Pet Insurance – Are your pets covered?

A couple of years ago my family had to make an agonizing decision to put our 3 year old Labrador to sleep. She had been in veterinary and hospital care for over 7 days after suddenly becoming ill after her pancreas starting toÂ release too many enzymes into her system causing swelling of the liver. We had already run up sizable vet and hospital bills and could not afford any further ongoing care with less than promising prognosis for her recovery. It was a horrible situation to balance more huge veterinary fees that we couldn’t afford against trying to save her or put her to sleep.

At the time I was not aware of veterinary pet insurance. Had we have purchased this type of coverage for her we would not have had the worry of the bills and would have had more options to consider further treatment. Now I carry VPI pet insurance coverage on our two cats and new puppy. The insurance covers us for regular check up visits, preventative medications, vaccinations, and emergency operations and care.

A recent survey revealed that only 1% of American households with pets currently have any form of health insurance for their pets. Often pet owners are not aware how costly veterinary care can be until their pet is stricken with a sudden illness or suffers an injury.

Like human medical insurance, pet insurance companies charge monthly premiums and have deductables. Several levels of coverage are available and the monthly cost will be dependent on the type of coverage, and current age and health of your pets.

Recent advancements in veterinary care mean that many treatments previously only available for humans are now commonly being performed on pets including kidney transplants and cancer treatments. These treatments let our pets enjoy a longer and healthier life but they are expensive and may be beyond the reach of most of our budgets. Carrying pet insurance can open up these options to pet owners.

I recommend Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI) to any pet owner to protect the health of their pet and give them peace of mind that their pet will receive the best care in an emergency. VPI covers cats, dogs, birds, rabbits, ferrets, and reptiles. They offer free quotes at their website. To visit and get more information click here.

Owning a pet business does not guarantee you success, but it is generally not difficult to set up your own pet business adn many who own pet businesses love the hard working lifestyle and the closeness to pets. You will have to compete with those who may be better trained, may have lower cost structures and those who “pretend” to have your skills and experience when they do not. (eg not all those who advertise themselves as groomers are actually Groomers).

There are also key skills that all dog industry professionals should possess. Here are some of the most critical skills and abilities for those hoping to work with dogs professionally: Basic Dog Handling and Training Skills, ability to recognize behavioral signals.

Animals can be somewhat unpredictable when they are under stress or in an unfamiliar environment, like when they visit the veterinary office or the grooming salon, so it is important to be attentive and stay aware of the animal you are handling at all times.