I am really big on pet insurance.  It makes sure that nothing gets in the way of allowing me to look after your pets the only way I know - the best way.

And I know that in many cases, where the pet is not insured, money does get in the way of doing the best thing. That is wrong!  Vets are not bankers, we are not rich, and we have bills to pay like everyone else.  We also want to do the right thing by you and your pet!

Put it this way, would you prefer to have your pet insured, and pay only $100 for knee reconstruction, or uninsured, and have to pay $4900!  Take your pick.

 As many of my pets do have pet insurance, we have experience with how many of these companies are in dealing with their customers. We suggest you consider  one of the following companies....

PetPlan:

They offer a 30 day cover note so you have nothing to lose. Follow the above link to find out more and get a quote.

AFS PetMed:

We do get a commission if you sign up with our IBO  number.  Our IBO number is 6185851, and they have a 14 day cooling off period.  . 

Medibank Private:

This is one of the few companies which don't reduce your benefits as your pet ages. They also have higher annual limits. They have recently changed their policies, so if you looked into them a few months ago, and are still interested, just recheck the information before you sign up.

So don't hesitate - look into it and if you think it will work for you sign up, and let's hope you never need to use it, but if you do, you can rest easy that we can do the best thing for your little mate.

If you don't think you need pet insurance, then make sure your budget will cope with up to $9000 on vet bills in one year, (even in one go) if something goes wrong with your pet, as your other choice would be to let your pet suffer or to kill it.

In 2010, our dog Teddy was diagnosed with Lymphoma, and needed chemotherapy with a specialist.  As a vet, I thought I could deal with virtually anything I was faced with in my pets, but where cancer drugs is concerned, this is best dealt with by a specialist. It cost $10 500 all up for six months of chemotherapy, blood tests, and other therapy. He is alive today because of the chemotherapy, and we, as a family, we had to do without alot of other things to be able to afford it. Two months before his diagnosis, I was going to get pet insurance for him, and our four cats, but a colleague (strange enough) talked me out of it! What a mistake! Learn from my mistakes, and get your pets covered!

Teddy went to heaven in November 2011 - and we don't regret spending the money on his chemo, as he was a special member of our family. But we did set our boundaries on what we would and could not do - as a result, when his cancer returned in October, we opted to not pursue further chemotherapy with the specialist, but if we had pet insurance - you bet - we would've!  And he could still be with us enjoying Summer Holidays (his favourite time of year - he loved the pool and his tennis ball).

If you want to look at other companies, then visit www.petsure.com.au as this lists over 12 different pet insurance companies. 

Just get your pet insured NOW, or make sure you have money aside to look after your pet! 

Don't wait until tomorrow or next week. Do it NOW!

Dr Liz

December 2011