Why is pet insurance important?

Sometimes I look at the amount we spend in the house on pet insurance every month a shudder, as I admit it’s a lot, as not only do we have Sally dog insured, but also Dobby and Sock. You see Guinea Pigs can also have issues that cost a lot of money to fix and at the end of the day, I would like to know we can afford that treatment if the worst happens, than having to make a perhaps heart breaking decision.

This year Dobby and Sock will be 2 and *touchwood* so far they have only been to the vets once, for an issue that was treated and cured very quickly, without having to call on insurance. Sally however hasn’t been so lucky.

When I got Sally she was already at least 5 and although we have been lucky that in the grand scheme of things she has been pretty “ok” – I mean she now at least 13 (almost 14), she has had a few issues that mean we have been very glad she is insured.

A little over a year after having Sal, while she was living with my parents as I was in the refuge, she started to suddenly limp on walks and shake one of her hind back legs. We of course quickly took her to the vets, assuming her life on the street could have taken its toll and she was suffering from arthritis.

So we were shocked when they told us that in fact her whole knee was coming out of place, due to the fact the bone had bone almost completely smooth, allowing the knee joint to just pop out of place and to fix it, she would need her knee completely re-grooved. As you might expect this was a very expensive operation.

Thankfully due to the fact we had her insured we know, without hesitation the operation was affordable for us and a few weeks later she was taken in to have surgery.

I won’t lie, her recuperation was long, I was lucky as the refuge allowed me to take a few days away and I slept on the sofa at my parents while Sally was on the floor beside me. But it took her a long time to be the dog she was before, but my goodness she soon became that dog and so much more.

Suddenly she could jump up and almost head butt me in the face, she could run for as long as she wanted and she could enjoy walks again.

I often wonder what life would have been like for Sally, if we couldn’t afford that operation, what if I had decided pet insurance was an unneeded expense.

So please if you are wondering if pet insurance is needed or not, do keep paying, you never know what might be around the corner, it is worth it and your pet will thank you if you ever need to to call on it.

Have you ever had to call on pet insurance, or wish you had, had it?

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