Dr. Colleen Skavinsky is the chief veterinary officer at PetSecure pet health insurance (www.petsecure.com), bringing over 21 years of veterinary knowledge and compassionate understanding of the family-pet bond to her work. Through her work with police dogs and their devoted human partners, she has developed a special interest in the exciting challenges of medicine and surgery for professional service dogs.
Dr. Skavinsky believes that the veterinarian in today’s society is in a unique position to offer cutting-edge care for our pets, especially for those cats and dogs covered under pet health insurance policies.
Here, she answers common questions many pet owners have about how pet insurance works.
What is Pet Insurance?
Pet insurance is like a health plan for your pet. There are many different options and plans that allow pet parents to choose the coverage that best suits their needs. Depending on their plan, pet parents will receive coverage for everything from vet bills caused by accidents to behavioral therapy.
Why do I need it?
With the advances in veterinary medicine today, we can diagnose and treat more injuries and illnesses that we’ve ever been able to treat before. The level of care that is available for our pets today is impressive, but it can be costly for pet owners. For example, one of the most common chronic health conditions that affects dogs and cats today is arthritis, which can cost approximately $2, 400 per year to treat.
No matter how diligently we care for our pets, accidents and illnesses are often beyond our control. Pet insurance gives us the peace of mind to know that whatever happens, we can provide our pet with the very best care.
Is it worth the cost?
Enrolling in pet insurance allows you to plan pet care as part of a balanced budget and protects you against unexpected and costly vet bills. We understand that pet parents come from many different circumstances and there are pet insurance options to suit every budget.
Buying pet insurance is a responsible decision as a pet parent that anticipates that your pet may one day need veterinary care that would force you to choose between your personal finances and your pet’s health without the protection of pet insurance.
I am constantly hearing stories from pet parents whose pets have been saved because of pet insurance, and I’ve heard from many pet parents, that they will never again be without it.
When should I buy pet insurance for my pet?
The best time to get pet health insurance is right from the start, when you first adopt that puppy or kitten. Young animals are curious, which can lead to accidents and emergency vet visits. Also, after a condition has been diagnosed, it is often not covered under pet health insurance. It’s during the first year of life we see heart and joint conditions, allergies and more. Insuring your pet early means it will receive full coverage.
Pets Magazine – Pet Insurance: Start You Pet’s Life Off On The Right Paw
Janurary/February 2013, page 24