Veterinary vaccines are an increasingly important way for pet owners to protect their pets, to save money and to help combat the spread of infectious disease among animals. This post will examine the market as well as discussing a few of the reasons that this is so important.
While we love our furry friends a lot, there is no question that they also cost us an awful lot to look after and sometimes cause an immense amount of stress. Like humans, animals can become sick, and this means we can find ourselves needing to spend an awful lot on bringing them back up to full health and preventing the progression of the illness.
Veterinary vaccinations offer a way for pet owners to avoid finding themselves in situations where they cannot afford the healthcare they need. Not only that, but they also helps us to keep our pets happy and healthy. With an increasing number of exotic pets and travel, there is more reason than ever to invest in vaccines.
How to Ensure You Can Always Afford Your Pet’s Healthcare
Imagine this scenario - your cat has been feeling poorly for a few days, you take them to the vet and they tell you they have a cancerous tumour. It's terminal, but the good news is that it's treatable with a combination of surgery and chemotherapy. The only drawback though is that when you go to check your bank balance, you come up wanting and you are forced to either have your puss put down, or wait for the cancer to take its toll. Alternatively, perhaps you have the money but you know that it's going to make life incredibly hard - do you spend the savings you have put aside for your children's future? Or do you let your beloved pet suffer?
This sounds like a nightmare scenario, but for all too many families it's real situation and a real choice that has to be made. Healthcare for animals can become incredibly expensive and it's important to bear in mind when you buy a pet for your family that it could end up costing you thousands of dollars down the line if it gets ill.
However, while it's impossible to predict that your animal is going to get a terminal illness or require surgery, you can still plan for those contingencies and if you're smart and on the ball it's possible to make preparations that will help you to afford any costs you might need so that you never have to make those difficult decisions or let your smallest member of the family suffer when something could be done to help.
Protecting Your Pet Financially
The first way to do this is of course to take out pet insurance. Pet insurance works just like health insurance, the only difference being that it's specifically for animals (as the name might suggest). If you take out pet insurance then, you will pay a monthly premium but then be covered against the various costs that looking after your pet may entail.
Like human insurance though there are caveats which you need to be aware of. For one, the policy you agree to will dictate precisely what scenarios you're protected in, so make sure to read this thoroughly and to get one that is comprehensive enough to cover every likely scenario.
Meanwhile it's also important to keep in mind that most insurers will require you to pay an 'excess' toward the costs, and that there may be limits on how much they are able to pay out. Again, make sure you read the policy carefully so that you know precisely what you are responsible for - and make sure that you get the best deal around by looking into a few different insurers and comparing their terms and their rates.
Of course, this also means that you will still need to have some money set aside for this scenario. Coughing that up in one go when the worst happens can be very difficult so don't wait until it's a problem to worry about it. Instead, start putting money to one side on a monthly basis as soon as you get your pet and that way you'll have a separate pot to dip into should you need it. And if you never do? Then great! One day it'll come in handy to have saved all that money to one side anyway...
Pet Vaccines
If you take out pet insurance, then you might find that – as with human insurance – you are asked to answer a number of questions pertaining to the health and wellbeing of your pet. This will help insurers to ascertain the right price for your insurance and to calculate the risk that is involved with insuring your cat, dog or other pet.
Pet vaccines are also important as another pre-emptive way to ensure you are able to always protect your animal financially. By paying for a vaccine, you can avoid needing to pay for expensive pet bills that would come from treating a range of conditions and you can avoid finding yourself in that painful situation where you are unable to afford to look after your animal.
Other Reasons to Get Pet Vaccinations
There are a range of other important reasons – financial, ethical and more – to get pet vaccinations.
One is of course that a vaccination can help reduce the spread of disease and prevent other animals from getting ill. Many strains of bacteria and viruses will actually die out with use of vaccines and this places a great moral obligation on pet owners.
To make sure your animal has all the right vaccines, speak with your practice. At the same time, make sure to ask if there are any other vaccines available, rather than waiting only for recommendations.
