What Is Pet Insurance For?

Pet insurance is not mandatory in many cases, but you can benefit from many advantages if you buy it.

Did you know that pet insurance exists? Many insurers offer policies for pets that include damage to the animal, legal defense against complaints and other aspects. On the other hand, there are veterinary equals. If you’ve ever looked for information on pet insurance, you’ve probably heard of them too.

Equals and insurance are two different concepts, but both can benefit pet owners in different cases. If you did not know any of these services, you can find out about them in the following lines and learn about their differences and advantages.

What is pet insurance? What are they for?

Pet insurance is nothing more than normal insurance, but it does cover certain veterinary expenses. Each insurance is different and the conditions depend on the type of insurance and insurance company that you take out — monthly payments, limits, periods of permanence and others.

Standard insurance covers the costs of veterinary care necessary after an accident or illness of your pet. The company pays only up to a maximum annual limit, which can vary depending on the insurance: € 1000, € 1500 and € 2000, among other monetary limits.

Consultations, diagnostic tests, X-rays, laboratory tests, electrocardiograms, surgical interventions, hospitalizations in the clinic, sacrifice and disposal of the corpse are usually covered, depending on each case.

In any case, it is very important to read and understand the general conditions of each policy, where everything that is covered and what is expressly excluded is defined. In these cases, it is better to be thorough than trusting.

Normally, treatments that are not the result of an accident or illness such as vaccinations, deworming, microchipping, check-ups, etc. they do not fall within the costs covered by veterinary insurance. However, some insurances do include vaccinations for free. As always, it will depend on the company you hire.

Some companies have a list of concerted veterinarians, but the usual thing is that they all allow you to go to the veterinary center of your choice, always asking for the invoice for the relevant treatments for your pet.

This advantage is very useful when you are traveling with your dog or need to go to a veterinarian on duty. These are things that usually happen more than you think in trips and certain situations and, therefore, it is always advisable to prevent any mishap with this type of action.

Exotic pet insurance

No matter what species your pet is, many insurers already offer this type of service for exotic animals such as exotic birds, snakes, turtles, lizards and small mammals.

These usually have coverage for accidents, veterinary assistance – like the previous ones – and civil liability, which covers the legal obligation of the owner for material and personal damage that the animal may cause to third parties, up to the maximum compensable under the conditions of the policy.

Safe or equal?

Equals are a species of flat rates created by veterinary clinics that usually include discounts on food, treatments, surgeries, deworming, a limited number of consultations and free vaccines, etc. This can be more or less complete depending on the veterinary center that offers it and have several modalities adjusted to different budgets.

Differences between equals and pet insurance 

The basic differences between both concepts are the following:

• The igualas only offer advantages in their facilities, since it is the clinic itself that creates the conditions. Insurance may have many partner veterinary clinics in different locations.
• Insurance includes more services that veterinary centers cannot offer, such as civil liability and legal defense. For dogs of a certain size, it is mandatory in many cases to purchase liability insurance.
• Equals cannot contemplate the theft, loss or death of the animal.

In most cases, it is possible to include pets in the home insurance that is purchased for the houses and belongings you have inside. Consult this option with the relevant professionals.

Medical insurance for pets is much more complete than the equals, but you must thoroughly know all its conditions so as not to be surprised. Insurance is not mandatory for pets, but you can hire them to enjoy its advantages and the security that they give you in some cases.

If you think that you do not need all the services that insurance offers and you want to save on your pet’s veterinary services, you also have the option of hiring an equal at a trusted veterinary clinic. Everything will depend on your budget and the conditions you are willing to hire.