Friday, May 5, 2017

The Fur-Raising Cost of Veterinary Care


 If you have been a pet parent for any length of time, chances are that you have made an emergency trip to the vet. It seems as if my dogs are always getting sick on the weekends and holidays. Fortunately, (knock on wood) I have not had to visit our city’s emergency vet. I do know others who have had to use their services and it is very expensive. That is the reason that I was not too shocked to see Louisiana ranked #4 in PetPlan’s Top 10 states and their average annual expenditures per insured pet. Is your state among the top 10?
1.                   California                        $1,521.18
2.                   District of Columbia         $1,515.97
3.                   Hawaii                            $1,480.41
4.                   Louisiana                        $1,472.36
5.                   New Mexico                    $1,459.52
6.                   Colorado                         $1,434.46
7.                   Maine                             $1,417.52
8.                   Maryland                        $1,417.34
9.                   Delaware                        $1,414.29
10.               Pennsylvania                   $1,402.31
   North Dakota and Arkansas tied for the state where pet parents spent the least on veterinary costs. They both averaged around $770.00. We took Bentley to the vet when he had severe diarrhea and vomiting and after x-rays, shots, and fluids, our bill for that one visit was almost that much! After all of that, he was prescribed probiotics and diagnosed with an upset tummy.
   According to PetPlan’s Veterinary Manager Elyse Cannon, “Most pet parents will probably be surprised to learn that the average bill for unexpected care can range from nearly $800 to $1,500, but the reality is that every six seconds a pet parent is handed a bill for more than $3,000! Today’s veterinary medicine is quite advanced, so there are almost as many treatments available to furry friends as there are in human healthcare.”
   There are numerous reasons that your dog or cat could land in the vet’s office with an injury. A ligament injury could set you back $3,480 on average. If your little scamp decides to eat something they aren’t supposed to, you are looking at a $1,755 bill. God forbid you are faced with a cancer diagnosis because the average cost of treatment is $2,033.
   These costs have made me realize that I need to seriously consider investing in pet insurance. PetPlan policies are an average of $440 annually and I know that we spend more than that on Bentley and Pierre’s care. Do you have your pets insured? Has it saved you money on vet bills? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
   If you are interested in getting a quote from PetPlan, click over to www.gopetplan.com.

Happy birthday to our daughter, Jessica!
We love you to the moon & back
It's the Pet Parade Blog Hop!  Join the fun with Rascal and RoccoBionic Basil’s BlogLove is being owned by a Husky, and me. We are open all week so hop in the parade with us!
get the InLinkz code

17 comments :

  1. Mom says that I am not an insured AireGirl.
    Happy Birthday, Miss Jessica!

    ReplyDelete
  2. We could buy another house with all the loot mom spent
    Lily & Edward

    ReplyDelete
  3. I live with ediopathic epilepsy & because of that we were told we would likely have trouble having claims approved.Instead, my huMom has an emergency fund with my wooftastic Veterinary Clinic if we should need it.

    Happy Birthday Jessica!
    3 bum swings! 3 more!��

    Nose nudges,
    CEO Olivia

    ReplyDelete
  4. California seems to be #1 in many things financial. We've been lucky not to have an emergency.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Happy Birthday Jessica...you have a very fun and adorable mom too!! Love that shirt

    OMCs we learned about the rising cost of Vet care last fall. I have been very fortunate to have a very healthy life. But last fall I had my first UTI...boyz it was back and forth and forth and back to the vet
    Hugs madi your bfff

    ReplyDelete
  6. Happy Birthday, Jessica!!!! Have a wonderful day!

    Very interesting to see the break-down across the country. With five Siberian Huskies, one that was a special needs dog (Epilepsy, like Knotty Toys), plus adopting two feral cats...we so agree with Two French Bulldogs...I could have another house from the costs. It's a necessary cost, so I try not to think about it and definitely do *not* add up my bills!

    ReplyDelete
  7. My sisters and I are all covered and it is a good thing for peace of mind! Happy birthday to your daughter!

    ReplyDelete
  8. We're kind of middle of the road in our state. We are lucky to have a great hometown vet who is almost always available for our emergencies. They sometimes don't even charge us!
    Jan, Wag 'n Woof Pets

    ReplyDelete
  9. Fortunately we have a good vet that is reasonable with costs. But we have no emergency vet clinic here (we just call our vets off hours number if need be)
    hugs
    Mr Bailey, Hazel & Mabel

    ReplyDelete
  10. The mom wishes we had pet insurance after all the vet expenses she's had this year.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I would have guesses my state to be red instead of light orange. Happy Birthday to your beautiful daughter!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Thank y'all!!! I had a wonderful birthday!

    ReplyDelete
  13. It's interesting to see that costs can double from one coast to the other. Happy Birthday to your lovely daughter ! Purrs

    ReplyDelete
  14. Healthcare is so impawtent for EVERYONE!

    Your Pals,

    Murphy & Stanley

    ReplyDelete
  15. I have pet insurance for glory and guilty.

    ReplyDelete
  16. As the fur mom of multiples, one of who has epilepsy, it easy for me to see my state coming in at #6. But I wouldn't have it any other way. Taking care of this sweet girl is a privilege as well as a responsibility. If only those pesky pre-existing conditions weren't part of pet insurance.

    ReplyDelete

I'd love to hear from you! Bark back!