vet bills

Puppy Leaks

Your pet is a part of your family, and you'd do anything to keep your fluffy friend happy and healthy.

Sure any trip to the vet is expensive, but if your pet is usually healthy, you've probably just paid for their occasional medical care out of pocket. If you've never even considered pet insurance, you're not alone. While around 68% of U.S. households own pets, only 1% of those pets are insured, according to the North American Pet Health Insurance Association (NAPHIA). But what would you do if your pet had a sudden medical emergency, racking up medical bills into the thousands?

A recent survey by the Associated Press found that 41% of pet owners are worried they could not afford the medical bills for a sick pet. Petfinder estimates the annual cost of routine vet visits is $45-$200 for dogs and $50-$400 for cats, but emergency vet visits can cost up to $2,000, sometimes more. If you couldn't bare to leave your pet untreated in the case of an unexpected health issue, but a $2,000 vet bill isn't in your budget, maybe pet insurance is something you should consider.

Pet insurance is actually not dissimilar from human health insurance. According to Penny Hoarder, like health insurance, when buying pet insurance, "You can choose from different levels of coverage, with each plan costing a monthly or annual premium based on how much coverage you choose."

Plans differ pretty dramatically in what they cover, and while some cover basic scenarios like accidents and injuries, others only cover accidents. Some of the most comprehensive (and most expensive) plans include accidents, injuries and genetic/hereditary conditions. But is an extra monthly fee worth the peace of mind?


Pet Life Today

Veterinarian Jean Maixner, co-owner of Animal Critical Care & Emergency Services in Seattle, thinks it is. "If you get the right policy, it can be an asset to the health care of that pet and have a significant impact on the bill that results from a visit in an emergency situation." She goes on to say that, "Some people can't afford the treatment so they ask us to euthanize their pet. It's absolutely horrible,If people had acquired pet insurance before the emergency occurred, they might have been able to move forward with some reasonable treatment to help their pet."

But while pet insurance may serve as emotional comfort, evidence suggests it just doesn't make financial sense. In an attempt to find a definitive answer about whether pet insurance is worth the cost, Consumer Reports compared the cost vs. payout of nine pet policies for a healthy 10-year-old beagle named Roxy. The vet bills over Roxy's life time came out to a grand total of $7,026. In every case, the total premiums that would have been paid to each of the ten insurance companies were higher than Roxy's medical bills.

But, you may still be wondering, what if Roxy had faced a major medical event, would the insurance have been worth it then? Even in that case, the magazine found, probably not.

Instead, to prepare for the event of a catastrophic medical bill for your pet, we recommend putting aside the money you would have used to pay an insurance company each month and creating a savings account. That way, if your pet lives a healthy life and never needs major medical intervention, you haven't wasted your money on an unnecessary policy, but you're still prepared should something happen to your furry best friend.

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Photo: Yerlin Matu

Dogs, cats, hamsters, fish, parakeets, horses—the world loves pets.

They're our best friends and our better halves. But while they come with a lot of love, they also come with a surprisingly high price tag. Upfront fees plus the annual costs of caring for an animal add up to more than you might expect. What are some of the expenses you can expect to pay for popular pets and how high can the costs be?

What's not to love?Photo: Paul Hanaoka

Initial costs

You can purchase dogs and cats from breeders and pet stores or you can adopt or rescue from shelters. Adoption fees range from $75 to $200 for cats and dogs, but buying from a breeder will likely be much more expensive. Countless stores sell fish for $2 or, for more exotic species, upwards of $50. Hamsters can cost as little as $10 from a store, while birds can range from $20 to $400.

For dogs and cats, add to these fees the cost of spaying or neutering. It might be included in the fees for a rescue pet, but a purchased pet's procedure could cost up to $200. Another upfront cost for dog owners is licensing—most states require dogs over the age of one year to be licensed. A lifetime license for a spayed or neutered dog costs around $35.

Bringing a new pet home also requires equipment. Dogs and cats will need crates, beds, litter boxes and more. Small pets, like birds and hamsters, will need cages, bedding, and food. Of course, there are plenty of extras that are just as important: your puppy or kitten will look for toys, treats and comfort objects like blankets. You'll need hygiene equipment too, such as brushes, shampoo, toothpaste, and toothbrushes.

While small pets don't necessarily need it, larger pets, like dogs and cats, should go to the veterinarian for an initial exam. The vet might administer vaccinations and recommend medicine to keep your pet healthy and safe. Common medicines include gels for flea and tick protection, supplements to prevent heartworms and, sometimes, vitamins. All of these will become ongoing expenses.

Depending on your living situation, you might face new deposits required by a landlord or an increase in rent. Pet deposits can be refundable or nonrefundable and as little as $200 or as much as $1,000. "Pet rent," as its called, usually replaces some or all of the deposit with a monthly fee ($35, perhaps) that basically acts as your pet's rent payment. One is not necessarily worse than the other—it depends on the costs and situation.

Caring for a pet can be costly Photo: Autri Taheri

Ongoing expenses

All of those upfront costs might stack up to a sizable sum but the price continues to increase in the form of ongoing expenses. You want your pet to have the happiest, most comfortable life possible, so of course, you're going to buy the best quality food and most entertaining toys. Shampoo, toothpaste, cat litter, and other hygiene products will add a bit to your regular grocery bill. Flea and tick, allergy, and heartworm medicines might add up to about $20 per month.

Regular vet visits can become expensive, especially if anything more than a checkup is needed. You can expect a bill anywhere between $50 and $500 for various shots and procedures. Dental cleanings tend to be expensive as well, and any prescriptions will be close to what you'd expect to pay for your own medicine. A pet owner can purchase pet insurance for their four-legged family member as a precaution against emergency medical treatments that might otherwise hit hard, financially.

The price is worth every penny Photo: Avi Richards

One more consideration is travel. It's obviously more difficult to travel with a pet but it's also difficult to arrange for pet care while you're away from them. A dog walker might charge $20 per walk, a cat sitter who's not family will charge for feeding and changing litter. A pet boarding house has its own costs associated with it. On the other hand, pet-friendly hotels sometimes charge large fees to let your pet stay with you. Others, though, are letting pets in for free.

There are many costs—high and low, short-term and long-term—of owning a pet. While that soft-hearted voice inside you might think, anything's worth that cuddly companion, it's important to consider and plan for the expenses before jumping into a relationship. You owe it to that future pet to be prepared to give them the best life possible.