Isa Torres, a veterinary technician, listens to a cat’s heart rate through a stethoscope at Dumb Friends League Veterinary Hospital at CSU Spur in Denver on June 14, 2024. Julie Baxter just faced the most agonizing decision a person with pets can face: whether to euthanize an ailing animal in the face of the overwhelming desire to keep a beloved companion alive.
They ended up paying $2,400 for medications, tests and trips to the emergency room, but decided against further treatment that could have been as much as $8,000. Roscoe, diagnosed with pneumonia, died in early June.“I don’t know that it would have changed the outcome, but it certainly would have saved me at least part of the $2,400 in vet bills,” Baxter said. “It’s something I wish I would’ve looked into because I feel like I wouldn’t have been quite so backed into a corner.
Nearly half of the respondents to a survey by pet food and supplies online retailer Chewy said the primary reason they have wellness or insurance plans is to be able to take care of their animals if something happens to them. Katy Nelson, senior veterinarian at Chewy, said in an email that the average monthly cost for pet insurance is around $30 for cats and $50 for dogs
“It comes down to insurance. You don’t realize how much medical and dental and medications cost on the human side because the majority of people have insurance. That’s just not the case in the veterinary field,” Sweet said.an in-home pet euthanasia service, said the trend of pet insurance has been on the rise in recent years. She recommended that people look at a plan’s exclusions, the premium costs, the percentage of expenses that are reimbursed and an insurer’s reviews and reputation.
“It’s good to have that peace of mind where you have the ability to do something in an emergency situation and you know that those finances are going to be reimbursed,” Hsia said. “It means the world when you’re sitting there looking into the eyes of your beloved pet.”Jake Cave after umpire Lance Barkdale’s call costs Rockies vs. Dodgers: “On a swing and miss, that game’s won”