You have car insurance, and most likely health and home insurance as well.  But have you ever considered buying a health insurance policy for your dog?  Dog insurance is just that, and if you have ever been hit with an unexpected vet bill, you can probably see the wisdom in getting such a policy.

A dog health insurance plan will cover unexpected expenses such as accidents and injuries, and will also pay for cancer treatments, surgeries, X-rays and other veterinary care.  You can buy add-on policies that will cover routine care, such as vaccinations, heartworm control, prescriptions and other items.  From my research, policies start at around $10-$15 per month.

Is it Worth it?
It is difficult to say whether or not that extra monthly expense is worth paying for, until you are at the vet’s office and facing a huge bill.  We brought home two puppies earlier this year, and before we could get them vaccinated, they ended up contracting Parvo and both required hospitalization.  While the second puppy was still in the hospital, my husband was laid off from his job.  With $1,300 in vet bills, we sure could have used dog insurance for those girls.

Fortunately for us, our vet was willing to take payments, but what if he had not been?  What if we lost our dogs because we didn’t have the money to pay for their care?  That thought haunted me for some time after the Parvo fiasco.  When you consider that your monthly premium is less than a daily newspaper, it probably is worth spending a little bit for the peace of mind dog insurance can bring.