Be Prepared -- For Their Sake!
 

Once again I was reading a thread of a pet owner faced with catastrophic vet bills for the care of a little one. This is something that we have to think about. With pet ownership comes a responsibility! We owe these little ones the care they deserve. Once we bought them they have a right to depend on us for more than a bowl of kibble and a scratch behind the ear.

If a person does not have sizeable financial reserves then they need to get insurance of some kind. There are many affordable policies (around $25 a month). I recommend the ones with a low cost and higher deductible. They pay little on routine visits but will come through when an emergency visit racks up thousands of dollars of bills.

There is also Carecredit as an option. Why Use CareCredit® Veterinary Financing? (Payment Plans for Pet Vaccinations, Pet Surgery, Tests & Affordable Veterinary Medicine Procedures) or get another credit card with several thousand dollar limit and lock it up somewhere where you won't use it for anything but an emergency vet situation.

If you do get hit with the unexpected there is a site that lists many organizations that MAY be able to help. http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/sic...vet-bills.html Don't rely on free services though, they all have limited resources!

Please anticipate the possible need and set aside funds or get insurance NOW. If you are hit with a job loss or other financial problem, reassess and make a new plan for pet health care. Maybe your old job provided well enough you did not have to worry about insurance, but now.... make sure you have it covered! We bring these amazing creatures into the world for our own enjoyment. We owe them the best care available if they need it!

I wholeheartedly agree. It always saddens me that someone can't afford veterinary care in a situation where a health issue can be remedied. Plan for something to happen...

Don't assume credit care is readily available either...in the ER vet one evening...I watched three different people's applications be denied.

:goodpost: Too many people don't consider the cost of vet care when they purchase their puppy. Toy breed dogs especially seem to have more emergencies, i.e. pancreatitis, dehydration, injuries from jumping on and off furniture.

When your Yorkie is sick or injured it is not the time to be worrying about how you will pay for it. Most emergency vets require that you pay upfront. If you can't, they will turn you away.

I'm not a big fan of pet insurance because there is so much it doesn't cover. The best thing to do is to set up a separate account for vet bills and add to it monthly. Have a fixed sum automatically deposited from your paycheck if possible.

Remember, someday your Yorkie's life may depend on you being financially prepared for an emergency.

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

I agree. I have had so many vet expenses with Cali, over 10,000 in the 3 1/2 years I have had her and she is on expensive monthly medicine for life. Fortunately I have a reserve for emergencies and I have pet insurance on all 3. I have had pretty good luck with pet insurance. I know I just sent them a bill for 530.00 for Cali's bout with HGE and received a check back for 395.00 and over the years have gotten many checks for her. The other two it has just been nice to know it's there should I need it.