Welcome to Pet Insurance Tips

Dog Cataract Surgery

Cataracts are very common in both cats and dogs as they age. In fact, dog cataract surgery is so well-known today that animal health insurance companies recognize the problem and cover these treatments.

A cataract shows up as a cloudy appearance on the surface of the eye, and your vet can usually diagnose the condition easily. Many breeds, like German Shepherds, Labradors, and Golden Retrievers may develop cataracts earlier in their lives, and the condition can also be linked to diabetes and eye injuries.

If you have an animal health insurance policy, your pet should be covered for cataract surgery or treatment for the cataracts. Your vet will determine the best course of action by examining your dog. If the vet can see inside the pet's eye to the retina, then the cataract may not be affecting your pet's vision much at all, and treatment will be minimal.

Consider pet insurance for your horse

Many pet insurance health plans are now expanding coverage for more unusual pets. For example, many people grew up loving horses and keep them as pets. While they require special care and living conditions, raising a horse can be a fun and rewarding experience.
But, horses can also get sick or have an accident. Also, since raising horses is expensive, the loss of one due to premature death can be costly. Additionally, treatment for accidents and horse illnesses can go into the thousands of dollars, especially if the horse needs colic surgery.
That's why it may be a good idea to insure your horse against the potential high cost of vet care. There are insurance companies out there that offer coverage for foals, yearlings, stallions, mares and geldings of all breeds. Some horse pet insurance may come with exclusions so choose your plan carefully. Ask your vet what kind of illness your horse breed might commonly deveop and consider this when choosing your coverage specifics.

Treatment Alternatives

Holistic or homeopathic medicine is growing as an alternative treatment for many pet ailments, including even some minor pet surgery. Holistic medicine includes vitamin supplements, natural foods, and herbal remedies as part of the healing process.

Holistic medicine is popular in preventing certain types of cancer and other common illnesses. However, most pet health plans do not cover holistic medicine at this time.

If you want to treat your pet with this type of medical treatment, you should check with your pet health plan company to find out if they cover holistic treatments and supplements. If not, a pet HMO might work better for your particular needs.

Consider pet insurance for your horse

Many pet insurance health plans are now expanding coverage for more unusual pets. For example, many people grew up loving horses and keep them as pets. While they require special care and living conditions, raising a horse can be a fun and rewarding experience.
But, horses can also get sick or have an accident. Also, since raising horses is expensive, the loss of one due to premature death can be costly. Additionally, treatment for accidents and horse illnesses can go into the thousands of dollars, especially if the horse needs colic surgery.
That's why it may be a good idea to insure your horse against the potential high cost of vet care. There are insurance companies out there that offer coverage for foals, yearlings, stallions, mares and geldings of all breeds. Some horse pet insurance may come with exclusions so choose your plan carefully. Ask your vet what kind of illness your horse breed might commonly deveop and consider this when choosing your coverage specifics.

The High Cost of Pet Surgeries

Today, pet care treatments are available that were never available before. With new medications and treatments comes higher costs, which creates a vital need for animal health insurance. This insurance will cover nearly all the costs of most pet surgeries, and makes vital health care much more available and cost effective.

With animal health insurance, there is no need to put off a surgery for your pet due to financial hardship. With animal health insurance, your pet can receive the care it needs, and you won't have to worry about the high cost of the surgery. You can simply concentrate on your pet's wellness.

How to Prepare Your Dog for Surgery

There are some things you need to do to prepare your dog for surgery. Your vet will give you information about withholding food before the surgery, and other preparations to make your pet more comfortable. You never know if your pet will need surgery, but if they do, an animal health insurance plan can help keep your personal costs to a minimum.

Animal health insurance plans cover most surgeries unless they are elective, and most cover the entire cost of the surgery. Purchasing an animal health insurance policy early in your dog's life is another way to plan ahead for pet care and emergencies like surgery.

Surgery and Anesthesia

Any surgery, even minor surgery, requires a form of anesthesia before the procedure. Many pet owners worry about anesthesia and the effects it has on their pet, and they also worry about the cost of administering anesthesia.

New methods of administering anesthesia before surgery have made the effects of anesthesia much safer for pets. Most pet health insurance companies cover the cost of anesthesia as a part of surgery benefits, and they cover the tests necessary to administer the correct amount of anesthesia to your pet, too.

When you sign up for pet health insurance, make sure to ask what surgical procedures are covered, along with what tests and drugs are covered during surgery.

Dog Knee Surgery

Dog knee surgery, also known as anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) surgery, is a common surgery in canines. The ligament in the dog's knee is torn due to accident or exertion, and the surgery repairs the ligament.

The two most important things you need to know about the surgery are that it can be expensive (more than $1,000 in some cases), and many pet health insurance companies do not cover the cost of the surgery.

Since the condition occurs in so many dogs, it pays to shop for a pet health insurance company that will cover the cost of dog knee surgery. Most companies list the surgeries they cover on their websites or in their brochures. If you're in doubt, check with the company before you purchase your pet health insurance policy.

Your Pet's Post-Op Recovery

Your dog has had surgery, the bills were taken care of by your pet health plan, and now, your dog is on the mend. There are some things you can do to help your dog recover from surgery.

Your vet may recommend pain medication for your dog after surgery. The pet should be kept warm and dry, and if there is blood coming from the surgical wound, you should notify your doctor. You should also try to keep your dog from licking the wound. You'll also need to visit the doctor in a few days so he can remove any sutures from the wound.

Luckily, most post-op visits and medications are also covered by most pet health plans, so you can concentrate on helping your dog feel better during recovery.

ACL Surgery and Insurance

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) surgery, or knee surgery, is a common procedure used to repair torn ligaments in a dog's knee. If you elect not to have surgery, your dog can suffer permanent damage and could be lame for life.

This condition is usually seen in larger dogs, or dogs that are overweight. Surgery can solve the problem, but the surgery is expensive. The cost depends on many factors, including whether the doctor can repair the torn ligament or has to insert a new, artificial ligament onto the knee.

The bad news is, some pet health plans don't cover the surgery, and you may not know that until it is too late. Some pet health plans also have a waiting period before they will cover ACL, so be sure to check with your plan about their waiting periods, too.

Emergency Pet Surgery

If you have emergency care service in your pet health plan, you won't have to worry about the costs of emergency surgery; they will simply be taken care of in most cases.

Pet emergencies can happen in the blink of an eye and they can force you to make emotional and difficult decisions very quickly. If you have an emergency pet health plan, you can authorize surgery immediately, which can be vital to saving a pet's life.

It's also good to know that most pet health plans cover any vet, so you won't have to get approval to use a different vet if your normal vet is not available during the emergency, or your pet requires the care of a specialist.