Dogs Are For Life

As we all know a dog is a big responsibility and is seen as a stepping stone to some before having children. I've grown up around dogs my entire life and have never been without one apart from a brief two year stint in a flat at the beginning of my 'out there on my own' rental adventures. When we brought Sadie home it was one of the happiest moments of my life. She was such a sweet, fluffy puppy who tripped over her own feet a lot and was all for boyfriend all the time. A year and a half later we added Dexter to the mix for company and whatever fears I had over them not getting along were squashed as soon as they met each other. Almost a year later and they're the absolute best of friends and do everything together from eating, sleeping, walking (even though it's a bit of a struggle for Dex) and playing. The one thing they don't do together is go to the vet.

Dexter's been lucky enough to be really healthy so he's only ever been three times - twice for vaccinations and once for a check up before a neutering appointment which is yet to come. Sadie, however, has been more times than I can count on both hands due to a reoccurring eye infection that seemed a little like mange. Even in the stages where it doesn't become inflamed and red you can tell one eye is not quite right due to the hair loss and discolouration. It doesn't ever have a chance to go back to normal as within a few months it flares back up and after numerous expensive tests the best the vets can decide is that there's something in our garden that's irritating it every few months and prescribes drops.

Now, I don't know about you but I was not prepared for how expensive these things would be. I did the usual good dog owner checklist of affordability for food, toys, two check up's a year, grooming and the initial cost of vaccinations and microchipping, spaying etc but I've always had it in my head that my dogs would never become seriously unwell that would warrant repeat treatment. A one off cost for an emergency I could find but repeat appointments and prescriptions coming in at over £60 a time was just something that I never fully thought about. For me that was the main reason to get myself online and get quoted for dog insurance costs. I'm really glad I did get it (for both dogs because, well, you never know) but I do regret not thinking about it earlier and not purchasing sooner. I know now that the one off expenses are cheaper and ongoing treatment is covered for her so I rest a lot easier, especially since at the moment she's a very healthy dog otherwise.

I guess what I'm trying to say is don't forget. It's the same as home insurance really - you don't need it until you do and if you don't have it, you're a bit buggared. I may never need to use my insurance for more than a few small claims but if God forbid something terrible happened to my pups or there was a serious ongoing illness I can rest assured knowing I wouldn't need to beg borrow and steal to potentially save their lives. There are so many companies offering pet insurance for everything from dogs and cats to every domestic animal you can think of that have some great benefits for low monthly payments so do consider it for a current pet or any future furry (or not so) family members!