[quote=Murreydobe;197835]
Quote:
Originally Posted by Santa  Most people can afford to care for their pets in everyday circumstances, but what you are really suggesting is that only those who have a good few thousand lying around spare should have pets. I think you'd find that means most of us would have to give up our pets. Life simply doesn't work that way.
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While this is true, it doesn't seem to me like pet insurance really is going to help in emergency situations, since they only reimburse owners AFTER the fact. That means the owner is still going to have to be able to come up with a way to pay on the spot for emergency treatment..that could be thousands for something like bloat, for example.
For that reason, I always maintained a credit card that was used only for animal emergencies. I never wanted to be frantically casting around for the cash to pay a vet in a worst case scenario when every second counts. |
Quite true but I'm not particularly worried about that one - because I don't know if my vet is unusually helpful or if this is standard but he accommodates that kind of thing by billing and then waiting for the payout for payment if necessary. He even adds a fake €40 to the bill when I claim to cover my excess so I'm never out of pocket at all! Probably I'm particularly lucky with him. One of the reasons I knew it was a good time to get a dog was because I knew that I could stump up the money at times of need in a way I haven't always been able, but not everyone can. That alone doesn't mean they can't care for a dog or shouldn't have one.
My insurance costs €196 per year and is worth every cent. But the main bonus is not financial in itself, it's the peace of mind in knowing that none of the medical decisions I make on behalf of my baby will be dictated by my financial circumstances in a lean month, for example.