Dog Health Insurance - How To Choose The Best One

It's a big commitment, sharing your life with a dog. You've opened your home and your heart to an animal who is your faithful friend and companion and will be with you until the very end of his life. In his eyes you're the pack leader. Your word goes, even if he doesn't agree with it at the time. He trusts you no matter what.

That total trust is a privilege isn't it. To think that an animal can have that much faith in you to care for him and protect him. That's why dog insurance is a must, not only to cover for veterinary bills but to insure you and him against loss, damage, accident, and any number of other things that can arise if you have an animal.

However, there are so many types of dog health insurance it's hard to know where to start when making a decision so you need to do some research before you decide on one. Have a look through all the ones in your geographical area by doing a web search and make a note of all of them.

Now look through each site. Look at the benefits attached to each level of cover and what the exclusions are. Once you have an idea of what you want covered within your price range you can make a list of what your insurance requirements are and narrow the list down even further.

The most expensive health insurance for dogs isn't always the most suitable, and neither is the cheapest option for damage cover always the worst option - you need to tailor the cover to fit the need.

For instance you may have a tiny Chihuahua - with the best will in the world and every bit of his strength he's not going to break down the neighbor's wooden fence and make off with the Thanksgiving turkey from the kitchen table, so the level of cover for damage will very much depend on the damage your dog could cause if he had the inclination.

Similarly, your pedigree Basset Fauve de Bretagne is going to be worth a whole lot more if he gets lost (in financial terms of course!) than your appealing lop-eared mutt with the 57 varieties of ancestry, and although you think your mutt is priceless the insurance company unfortunately doesn't.

So draw up a checklist, mark which pet insurance companies give the cover you're after and which don't. And check the small print in the dog medical insurance - is the cover lifelong or will they stop cover after a certain age. Check the restrictions. If your dog contracts a chronic condition how much of the vet's fees are the insurance willing to pay? You really do need to check these things before emergency hits! And once you've narrowed it all right down, make your choice, and sign him up.

Next article: Senior Dogs – Understanding How To Take Good Care Of Them