Despite strange looks from their friends, more and more Nevadans are buying health insurance for their pets

Today, people are increasingly buying health insurance policies for their pets.

For Carrie and Scott Post, taking out insurance for their 8-1/2-year-old Golden Retriever, Cabo, was a no-brainer decision.

"Cabo is like a son to us," Carrie Post said. "You cover your kids, so why not cover your dog?"

Cabo has had continuous health insurance -- what Posts calls "the Cadillac plan" that covers most everything -- since he was 8 weeks old.

While friends sometimes laugh at them and say they spoil their dog, Post pointed out that it will pay off in the long run. "When our friends take their dogs to the vet and it's really expensive," she said, "they say they wish they'd had health insurance, too."

Pet insurance policies for Fido the dog and Felix the cat are nothing new. One company, Veterinary Pet Insurance -- or VPI -- has been in business since the 1980s. Statistics show that more people each year are insuring their pets.

Some companies even offer pet insurance to their employees.

In Las Vegas, workers with companies like Caesars Entertainment, Consolidated Resorts, Home Depot and Chipotle Restaurant get a 5 percent discount if they enroll their pets with VPI insurance company.

"It's not uncommon to see individuals cover three dogs or four dogs and two cats," said Brian Iannessa, a spokesman for VPI. "It's definitely an increasing trend."

At the end of 2001, VPI insured 195,000 pets. Five years later, by the end of 2006, that number grew to 415,000 policies.

It's on the rise, Iannessa said, because more and more people look at their pets as members of their families.

"They take out policies because they wouldn't do anything less for an integral member of the family," he said. "That's how people see their pets today."

While nearly half of all pet owners in Sweden carry policies for their animals, less than one-half of 1 percent of pet people in the United States have done so. But that number is growing, according to statistics provided by VPI.

In Nevada, about 6,000 pets are covered by health insurance policies through VPI, making the state No. 2 in the country for the highest increase in enrollments last year. Most of those pets -- about 87 percent -- are dogs, while cats and other pets make up the rest.

In Las Vegas, about 3,500 pets today are covered by VPI's policies.

Animal insurance premiums cost anywhere between $30 to $45 a month and cover everything from vaccinations and teeth cleaning to leg fractures and cancer treatment.

"Usually there's a deductible that's relatively small, about $100 to $150," said Dr. Jon Kempf, a veterinarian with West Charleston Animal Hospital. "A lot of insurance companies will pay up to 80 percent of the cost, from about $1,500 to $2,000."

His clinic sees pets with broken legs and "a lot of obstructions, puppies that eat objects that don't pass through." He also often treats pets who get loose, get hit by cars and end up with broken bones, which can be expensive to treat.

About 5 to 10 percent of his clients carry insurance for their pets. His office recommends insurance to new clients bringing in puppies and kittens.

"We give them brochures and let them know what it covers," Kempf said. "We tell them the benefits of it. A lot of people just aren't aware that coverage is available."

His office recommends Pets Best insurance. "The policies are simple to understand," he said.

Whichever policy pet owners use, it can save them a bundle should their pets have major health issues.

"The more and more advanced treatments are carrying heftier costs," Iannessa. "That's where insurance comes in.

"I was playing with my 8-month-old Miniature Pinscher the other day and I was thinking, I have at least another 12 to 15 years of joy with this pet. She's a special part of our family. Pet insurance serves to provide peace of mind. I know it does for me, as a pet owner."

As for Carrie Post, even though her dog Cabo is healthy and has not had any major health issues, she said she will keep the policy -- no matter how silly her friends may think it is.

"My last dog had so many problems, I practically needed to get a second job to pay for it," said Post, who lives in northwest Las Vegas. "Cabo has been one of the healthiest dogs we've had.

"As long as he's with us, we'll keep the insurance," she continued. "It's nice knowing that for whatever comes up, he's covered."

Source: www.lvcitylife.com