Puppies and bigger dogs -- and kittens,cats and exotic pets -- can be insured under health coverage, just like their owners. Levels of coverage vary, and annual benefits range up to $14,000.
Plainfield veterinary assistant Ann Vandermeulen feared the worst when a specialist couldn't diagnose what was ailing her 7-year-old cat.Watching the oldest of her four pets become bloated and uninterested in her food, Vandermeulen felt helpless when the veterinarians said they didn't know why her beloved Krystal was suffering.
Eventually the cat made a turnaround without treatment, but Vandermeulen wasn't taking any more chances.
She quickly signed up Krystal, her new puppy, and her 1- and 5-year-old cats for veterinary pet insurance.
'Now that I'm going to get it, I do feel more comfortable,' Vandermeulen said.
Vandermeulen is one of more than 1 million pet owners who have insured man's best friend and their other cuddly, scaly or feathered companions with Veterinary Pet Insurance.
VPI is the largest pet insurance company in the United States, insuring pets since 1992.
Pet insurance plans usually cover dogs, cats and certain exotic animals.
Rates are different for each pet depending on breed, age and type of coverage.
VPI offers two packages: VPI Superior Care and VPI Standard Care. Rates are less than $200 a year for the biggest package for cats, according to VPI's Web site.
The standard package is about $112 for cats, about $9.33 per month.
It will cost less than $200 to insure a Labrador retriever puppy, but a 7-year-old German Shepherd will be about $100 more per year for the superior package.
Most companies require a $50 deductible for each claim but cover thousands of ailments.
Annual benefit maximums are $14,000 for VPI's superior package and $9,000 for the standard package.
In addition, pet owners may purchase a vaccination and routine care coverage package for $99 per year at VPI. Other companies include the routine exams in their benefits package.
Will County veterinarians report that very few of their clients are choosing to use pet insurance.
'We don't have a lot.
I can think of a handful that we regularly see that have pet insurance,' said Dan Hennelly, manager of VCA Animal Clinic in Bolingbrook.
'It's one of those things we see pretty rarely out here, but it's catching on,' said Beth Guerra, a veterinarian at Plainfield Animal Care Center.
With checkups averaging $100 to $250 per visit, Guerra said her clients are asking about pet insurance more often.
'It's something that a lot of people expressed concerns about,' she said.
Hennelly said the clinic offers clients literature on VPI and often encourages them to start young.
He added that people don't think about insurance until there is already a problem -- an expensive problem.
'Probably in the long run it certainly would save people money,' Hennelly said.
Often pet owners euthanize a pet is because veterinary bills are too high.
Surgery on a broken leg can cost more than $1,500, said Debbie VanArtsen, an employee of Laraway Animal Hospital.
Owners pay for their costs up front, then make a claim with an insurance company.
Often a check is sent to the owner in a week or two, Hennelly said.
For more information visit www.petinsurance.com or ask your veterinarian.
* Contact staff writer Lauren B. Kraft at (815) 439-4348 or lkraft@scn1.com.
