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expensive diagnoses. Pet insurance is a good investment with policies starting at about $10.00
per month. For example, it is not uncommon in our clinic for a dog to come in with rear leg
lameness and it often turns out to be a torn cruciate ligament. Completely fixable, but at a
cost of about $3000.
Many large dogs, and Danes in particular, are susceptible to GVD, or bloat. The dog starts
acting painful and tries to vomit but can't. Soon the abdomen swells with gas. Death will come
in hours. This life-threatening situation can only be corrected with emergency surgery.
Veterinarians and Emergency Clinics will require payment up front before they will start
surgery. Surgery cost: $2500-$3500.
Veterinary care has come a long way in the last few years, and many conditions that were not
treatable in the past can be successfully managed or cured completely. All too often I see
owners faced with the difficult decision of providing that care or possibly losing their beloved
companion. And often finances are the deciding factor.
What I have done, and what I would recommend any pet owner to consider, is to get pet
insurance when you first acquire your pet. I highly recommend Embrace Insurance *,which is
what I have for my Great Danes. Please read Diamond's story to hear my personal experience
with a very expensive emergency and how thankful I was to have Embrace.
In addition to Insurance, it is a good idea to have a Care Credit or Citi Health card. Check to
see which is accepted at your local Emergency Clinic and your regular veterinarian. These
cards offer interest free periods of 6 months to a year for veterinary expenses. Pet insurance
is different than human medical insurance in that you will have to pay up-front and then be
reimbursed by your insurance company. By putting the charges on an interest-free card, you
will be able to pay off the majority of it immediately from your insurance check, then pay the
deductible and any remaining amount without paying interest.
One last thing. Don't put off getting insurance until your pet is diagnosed with a serious
problem. Do it now, while he/she is healthy. No insurance will cover pre-existing conditions.
Once they have symptoms, it is too late.
The reasons that Embrace Insurance is different from other Pet Insurers:
1. Embrace pays based on your actual cost, not on some arbitrary "fee schedule", so you
get more reimbursement than the others.
2. They cover alternative treatments such as acupuncture and laser therapy.
3. They cover genetic and breed specific conditions.
4. Once your pet is diagnosed with a condition (while insured), Embrace will continue to
cover that condition after your policy renews. Most insurers do not do this. They write a
new policy each year, and if your pet was insured by them and diagnosed with diabetes, for
example, when your policy is due for renewal, diabetes would now be considered a
pre-existing condition and would no longer be covered.
You can compare all pet insurances at www.petinsurancereview.com
*I do not work for Embrace nor do I get anything for sending people to them.
per month. For example, it is not uncommon in our clinic for a dog to come in with rear leg
lameness and it often turns out to be a torn cruciate ligament. Completely fixable, but at a
cost of about $3000.
Many large dogs, and Danes in particular, are susceptible to GVD, or bloat. The dog starts
acting painful and tries to vomit but can't. Soon the abdomen swells with gas. Death will come
in hours. This life-threatening situation can only be corrected with emergency surgery.
Veterinarians and Emergency Clinics will require payment up front before they will start
surgery. Surgery cost: $2500-$3500.
Veterinary care has come a long way in the last few years, and many conditions that were not
treatable in the past can be successfully managed or cured completely. All too often I see
owners faced with the difficult decision of providing that care or possibly losing their beloved
companion. And often finances are the deciding factor.
What I have done, and what I would recommend any pet owner to consider, is to get pet
insurance when you first acquire your pet. I highly recommend Embrace Insurance *,which is
what I have for my Great Danes. Please read Diamond's story to hear my personal experience
with a very expensive emergency and how thankful I was to have Embrace.
In addition to Insurance, it is a good idea to have a Care Credit or Citi Health card. Check to
see which is accepted at your local Emergency Clinic and your regular veterinarian. These
cards offer interest free periods of 6 months to a year for veterinary expenses. Pet insurance
is different than human medical insurance in that you will have to pay up-front and then be
reimbursed by your insurance company. By putting the charges on an interest-free card, you
will be able to pay off the majority of it immediately from your insurance check, then pay the
deductible and any remaining amount without paying interest.
One last thing. Don't put off getting insurance until your pet is diagnosed with a serious
problem. Do it now, while he/she is healthy. No insurance will cover pre-existing conditions.
Once they have symptoms, it is too late.
The reasons that Embrace Insurance is different from other Pet Insurers:
1. Embrace pays based on your actual cost, not on some arbitrary "fee schedule", so you
get more reimbursement than the others.
2. They cover alternative treatments such as acupuncture and laser therapy.
3. They cover genetic and breed specific conditions.
4. Once your pet is diagnosed with a condition (while insured), Embrace will continue to
cover that condition after your policy renews. Most insurers do not do this. They write a
new policy each year, and if your pet was insured by them and diagnosed with diabetes, for
example, when your policy is due for renewal, diabetes would now be considered a
pre-existing condition and would no longer be covered.
You can compare all pet insurances at www.petinsurancereview.com
*I do not work for Embrace nor do I get anything for sending people to them.