3 Reasons I'll Buy Pet Insurance for My Next Dog

There are three very good reasons I'll get my next furry friend covered.

I'm currently a dog owner with a beloved 15-year-old beagle. Molly is currently uninsured, and has been for her entire life. But when I get another dog in the future, buying pet insurance coverage will be my first priority.

There are three big reasons why I will make sure to get comprehensive insurance coverage for my next animal companion. Here's why I'll make sure to always have pet insurance going forward.

1. I now know how expensive medical issues can be

Molly was my first dog and when she joined our family, I had only just graduated from college and I wasn't really informed about pet ownership. I didn't really stop at the time to think about the serious and costly medical issues that she could develop over the course of her life.

After 15 years of living with Molly, I've now learned that dogs can develop many different medical problems that are very expensive to deal with. Molly has a heart condition, for example, and I've spent thousands of dollars on echocardiograms, medication, and surgery for her. Molly's brother Bailey, who was adopted only a few months after Molly, also had cancer and received chemotherapy before passing away.

Through these experiences, I discovered that veterinary care can be extremely advanced -- and also come at a big price. I was fortunate to be able to pay for all of the medical help my dogs have required, but it cost much more than it would have if I had insurance for them. Since I want my expenses to be more predictable in the future, I will definitely get pet insurance for my next dog.

2. I want to make sure my pets always get the care they need

As I mentioned above, I've been able to pay for all of the veterinary services my dogs needed. But now that I have two kids and more expenses than I did in the past, I don't want to find myself in a position where I have to choose between providing the best for my animals and having enough money for other important things.

With pet insurance, I can be 100% confident I will never have to consider cost constraints when deciding whether a particular type of veterinary service is right for my animals. I can always provide the best care without worrying about the impact on my budget.

3. I want to get my dog covered before a medical issue develops

When Molly and Bailey had started to reach middle age, I realized that I should have insurance for them. But by that time, Molly already had a heart murmur and Bailey had undergone surgery to remove a tumor. Since they both had pre-existing conditions, insurance would have excluded any issues related to them and we decided it wasn't worth the cost of coverage for other possible conditions at that time.

When I get a new puppy, I want to make sure I get coverage right away before my dog develops medical issues so the insurance will provide comprehensive protection for whatever types of care are needed.

For all of these reasons, pet insurance will be the very first purchase I make for all new pets -- even before the treats I plan to spoil my future dog with.