* Pin Paws Pet Care is powered by MetLife effective 2021 with new plan details.

What are the benefits of pet insurance? A recent study showed the top 10 reasons pet parents take their furry one to the vet.

1. Skin Conditions
2. Stomach Issues
3. Ear Infections
4. Eye Conditions
5. Pain
6. Growth
7. Urinary Tract Infection
8. Allergies
9. Cruciate Ligament Injuries
10. Cancer

Let’s delve into the costs of each diagnosis and what a Pin Paws Plus Pet Care membership could save you.

Skin conditions can be the result of numerous things including allergies to various types of grass, trees, fungus, wheat, oats, white potato, and beef. With a new puppy, you cannot do a full allergy test until they have lived through eight season changes. As a result, you can expect to be making a ton of trips to the vet. Since pet insurance does not cover pre-existing conditions it is smart to get pet insurance early on to protect your pocketbook down the road. This is only one of the benefits of pet insurance, and with a Pin Paws Pet Care policy, if your vet bill was $2,000, you would pay your $100 deductible and be reimbursed $1,710*.

Stomach issues can be caused by feeding your dog foods they are not supposed to have, changing their food too quickly, or the ingestion of a foreign object (stick, toy, anything really). The top five most toxic things to never, ever feed your dog are grapes, raisins, garlic, chocolate, and xylitol. If your pup does, however, suffer a bowel obstruction, a CT scan alone to look inside their tummy can cost at least $3,000. With a Pin Paws Pet Care Policy, if your vet bill was $3,000, you would pay your $100 deductible and be reimbursed $2,610*.

I have been down the ear infection road personally with my chocolate lab and Rhodesian ridgeback. It is no fun trying to get a good night’s rest when you are kept up with a dog (or 2) shaking their head and scratching their ears. The racket dog collars make at the same time definitely does not remind me of calm ocean waves. Aside from my sleep cycle being disrupted, ear infections are painful and I feel bad for my fur babies when they are suffering. The course of action taken to clear up an ear infection with the veterinary visit, professional ear flush, pain medication, and antibiotics can run $600. If surgery is required due to a more serious underlying problem, this can cost over $1,000. With a Pin Paws Pet Care Policy, if your vet bill was $600, you would pay your $100 deductible and be reimbursed $450*.

Causes of eye conditions include abrasions or trauma from roughhousing, pink eye, glaucoma, infection, ulcers or cherry eye. If a dog has eye conditions early on in life, it can be expected that this will be an ongoing and progressive issue. It is important to have pet insurance before the onset of an eye condition so that future expenses can be reimbursed. The cost for treating an eye vary depending on the severity. While an initial vet visit may cost you $150 for the vet visit and medication (of which you would be reimbursed $45 after meeting your $100 deductible), further visits to clear up Fluffy’s eye problem can present a financial burden without pet insurance. With a Pin Paws Pet Care Policy, if your vet bill was $2,600, you would pay your $100 deductible and be reimbursed $2,250*.

There is an endless list of things that can cause our pets pain.

Our pets are able to communicate their pain through excessive grooming, panting, whining or whimpering, limping, poor appetite or in general just lethargic and not acting themselves. We must be mindful and attentive since they do not have the voice to tell us they are in pain. Pain is most often treated with medication, however, more holistic interventions may be warranted as in laser therapy, physical therapy, chiropractic visits, and massage. There is also Western medicine’s preferred intervention: surgery. With a Pin Paws Pet Care Policy, any aforementioned interventions would be 90% reimbursable after the $100 deductible is met*.

It is alarming to be bathing or petting Fluffy and running your hand over a lump. I believe cancer jumps into our brains immediately. Some bumps are simply fatty deposits and can be left alone or drained. Some bumps may have to be removed and tested for cancer. Either way, a visit to the vet is required. Diagnostic testing can include labs, x-rays, CT scan, cyst drainage, laser surgery, and chemotherapy or radiation. A cancer diagnosis in a dog can run thousands of dollars. With a Pin Paws Pet Care Policy, if your vet bill was $5,000, you would pay your $100 deductible and be reimbursed $4,410*.

My Rhodesian ridgeback was recently treated for a urinary tract infection. We assumed she had a UTI because her urine smelled awful and she wasn’t quite making it off the patio and into the yard to relieve herself. This required multiple trips to the vet, trial and error of different medications, and urinalysis testing. Fortunately, we were able to get things under control after a month, otherwise, we might have been facing cancer, bladder disease, kidney stones, or spinal cord abnormalities to name a few. A dog requiring surgery could reach a few thousand dollars and this is another reason the benefits of pet insurance come into play. With a Pin Paws Pet Care Policy, this surgery would be 90% reimbursable after the $100 deductible is met*.

If you suffer from allergies, you know how absolutely annoying they are. Pets suffer from allergies as well.

We treat ourselves with medication, allergy testing, and allergy shots. Our fur babies deserve the same treatment. My rescue is allergic to fleas. She can be bitten by the one and only flea in the yard and it’s a full-on red whelping rash all over her chest, tummy, and legs. Fortunately, we know what she is allergic to. However, if we did not, a canine dermatologist would administer 64 shots to determine her allergy. Treatment in dogs can be allergy shots, topical cream and spray, flea treatment, oral medication, and multiple vet visits. With a Pin Paws Pet Care Policy, if your bill was $1,375 you would pay your $100 deductible and be reimbursed $1,147.50*.

Cruciate Ligament Injuries are one of the most dreaded pet diagnoses. A visit to an orthopedic vet will be in order to get the diagnosis and treatment plan set. After surgery, one remains hopeful for no secondary complications. Diagnosing a cruciate ligament injury can include lab tests, X-rays and an MRI. Surgery is where the expenses skyrocket. Surgical costs can range from $1,000 – $2,500, which will increase if hospitalization is required. Recovery will increase the cost with laser therapy, hydrotherapy or physical therapy. With aPin Paws Pet Care Policy, if your bill was $4,500 you would pay your $100 deductible and be reimbursed $4,410*.

Canine Cancer. The heartbreaking diagnosis nobody ever wants to hear. However, the truth is cancer has not picky. It can affect anyone and any fur baby. Symptoms include abnormal lumps, wounds that do not heal, weight loss, and difficulty breathing and using the restroom. Diagnosis and treatment can exceed $10,000, not including ongoing care to provide medication, rehabilitation, and other holistic interventions to maintain your pup’s health. With a Pin Paws Pet Care Policy, if your bill was $4,650 you would pay your $100 deductible and be reimbursed $4,095*.

Pin Paws Pet Care memberships have been craftily designed to save pet owners money. Your pets age, breed and zip code do not matter to Pin Paws. What matters is if you have a dog or a cat and what maximum annual payout option plan you choose, $2,000 or $5,000. To take advantage of the benefits of pet insurance, you can call our Customer Service Department at (888) 918-2386.

* These quote comparisons are based on Pin Paws Pet Care maximum annual payout options. The amount you will be reimbursed depends on if you elect for the $2,000 or $5,000 plan.