Pet Insurance
For your Miniature American Shepherd
Have you considered pet insurance for your Miniature American Shepherd / Mini Australian Shepherd? Here is some basic information from my experience as a veterinary nurse and a breeder to help you in making a decision of what is best for you and your dog.
What does pet insurance cover?
Pet insurance is meant to help you and your pet during unexpected vet visits when your dog is not doing well. This generally includes illnesses, injuries, diseases, surgery, diagnostic work ups, hospitalization, specialty vet visits, and more. There are many things that pet insurance will cover. We never expect our dog will become sick, break a bone, need surgery, or be diagnosed with something that requires lifelong care but it is so nice to have insurance to help cover the majority of the finances when those unexpected things happen. It is important to understand that pet insurance is not intended to cover yearly wellness exams or vaccinations or routine dental cleanings. However, some insurance companies will help with wellness visits with an added coverage package.
Are pre-existing conditions covered?
It is important to note that most pet insurance companies will NOT cover pre-existing medical conditions, except for AKC Pet Insurance (after 1 year of coverage). There are also often times waiting periods before a pet can be covered for certain things. For example, that may look like 14 days for illnesses and 6 months for orthopedic injuries.
How much does pet insurance cost?
The price of pet insurance is largely dependent upon each company, what coverages you are looking for, and the age of your dog when you enroll. Typically price ranges between $30-$70 per month. Most companies will have a recommended plan but they are all adjustable to match what YOU want and what works for your budget. For example, you can adjust what portion insurance will cover, such as 70%-100%. You can also adjust what you would like your annual deductible to be such as $200 to $500. You can often adjust what your annual maximum pay-out is such as $10,000, $20,000 or even unlimited. There are also additional packages that some companies offer to add on such as helping with some preventative care costs (wellness visits/vaccines/spay/neuter, etc), breeding coverage, rehabilitation/therapy, behavioral, euthanasia, etc.
What insurance companies do I recommend most?
There are MANY pet insurance companies out there. I have researched some of the most popular and a few others. Here are some of my personal top recommendations and WHY:
Figo
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Trupanion
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AKC Pet Insurance
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Lemonade
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Bottom line - Do I recommend pet insurance for your Miniature American Shepherd?
Yes, I do. Veterinary expenses are always increasing and it is nice to have insurance to help with unexpected veterinary bills when your pup is not feeling well. I work in a specialty veterinary clinic where we perform diagnostic imaging of pets who are sick and are not getting better despite multiple visits to their regular vet. We also perform procedures that help older pets suffering from various types of cancer or born with abnormalities. It gives owners peace of mind to have insurance knowing a lot of financial burden is covered when something happens and they can focus on helping their dog feel better.
What would I recommend if you DON'T want pet insurance?
If you are not interested in pet insurance, I would recommend putting away money each paycheck or month to a savings account just for unexpected veterinary bills. Your pup will thank you later. :)
