Owners can choose their own veterinarian or even take Fluffy or Fido to the growing ranks of specialty vets who perform sophisticated techniques like cataract surgery, chemotherapy and pacemaker implantation. Personally I think there is going to be an increased need for insurance if we're going to continue to advance as a profession. Petshealth, of Canton, Ohio, is a newcomer to the field and in August received state approval to sell policies in Michigan. Co-founder and President Michael Dunlap researched pet health insurance in Europe, where it is commonly available, after the bills started rolling in for his Persian cat, Monti. Veterinarians applaud the trend, saying it relieves pet owners from making health care choices based on costs.
Consumer advocates are dubious, however.
Bob Hunter, director of insurance research for the Consumer Federation of America, noted most policies exclude congenital, hereditary and pre-existing ailments. He also questions the wisdom of using extreme lifesaving measures when so many healthy animals are euthanized at shelters each year. I think it's well worth it for just about anybody. Once you get attached to them you're going to take care of them if you can. If you have insurance it makes those decisions a lot easier.