When Your Pet Is Sick

This is my cat Stubby-he's about 6 years old now and a very important member of the family. Of course, HE knows this, but asked me to let you all know as well :)

Sometimes pets get sick. And when your pet is sick, it's just like any other member of the family-it needs to be taken care of and this usually means a visit to your local vet. But vet bills are no fun, and usually you have to pay what you owe at the end of your visit. And sometimes, it is quite a bit of money. I've been seriously thinking about pet insurance for things like that-there are several plans out there I've been wondering about, and wondering if it would be worth it to get the insurance and have piece of mind should my cat get sick again.

In my case, my four legged friend came down with a raspy cough. After lab work, x-rays, pet hospital admission for the morning, and medicines it was close to $350.00. Ouch! Not to mention the 2 week follow up, another $31.00 just to check him out and make sure his breathing was better. We still don't know what caused it and while he has gotten better he's still had a few episodes since he got his follow-up. Asthma could be an issue, but it usually only happens when he is deep asleep and then wakes up suddenly gasping for air. Granted, he snores, but it's almost like sleep apnea or something. Crazy or what?! It was also mentioned that sprays, candles, or forced hot air heating (which we have) could be the culprit. Considering there are mold spores in my basement from a previously leaky basement which made me super sick for 3-4 years and considering he likes to sleep in front of the registers for the warmth... it could be that. It's been a horrible winter from HELL and the furnace has been working nonstop so with the house being so closed up I think he is just as sensitive as I am when it comes to mold.

So of course, this incident has me thinking about what I would have paid if I had a pet insurance plan. What is covered and what isn't. Do any of you have pet insurance and if so, how do you like it? Right now, I am crossing my fingers that my cat stays healthy for many more years with no surprises other than routine checks and shots yearly. But of course, I like to be prepared too...just in case. So I will continue to research different plans/providers and see what they have to offer. If any of you have any ideas, know a good plan or just have some helpful advice feel free to leave me a comment below!