You bet. Just like obedience training, dog insurance is something you should start when your dog is a puppy, for its sake as well as your own. And while having dog insurance may sound slightly unconventional, unnecessary, or just over the top, it’s actually a sensible, responsible service that benefits both you and your dog.
You’ve got insurance for your car, your home and your health for one very good reason: they’re difficult, if not impossible, to replace. What about your pooch? There are those folks who view a dog as just an animal that can be easily swapped for another. People with this mindset are precisely the ones who just don’t get dog insurance—literally or figuratively.
Fortunately, we don’t think that way.
Like us, there are people out there who value their pets’ lives and who think of them as important members of the family—almost like furry little children with bad breath. They get treats, their own bed, and of course, a stocking full of chew toys during the holidays if they’ve been very, very good. If this sounds familiar, keep reading about why dog insurance is the best accessory for you and your puppy to have (much better than that bumblebee Halloween costume you made it wear last year).
Okay, how does dog insurance work?
Whether your puppy is a fancy breed or a loveable stray that simply wandered into your yard and your life, we know that there’s absolutely no replacing your adorable and adoring canine companion. There’s probably nothing you wouldn’t do to keep it healthy and happy. Dog insurance helps keep your puppy in tip-top shape throughout its entire life—without piling up serious debt or being forced to make a heart-breaking decision.
The way it works is that as your pet insurance company, Trupanion pays for 90% of covered healthcare expenses for your puppy, up to $20,000 over its lifetime. You pay the remaining 10%, as well as your monthly premium, examination fees and routine preventative care. No fine print, no loopholes. Make sense?
I’m still with you. What kind of dog insurance does Trupanion offer?
Good question! We only offer to start dog insurance policies for puppies between eight weeks and one year old. Compared to older dogs, puppies tend to be pretty healthy, and by covering pets that have a similar level of risk, we can offer a more affordable monthly premium while still covering a wide range of claims, both large and small. Don’t worry: We will continue to insure your puppy as it ages, but we won’t let an older dog start a policy with us. It skews the pool of policies so that puppy owners would see their pet insurance premiums driven up by the higher cost of insuring “mature” dogs. This won’t happen with Trupanion dog insurance—we guarantee it.
Not all dog insurance is created equal, of course. Some dog insurance companies out there charge low premiums, sure, but wind up covering very little. Other dog insurance companies will cover more types of illnesses and disorders, even rare and expensive ones, but make up for it by charging deductibles and a hefty monthly premium. They might also raise your premium as your puppy ages or as you submit more claims—neither of which will happen if you insure your puppy with Trupanion.
Is there anyone who wouldn’t need dog insurance?
We would say that if you don’t own a dog, you don’t need dog insurance. But all joking aside, the only person we can think of who wouldn’t need dog insurance is one who has about $20,000 to $30,000 lying around and who is able to spend it all on their dog’s care at a moment’s notice.
Even if you do have a decent savings account (and good for you if you do!), think about what a $2,000 vet bill really costs you. Yeah, you may be able to pay it, but would it mean no vacation? No new car to replace your clunker? That much less in your new house fund? And what if that $2,000 bill is just the tip of the iceberg? Having dog insurance is a great way to ensure not just the health of your dog, but the health of your finances, too. Think about how hard you work to put money away and how quickly you’d give it up for your dog. With Trupanion, you don’t need to make this choice.
Is dog insurance pricey?
We don’t think so. Our monthly dog insurance premiums are quite affordable. In fact, you probably pay more for your monthly gym membership or two large pizzas at your favorite pizzeria. When you think about how much you love your puppy and how much veterinary care can cost these days, you can’t afford not to have dog insurance.
Because of the great strides in veterinary medicine, dogs today are better able to recover from major injuries and life-threatening illnesses. However, it all comes at a price. Fixing a dog’s broken leg averages $2,000. Treating cancer in dogs can cost tens of thousands of dollars.
With such high veterinary costs, most owners who don’t have dog insurance are forced to take out loans, max out credit cards, or even do the unthinkable—give away or put down a pet they can’t afford to care for. That’s really hard to wrap your mind around, isn’t it? Get Trupanion dog insurance and you can rest assured that you’ll never have to make such a heartbreaking decision.