NYCityPets.com

Pet insurance is a daily topic of discussion for those of us in the veterinary field. To insure or not is a difficult question to answer for many pet owners. As a pet owner pondering this very question, here is exactly what you should do:

1. Get a caffinated beverage.
2. Find a cozy chair if you have a laptop. If you aren’t mobile with your computer, tilt the chair back or grab an ottoman, because you will be doing a bit of research.
3. Read Urbanhound.com’s guide to pet insurance thoroughly and ask yourself if this is enough information before going to the websites for the companies reviewed in the article.
4. Read this, this, and/or this.
5. Remind yourself that veterinary offices will want payment (most likely) when services are provided. Insurance should send a check after you have paid your bill.
6. Check out any or all of the following companies:
-ASPCA Pet Health Insurance or parent company, PetsHealth
-Pet Assure (Not a standard insurance plan, but more like a discount club)
-Veterinary Pet Insurance, aka VPI (A bonus for members of NYU’s Alumni Association: you are eligible for a 5% group discount)
-ShelterCare or parent company, PetCare Pet Insurance (For those thinking of adopting a new furry friend)
-Embrace Pet Insurance
- Pets Best Insurance
7. Now that the day is probably about half over if you followed all the previous steps, take a nap. Then you’ll be ready to get quotes.
8. Finally, let us know what you decided and how insurance is or isn’t working out for you!

(Image by IsolatedIguana from Flickr)