Te first thing to do is make sure you buy from a reputable breeder which ups yours odd of having a healthy puppy. Small puppies can easily run up a large vet bill in 1 illness. I think 400 is a good start but iwould make sure you have a visa with at least 1000.00 available for emergencies. Cali cost me over 5,000 in her first 6 monthss due to some health issues. I did take out the VPI pet insurance and after providing them with medical records they reimbursed me 850.00 so they do not pay every thing. If you can easily afford the 20-25 monthly premium it's not a bad idea. They do not cover genetic related illnesses like liver shunt and be sure you have the effective date the day you pick the puppy up. I didn't and Cali went hypoglycemic and they excluded any charges related to that which she had 3 visits for. God luck and it sound like you are being very responsible before getting your puppy. |