As the owner of a furry four-legged friend—whether that be a cat or a dog—you will be wanting to ensure that they have the best life possible.

There are many things on your to-do list when it comes to making that a reality. One of the most pressing questions that you should be asking is really around deciding when you should be getting your pet health insurance.

Whether your pet is young or old, healthy or sick, and regardless of their breed, now is always a good time to consider getting them pet insurance. There will be so much value that you and your pet will receive because of it, even if all seems okay with your pet right now.

At the end of the day, it is a personal question to consider around if you want to get pet insurance or not. One of the most important reasons why pet owners would get pet insurance is to stay protected financially. There is always a cost when it comes to pet health care. And it is rare that this care is ever cheap. In fact, pet medical care can often put pet owners into debt if they do not already have an insurance plan that covers the expenses. 

Weighing up the pet insurance cost should always be compared to the hard costs that you will be faced to pay when you receive the veterinarian bills.

There is always a reason to have some level of coverage, but the extent that which you choose to want coverage is ultimately a very personal decision.

We’ve put together everything to consider when it comes to deciding when the best time is to enroll your pet for insurance.

Sooner is Always Best

The general rule of thumb is that the sooner you enroll your pet in insurance, the better it is generally going to be for you in the long run. It is always recommended to sign your pet up for insurance within the first six months of bringing them under your care.

One of the most important reasons to do this is because it can be really hard to get a plan that covers any of the pre-existing conditions. When you sign them up early, any developing health concerns later down the line will in fact be supported.

Let’s play out a scenario. Your new dog is two years old. He is an energetic, healthy, and loving life. But then all of a sudden he develops a gum disease and his teeth need dental surgery. If this happens and your dog does not yet have insurance, you could be paying at least $1,000 out of your own pocket to cover this. But if you already had your dog signed up for pet insurance, the majority of this would already be covered and you would be paying minimal.

Timing it During the Seasons

Just like humans are prone to certain health side effects during different seasons of the year, pets too are more vulnerable from a health perspective during specific seasons—especially summer and winter.

During the summer, your pet is more at risk of getting dehydrated due to the extreme heat and too much exposure to the sun. This can even lead to them experiencing a heat stroke—especially since their sweat glands are few and far in between. While you will want to keep your pet hydrated, sometimes it just gets too much and they need some medical support too.

During the winter, the opposite is at risk. Your pet can develop hypothermia, really dry skin, and even frostbite. While there are obvious things you can do to protect them—such as bundling them up in protective outerwear, they could still end up needing medical support especially if they get frostbite on their paw.

Timing it with the Waiting Period

Of course, another factor you will want to keep in mind is the waiting periods. In fact, all pet insurance plans need you to wait a minimum amount of days before you can start making claims for coverage support. Some are as short as two weeks but others can take a bit longer.

This is why you also really do not want to delay getting pet insurance. The longer you wait, the longer it will also take for coverage to eventually kick in. And who honestly knows when you will really need it?

Life is full of unexpected events. You can not control when your pet gets sick. You can not control when your pet gets in an accident. You can not control when your pet needs medical care in general. But you can control when you sign them up for pet insurance.

So why delay any longer? Only good things will come from you signing up, especially knowing that you will have peace of mind in the fact your pet insurance will be there to support you no matter what happens.