Is pet insurance worth it?
Will a savings account be of more use than pet insurance?
Do you have $7,565-$19,060 available? No? Well, that’s the average lifetime cost of a dog. Bunny rabbits are about half that price ($9,670) with cats trailing behind them ($9,150). While this pricing may seem mind-boggling, keep in mind we’re talking about a pet that can be around anywhere from 10–18 years, so it’s not all at once. While it’s commonly believed that the bigger the breed, the shorter the life, I had a 50–60 lb Lab/German Shepherd mix who lived for 13 years while my purebred German Shepherd only lived for nine years. So the lifespan can largely depend on the dog.
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As an Amazon affiliate, I earn a percentage from purchases with my referral links. I know some consumers are choosing to boycott Amazon for its DEI removal. However, after thinking about this thoroughly, I choose to continue promoting intriguing products from small businesses, women-owned businesses and (specifically) Black-owned businesses who still feature their items on Amazon. All five of my Substack publications now include a MINIMUM of one product sold by a Black-owned business. (I have visited the seller’s official site, not just the Amazon Black-owned logo, to verify this.) If you still choose to boycott, I 100% respect that decision.
Veterinary bills can be small change or big bills, depending on your pup’s health. Care Credit guesstimates first-year vet bills at $1,471 for small dogs, $1,779 for medium dogs and $2,008 for large dogs. But keep in mind that some of this stuff may be unnecessary for you. For example, I have a short-haired dog, so spending $30-$500 on grooming is going to be way on the lower end for me. A good brush, a Dremel and dog toothpaste is all I need.
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Flea, tick and heartworm meds cost me $27 per month, so that sets me back about $324. I shelled out $400 for a dog who came fully vaccinated, and this included the cost of neutering. However, annual checkups and vaccinations will be needed again. Some dogs are an easy walk in and an easy walk out of the door while others may have their own medical concerns. So is pet insurance worth it for them?
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As an Amazon affiliate, I earn a percentage for every purchase with my referral link.
I have mixed opinions on pet insurance. For my dog who lived for 13 years, we’d just take him to the vet when need be and he died of old age with no (visible) problems. We didn’t even know what pet insurance was at the time. Meanwhile, years later, my parents were tasked with the hard decision of what to do when my 9-year-old dog pooped and peed on herself in the hallway, and they found out she had cancer. Even with pet health insurance for the latter dog, the vet explained that she’d barely live a year and would probably be in pain.