Are You Financially Prepared For Your Pet’s Emergency?

By Amy Jackson

It’s 10 pm on a Saturday night and Fluffy has been vomiting and is now lethargic.  You contact your regular veterinarian and they are closed, but the answering service gives you the number to a local emergency clinic. It is recommended that Fluffy be examined and not wait until morning to see her regular vet. Upon exam Fluffy is dehydrated and her tummy hurts.  X-rays and blood work are the next step.  X-rays show that there is something in Fluffy’s stomach and she needs surgery. The surgical estimate is $2700! Not having credit cards or enough money in your checking account, you have to borrow money from a family member.

Or you have friends over and they leave the gate open and your dog bolts out of the yard chasing a squirrel. He gets hit by a car and sustains internal and external injuries as well as broken bones, requiring a $4000 surgery. In most states it’s not the responsibility of the driver to pay for your dog’s injuries, and you may actually be required to pay for the damage done to the car.

No one is ever prepared to spend that much money on medical care for his or her pet. Most owners do all the right things - they go to the vet regularly, feed the best diets, try to make sure their dogs don’t get into things they shouldn’t. But bad things happen and they usually happen at the worst possible time.

Some veterinary practices offer health and wellness plans. These plans require you to pay a small fee per month.  Depending on the plan, they cover everything from unlimited exams to vaccines, medications and diagnostic testing.  Unfortunately, these plans can only be used at the hospital you pay money to monthly, and they don’t cover emergency visits to a 24 hour hospital.  Due to the poor economy, most veterinarians are no longer allowing payment plans.

Another alternative is pet insurance.   There are numerous plans available - some cover vaccines and blood work and preventative care while others will cover emergency surgery and cancer treatment. You must pay for all services at the time of treatment and then file a claim for reimbursement.  This can potentially save you lots of money but you still must have the funds available at the time treatment is rendered.

Care Credit (carecredit.com) and Citi Health credit cards are designed for medical treatment for both humans and animals. These are subject to credit approval and not all animal clinics accept them.

Anyone who is thinking about getting a pet should consider opening up a savings account specifically for the new pet. It may sound silly, but saving $10-$20 per week adds up. If you have children who are eager to own a puppy/kitten, then have them add some of their change from the piggy bank to the savings account.

Please remember no pet is ever “free”.  Owning a pet is not always about cute toys, fancy collars and nice dog beds.  Pets are like children and no matter how careful you are or how healthy your pet may be, accidents happen.  Just be ready.