I first heard about pet insurance almost six years ago when I saw a magazine ad which directed me to a website for a quote.

I can’t remember which company it was for, but I remember the pet insurance rates listed were about $20 per month, per pet. Being a broke graduate student at the time, I didn’t make the purchase.

It surprises me today how many pet owners have faced daunting vet bills, yet how few have heard of pet health insurance. And now that I work for Pets Best Insurance, people always ask “How much would it be for my 8 year-old Great Dane?” or “Would your plans cover my cat’s urinary tract problems?”

There are a few things to consider when shopping for a pet health insurance company. While excellent customer service, fast payment and easy online account maintenance is a plus (Pets Best Insurance offers all of these), for many of us, it comes down to monthly pet insurance rates. When I adopted my dog Jayda last spring, I was pleased to discover I would’ve chosen Pets Best Insurance even if I didn’t work here. One company offers 45 days of free coverage and a discount the first month after that, but after I did a little research, switching to Pets Best Insurance was a no-brainer.

For me, it was important to have a variety of deductibles to choose from, in order to get the perfect monthly pet insurance rates. I also didn’t want to be nickled-and-dimed to death with things like extra cancer coverage. (Pets Best Insurance plans cover cancer, so long as the cancer isn’t pre-existing.)

I was surprised to see some companies require a full 30-day waiting period, so you’re paying for an entire month with no coverage—which didn’t seem very fair to me, and didn’t seem to make sense for my dog’s health care.

Other factors in my search included age limits and continuous care. Some companies won’t insure older pets. Still others start their policies fresh every year, meaning that anything previously covered can be regarded as a pre-existing condition. That defeats the entire purpose of dog health care insurance, if you ask me. And what if my dog were to get sick just before our policy renewed? We wouldn’t have much coverage at all. Thankfully with Pets Best Insurance, we don’t have to worry about any of that.

When you’re comparing pet insurance rates, make sure you consider all the above. It’s also important to determine what you can afford each month, and how much you can comfortably part with as a deductible. All Pets Best Insurance plans cover 80% of covered expenses after a deductible is subtracted. Additionally my company’s pet insurance rates are all inclusive and include some of the highest payout limits in the industry.

The post Shopping For The Best Pet Insurance Rates first appeared on Puppy Blog.

In the UK a wide variety of companies provide pet insurance, helping people to manage the costs of keeping their pet healthy. The pet insurance plans available vary in quality and scope so when making a comparison between different policies, you should always check that your pet insurance can accommodate your pet’s needs.

Some dogs suffer from lick granulomas which are lesions of thickened, firm plaque that develop if a dog repeatedly licks the bottom half of their leg. Sometimes a secondary infection can develop on the lesion which complicates the condition and can lead to further discomfort.

Causes tend to be psychological and canine lick granulomas often results from a form of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) in dogs. However, excessive licking can also be triggered by physiological factors such as allergies, nerve damage, bacterial or fungal infections and joint disease.

A visit to your vet should determine whether the cause is mental or physical. If a dog is bored or stressed, they are often more prone to psychological disorders; for this reason lick granulomas seems to be most common in large, active breeds of dog which are left alone for extended periods of time.

One of the central problems with lick granulomas is that, whatever the cause, once the habit is formed it can be extremely difficult for the dog in question to break it. The excessive licking leads to irritation, pain and itching which in turn triggers the dog to lick the lesion even more.

As soon as you notice a problem it is worth consulting your vet. If your pet suffers from allergies, then the vet might recommend a hypo allergic diet, fatty acids or antihistamines to help relieve the lick granulomas. If the root cause is deemed to be psychological, then extended walks or more general interaction in the home could make all the difference.

Whatever the cause, your pet insurance should be able to cover the costs of vet’s fees. Most reputable pet insurance plans can protect you financially from the cost of treating conditions that have psychological as well as physiological causes.

A large number of us are pet owners – in fact there are currently 24 million pets in the UK.[1] With such a large number of us sharing our homes with animals, understanding their needs is of the utmost importance.

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