3 times to buy pet insurance

Many Americans are knowledgeable about their personal insurance policies. 

Whether it’s a health insurance policy for themselves and their family, a car insurance policy for their vehicle, or even a life insurance policy for their beneficiaries, many people have a basic understanding of how their insurance works and how much it costs. 

When it comes to other, less conventional forms of insurance, however, it helps to do your research. This is particularly true for pet insurance, a unique form of protection owners can secure for their cat or dog. 

In return for a monthly fee to a provider, owners can rest assured knowing that their pet has medical care should any sickness or emergency arise. 

The advantages of having a pet insurance policy are significant, particularly if the timing surrounding the purchase of a plan is done well. If you’re considering pet insurance then click here to get a free quote so you know exactly what to expect. 

3 times to buy pet insurance

While pet insurance is advantageous throughout a pet’s life, there are three times, in particular, when it’s smart to act.

When your pet is young

You’ll never pay less for pet insurance than you do when your pet is young. That’s because pet insurance, just like life insurance for humans, makes risk a top priority. And the risk is low when pets are young.

Younger pets have significantly fewer health issues than older ones. Accordingly, they’re less likely to need routine vet visits and thus will be less expensive to insure. Those savings will be passed on to the owner in the form of a lower premium.

Also, consider that pet insurance often doesn’t cover pre-existing conditions. But if you act early and get a plan before any nagging health issues arise your coverage will be much more comprehensive. And if any conditions arise in the future you’ll already be covered.

In short: if you want more comprehensive coverage for an affordable cost, insure your pet when they’re young and healthy. Get started now.

When you buy/adopt a new pet

The logic behind this timing is similar to the one above. That’s because pet insurance will only get more expensive as your cat or dog ages. And they’ll likely have less protection since pre-existing conditions will have already presented themselves. But if you get them insured earlier on in life, in general, you’ll improve your chances of coverage.

For example, if you have a puppy or kitten then you should consider pet insurance within their first year. But if you buy or adopt an older animal then you should consider it then, too, before it becomes more expensive. 

Finally, as any owner who has bought or adopted a new pet already knows: the first year of ownership can be expensive, regardless of the pet’s age. Vaccines, medications, and more quickly add up. Fortunately, pet insurance can ease some of that financial burden.

When you buy/adopt specific breeds

Did you know that dogs are typically more expensive to insure than cats? Or that some cats are pricier to insure than other cats?

When it comes to pet insurance there are certain caveats (like pre-existing conditions) that it helps to understand in order to best optimize your coverage. Animal breeds are one of those caveats. 

For example, some breeds of dogs and cats have more health issues than others. So you’ll likely have more vet visits than you would for another type. In this case, you’ll want (and likely need) pet insurance to help with the bills.

A German Shepherd is more likely to need a medical procedure for hip dysplasia than most other breeds. English bulldogs, Frenchies and other “flat-faced” dogs, meantime, are prone to suffer from Brachycephalic Airway Obstruction Syndrome (BAOS). Persian cats, meantime, are known to develop seeing issues such as cherry eye.

If you know that your animal’s breed is prone to one or more health issues then you should insure them now before these ailments arise and the bills pile up.

Get started now.

The bottom line

Pet insurance operates differently than many traditional insurance types. But that doesn’t mean it’s not valuable. Owners just need to do their homework and build a plan as early as possible to ensure success. The above three times are good starting points.

A pet insurance expert can help you build a cost-effective and reliable plan now.