{"id":688,"date":"2013-10-15T14:05:46","date_gmt":"2013-10-15T18:05:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.njveterinaryblog.com\/?p=688"},"modified":"2013-10-15T14:45:32","modified_gmt":"2013-10-15T18:45:32","slug":"protect-what-counts-by-dr-kara-ruthberg","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.njveterinaryblog.com\/index.php\/news\/protect-what-counts-by-dr-kara-ruthberg","title":{"rendered":"Protect What Counts!  (By Dr. Kara Ruthberg)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-346 aligncenter\" title=\"DrRuthberg\" src=\"https:\/\/www.njveterinaryblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/DrRuthberg.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"290\" \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Pet insurance?! Who needs that?\u201d<\/strong> You do! Keep reading to learn how pet insurance can benefit you and your pets. <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-692 alignleft\" title=\"insurance 5\" src=\"https:\/\/www.njveterinaryblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/insurance-5-300x259.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"237\" height=\"183\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>What is pet insurance?<\/strong> Every year more than 1 in 3 pets falls ill or is injured. No one wants to have to choose between their pet\u2019s health and their bank account. \u00a0Pet insurance helps you pay for your pet\u2019s care in the event of a costly accident or illness, which can quickly run into thousands of dollars.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-691\" title=\"Insurance 3\" src=\"https:\/\/www.njveterinaryblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/Insurance-3-300x283.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"283\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.njveterinaryblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/Insurance-3-300x283.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.njveterinaryblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/Insurance-3.jpg 428w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>What does pet insurance cover?<\/strong> <strong><\/strong> There are lots of pet insurance plans available but they vary a great deal. There are differences in what they cover, what they exclude, what they cost, their level of customer service, and how they pay claims. While budget is always a factor, don\u2019t just pick a plan because it\u2019s the cheapest. You get what you pay for! \u00a0Our veterinarians have reviewed the information from the most common pet insurance companies and confidently recommend TruPanion Pet (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.trupanion.com\">www.trupanion.com<\/a>) as one of the best insurance carriers for your pets. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Pet insurance plans can cover:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Treatment for accidents, illnesses and diseases<\/li>\n<li>Treatment for allergies<\/li>\n<li>Emergency kenneling<\/li>\n<li>Cancer and chemotherapy<\/li>\n<li>Theft<\/li>\n<li>Surgery, hospitalization and nursing care<\/li>\n<li>Laboratory and diagnostic tests including X-rays and MRI scans<\/li>\n<li>Medications<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u00a0<\/span> <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u00a0<\/span> \u00a0 <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Some pet insurance plans also cover:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Genetic\/hereditary conditions<\/li>\n<li>Alternative therapies such as acupuncture, hydrotherapy, holistic and homeopathic medicine<\/li>\n<li>Chronic and recurring conditions that last more than one policy period, such as allergies, diabetes and hyperthyroidism<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Behavioral problems<\/li>\n<li>Prescription diet food<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-690\" title=\"Insurance 2\" src=\"https:\/\/www.njveterinaryblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/Insurance-2-300x219.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"219\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.njveterinaryblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/Insurance-2-300x219.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.njveterinaryblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/Insurance-2.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><strong>What doesn\u2019t pet insurance cover? <\/strong>Pet insurance plans usually will not pay for:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Pre-existing conditions<\/span> \u2013 These are conditions that your pet had, was diagnosed with, or showed signs of before enrolling or during the waiting period. This is one of the most important things to consider and why you should insure your pet as soon as possible when they are healthy<\/li>\n<li>Cosmetic, elective or preventative procedures such as de-worming, tail docking, ear cropping, and declawing (except where medically necessary)<\/li>\n<li>Veterinary costs related to pregnancy, breeding or whelping<\/li>\n<li>Orthodontic or endodontic procedures such as root canals or crowns<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>So, how much does it cost?<\/strong> <strong><\/strong> The cost of pet insurance varies based on a few factors \u2013 the pet\u2019s species, breed, age, gender and location. On average you can expect to pay around $30 per month for dogs and $20 per month for cats. Adding on wellness coverage (such as vaccines and dentistry) typically costs a little more. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Pet Insurance companies also may offer discounts for things like:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Enrolling multiple pets<\/li>\n<li>Paying annually for your policy instead of monthly<\/li>\n<li>Being full-time in the military<\/li>\n<li>Enrolling a service pet (like a guide dog for the sight impaired)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>The most important thing<\/strong> to remember is that pet insurance is something you can\u2019t get when you need it the most. If your pet is sick or injured it is too late to purchase a new insurance policy to help you with expenses. Planning ahead and doing your homework on pet insurance <strong>now <\/strong>are essential to getting the best, most comprehensive coverage for your pet before something happens. Please ask one of our doctors or staff members for more information.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-689\" title=\"insurance 1\" src=\"https:\/\/www.njveterinaryblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/insurance-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.njveterinaryblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/insurance-1.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.njveterinaryblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/insurance-1-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; Pet insurance?! Who needs that?\u201d You do! Keep reading to learn how pet insurance can benefit you and your pets. What is pet insurance? Every year more than 1 in 3 pets falls ill or is injured. No one wants to have to choose between their pet\u2019s health and their bank account. \u00a0Pet insurance helps you pay for your pet\u2019s care in the event of a costly accident or illness, which can quickly run into thousands of dollars. &nbsp; What does pet insurance cover? There are lots of pet insurance plans available but they vary a great deal. There are differences in what they cover, what they exclude, what [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,17,5],"tags":[13,51,7,141,21,32,255,140,137,36,138,139],"class_list":["post-688","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","category-ocvh-specific","category-pet-health","tag-canine-health","tag-cat-health","tag-feline-health","tag-insurance-for-pets","tag-nj-veterinary","tag-pet-family","tag-pet-health","tag-pet-health-insurance","tag-pet-insurance","tag-pet-safety","tag-vet-bills","tag-veterinary-bills"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.njveterinaryblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/688","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.njveterinaryblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.njveterinaryblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.njveterinaryblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.njveterinaryblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=688"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.njveterinaryblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/688\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":697,"href":"https:\/\/www.njveterinaryblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/688\/revisions\/697"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.njveterinaryblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=688"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.njveterinaryblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=688"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.njveterinaryblog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=688"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}