Animal Insurance Protects Fido

Over the last few years, pet insurance popularity has gained a lot of momentum. Pet health expenses can be really costly. Learn more on the insurance blog.

According to the Daily News Online, an estimated half million people in the U.S. have turned to pet insurance. Customers who purchase pet insurance do so for a number of reasons. If you've ever had to pay out of pocket fees for hip replacement surgery for your Lab, you have an idea of why animal insurance might be a good idea.

A friend's Labrador retriever somehow got exposed to rat poison. It was touch and go while she was in the animal hospital. Thankfully, the kindly vet was able to save the dog. The bills reflected the myriad of blood tests, surgeries and medications that the dog needed to stay alive. When we discuss pet insurance, I think what we're really talking about is a paradigm shift in the way that we think about our animals. As parents work longer hours, surrendering their little ones to caregivers, the role a pet plays in a child's life is not something to bark at anymore.

In the old days, there would have been a quick and easy way to solve the problem with my friend's Lab. But the decision to euthanize not only never occurred to the dog owner, his own distress during the ordeal was as real as if a family member was in danger (possibly more real, he's not that close to his family).Pet insurance policies help mitigate the cost of veterinary care for your pets, providing coverage for annual exams, surgery, lab fees, even mitigating the cost to spay and neuter your pet (coverage varies by policy).Read on to learn more about pet insurance coverage and pet insurance basics.

Talk back with the author: tell Lisa Nichols about your experiences buying pet insurance coverage and submit news, tips and story ideas for the insurance blog.