Author: Mikey Rox / Source: Wise Bread
When an accident sends your pet to the hospital, will you be prepared to handle the situation financially? Emergency vet bills can quickly make a huge dent in your savings, and that could leave you in a tough spot during an already stressful situation. Can your pet receive the care he or she needs, or will you have to euthanize the animal because you can’t afford the treatment?
If you plan ahead, you can avoid the latter. Here’s how.Get pet insurance while your pet is healthy
When my dog, Jaxon, was about a year and a half old, he was admitted to the vet with a respiratory infection that filled his lungs with fluid, which required several nights in the hospital. The bill for the treatment was nearly $8,000, a fee that my husband and I couldn’t afford as a young couple in New York City. Unfortunately, we also were unaware that we weren’t allowed to leave the hospital without paying the bill in full, and emergency pet care facilities sometimes do not accept payment plans.
Thankfully, we had insurance to cover it. We paid the full amount to the hospital on our credit cards and then had to wait to be reimbursed by the insurance company (a caveat to consider) after we submitted the claim. But it was a small price to pay to save Jaxon’s life. If it weren’t for the insurance, we would have had no choice but to put him down at that point. In hindsight, it was a valuable lesson to learn about emergency vet bills and pet insurance, and the life-or-death difference it can make. (See also: 7 Things You Need to Know About Pet Insurance)
Have copies of your pet’s medical records handy
If you have to visit the pet emergency room in the middle of the night, chances are the attending doctors will not be able to access your pet’s medical file, because your primary vet will be closed. So it’s a good idea to keep a copy of them at your home so you can grab and go when needed.
“If your pet has an ongoing medical condition, it would be best to bring any recent medical records, [and] X-rays with you,” says Dr. Gary Richter, veterinary health expert with Rover.com. “Similarly, if the reason for the visit is because the pet got into something that…
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