful, however, certain breeds of animals are particularly affected by serious health problems of a hereditary or genetic nature. This category of animals is normally excluded from health insurance coverage for dogs or cats. You must therefore be vigilant when acquiring your new companion on certain points (living conditions, heredity, status of the parents, etc.).
Some pet insurance covers the end of life of your faithful companion
Your dog, cat, or NAC is like a member of your family. He witnessed your moments of joy and sorrow. It is therefore completely normal that you want to take care of your health until the end. Often it is when they are very young or getting older that the risks of accidents and/or illness (not counting preventive measures) are higher.
Fortunately there are dog or cat insurance companies that cover pets from a very young age until the end of their life. When taking out a contract with your animal health mutual, consider checking whether this point is taken into account. Usually, these same formulas also guarantee the coverage of part of the costs of euthanasia and cremation.
It is also possible to choose a contract that guarantees the payment of compensation in the event of the death of a cat or dog. This will allow the pet owner to afford another companion. Even if the new animal does not replace the loss of the previous one, it can still help to grieve and fill the void.
If you want to preserve the life expectancy of your dog, your cat, or even your NAC, take all precautions to protect it from health problems. Take him to the vet frequently for a check-up, and treatment in case of illness or injury, and don’t hesitate to call emergency services when necessary. It is possible not to be faced with an inability to pay for your faithful companion’s healthcare costs or to spend exorbitant amounts of money. The best solution is to purchase pet health insurance as soon as possible.
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