How often should I take my dog to see a Vet?
Bringing a dog home involves undertaking several responsibilities. As a dog parent, you have to be cautious about your dog’s health and ensure he has the proper diet and routine. Taking your dog to the vet should also form an essential part of your dog’s routine. Instead, it is best if you consider visiting a vet mandatory.
There’s quite some ambiguity regarding the intervals at which you should take your dog to the vet. While some sources claim that once a year is enough for a full-body check-up of your dog, others emphasize a more regular check-up. The details of visiting a vet have been elaborately mentioned in this article. Here are a number of things you should consider about taking your pet to the vet.
Is a routine trip to the Veterinarian necessary?
If you have just brought home a pup, the number of visits to a veterinarian would be greater than adult dogs. Puppies need frequent vaccinations—in case you want to dig into greater details. and regular medical check-ups so that they can grow into healthy dogs. Thus, the answer to this question cannot be answered thoroughly. However, it is always better that you take your dog for a routine health check-up at least twice a year.
In case you see any abnormality in your dog’s behavior or come across any physical ailment, you should immediately rush to the vet. These are not counted under routine check-ups. Such visits are generally called emergency visits, where you take your pet to the vet only when it is necessary. However, remember, emergency visits should not count as the routine full-body check-up of your dog.
How much does a Vet visit cost?
The cost of visiting a veterinarian solely depends on the kind of check-up you want for your dog. If your dog suffers from a specific illness, you might be able to gather a rough idea about the cost. For instance, most of the vaccines for a dog range from $20-$50 per dose.
The costs might increase if the number of services your dog takes is more. For instance, if you want your pup to have a dental care session with the vet or opt for a fecal examination, the costs might rise. Additionally, operations like spaying can also involve a lot of money.
Medical costs for your dog depend on several factors, and it isn’t easy to generalize. The price depends on the breed of your dog and size. You do not expect the charges to be the same for a Chihuahua and a husky, do you?
Emergency visits to a vet are often costlier than routine visits. Illness does not come declared. Thus, you should also arrange for extra funds even after the routine visit of your dogs because they can fall sick at any point of the day. Having a budget in hand would help you avail of your dog’s best services and not see him go through pain. You might want to explore more about the costs involved in a vet visit in this article—in case you want to dig into greater details.
Why should owners get their pets insured?
Are you finding maintaining a pet difficult? Indeed if you do not have an appropriately planned and fixed budget, the costs incurred on your pet can often exceed the latter. Remember, taming a dog is like raising a child. It requires attention, effort as well as the right amount of resources.
Visits to the vet can be taxing for individuals who do not have sufficient income or other family members to support them. In such cases, you are often caught between the commitment towards your children and your dog. Do you want to compromise any of these? Most wouldn’t.
In order to overcome exorbitant medical costs for your dog, you should opt for pet insurance. Pet insurance helps you to finance your dog’s medical expenses by paying a fixed premium from your earnings. There are several kinds of insurance policies. For instance, some insurance takes care of the physical well-being of your furry friend.
Some pet insurance helps you to fund higher medical costs like an operation or even when your dog is suffering from a fatal disease. In such cases, the medical expenses might get overwhelming, in addition to the sorrow of seeing your dog suffer.
Thus, getting your pet insured is mandatory as a dedicated dog parent. However, there are a number of insurance policies available for your dog. Make sure you choose the one that meets your dog’s requirements the best.
What does pet insurance cover?
Different pet insurance policies cover various illnesses of your dog and can be used at other times. The policy and the services covered depend on the insurance provider. For instance, different online providers have insurance policies that cover various tests and vaccinations. These tests include Heartworm tests, fecal tests, and serious operations. Other insurance policies might cover dental care services, flea control, and diagnosing diseases.
The amount of premium you pay will depend on the kind of insurance policy you choose for your pet and the services they cover. Remember, the greater the range of services, the greater will be the premium. However, it is always better to look for insurance policies that cover a more significant number of benefits. This helps you to cover most of the medical expenses of your dog.
Choosing insurance with extremely limited services would only financially cover you when your dog suffers from a set of particular diseases. What if your dog has some other ailment? You would have to pay for it from your pocket in addition to the premium paid for the insurance. Thus, think wisely before making your choice.
What are the different tiers of pet insurance?
There are a number of pet insurance policies, each of which offers different benefits. Here are some of the most popular.
Lifetime policies- These policies cover your pet in case of injuries or illnesses through a set period in a year. Though the insurance does not cover any illness, your pet had before getting insured, and all the new ones are covered by this. You need to renew these policies annually, and every time you do this, you can get the whole amount for your pets once again.
Maximum benefit policies- These policies are really simple. They cover the treatment of your dog till the maximum amount of insurance is reached. There is no time limit for achieving this maximum amount. Thus, you need not worry about your pet’s treatment till the money in the insurance is exhausted. However, once you reach the limit, the treatment is no more funded, and you need to renew the policy once again.
Time-limited policies- As the name suggests, these policies cover the expenses of your pet for a certain period, generally a year. A set amount is provided for the medical expenses of your pet every year based on the premium you pay. These policies do not have any restriction on the kind of illness or treatment your pet has to take as long as it is within the fixed amount.
Accident only policies- These policies provide financial cover only in cases of an accident. Under these policies, a fixed budget is kept for the treatment of your pet if they meet with an accident. In case your pet does not require it in a year, it can be renewed for the next year without paying any additional premium.
You can take your dog for a routine check-up at regular intervals. It would be best to remember that frequent check-ups help faster diagnosis and treatment of ailments your dog might be undergoing. You should not wait for your dog to fall sick before you take him to the vet. Make sure you have fixed intervals of scheduling an appointment with your vet.
You should also visit the vet in case your dog shows any extraordinary behavior. Is your dog upset? Is he not eating? Know these are the earliest signs of an internal issue, and you should see the vet immediately.
