Pet insurance might seem like an unnecessary expense, but a recent veterinarian’s video has pet owners rethinking their priorities.
TikTok user and vet doctor Sarah Cortright’s (@dr.sarah.cortright) message is clear: Get pet insurance for your furry friends—sooner rather than later.
Her video has garnered 125,900 views at the time of writing.
In the short clip, Dr. Cortright doesn’t mince words about the risks of waiting.
“This is your daily reminder from a veterinarian,” she says. “Put your pet on pet insurance immediately because pet insurance companies love to consider everything a preexisting condition.”
She goes on to explain why acting quickly is so important.
“Meaning that if your dog had one ear infection, you get pet insurance and then it has another ear infection, they're never going to be covered for the rest of its life,” Dr. Cortright explains.
Dr. Cortright stresses that even if your pet is perfectly healthy now, it’s better to plan ahead.
“If you have a young healthy dog, get them on pet insurance,” she concludes. “Now. Please, please do it.”
“Get on pet insurance NOW!!” the vet writes in the video’s caption.
According to the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA), the main factors to consider when choosing pet insurance are coverage options, exclusions, cost, flexibility, customer service, and additional benefits.
They recommend looking at coverage options, making sure the plan covers everything from accidents and illnesses to hereditary conditions and behavioral issues.
Additionally, AAHA suggests it’s important to review exclusions, such as pre-existing conditions and breed-specific risks, which could limit what’s covered.
Finally, AAHA stresses the importance of checking customer service and additional benefits, such as wellness coverage or telemedicine, to ensure the process is as smooth and stress-free as possible.
According to a pet insurance site that compiles thousands of user reviews to compile rankings, the top 5 plans are:
Per the site, PetsBest wins as most popular and experts' top choice and one can save "up to 90% on vet bills."
On Reddit, commenters agree coverage is a big help.
"We have lemonade and like them. I’ll also say, my husband is a veterinary specialist and has seen several times families come in for specialty care, they are given a quote for something like an MRI that costs a few thousand dollars, and the owners don’t bat an eye because they have pet insurance that will cover the costs. It’s actually why we decided to get pet insurance ourselves. Plus it’s extremely cheap considering how expensive vet care is for emergencies. Totally worth it in our opinion," one redditor wrote.
In the comments, users weren’t entirely receptive to the vet’s advice.
“Most pet insurance are rip-offs, just like human insurance,” one user noted. “I have a special savings account for my dog. Every two weeks I put $50-100 in it. That way, I don't have to worry about an insurance.”
“It doesn’t cover anything,” wrote another.
@dr.sarah.cortright Get on pet insurance NOW!! #vetmed #vet #veterinarian #petadvice #vetadvice #dog #mom #dogmom #petparent #petowner ♬ original sound - Dr. Cortright | Veterinarian
“Had pet insurance. claims were always denied for the stupidest reasons,” shared a third. “Canceled it then my dog got a grade 2 MCT… he's ok now but I think I'll go in debt for this dude.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Dr. Sarah Cortright via TikTok and Instagram DM.
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