Call Kurtis: Should I Get Pet Insurance Or A Wellness Plan For My Dog Or Cat?

ROSEVILLE (CBS13) —  Joni Enders and her husband say their two dogs are part of the family.

"They mean everything to us," Joni said.

To keep them healthy, the couple pays $42 for each dog every month for a pet store's Wellness Plan.

"We'll do absolutely anything to make sure they are healthy and well cared for and loved and safe," she said.

Katie Glenn has run vet offices for twenty years and currently works at Dr. Jyl's Mobile Vet Connection. She says Wellness Plans usually only cover preventive care like physicals, office visits, some vaccines, teeth cleanings and usually offer discounts on other veterinary services.

However, she says for illnesses or surgeries you'll want pet insurance. It doesn't cover preventive care, but does cover the unexpected expenses like a pet getting hit by a car which could be a 5-thousand dollar vet bill.

She says pet insurance can save you from having to make a life or death decision if your pet needs expensive care. She told us the story of a boxer in her vet office that had an owner who couldn't afford a 3-thousand dollar surgery.

"If we didn't take her in, she would've been euthanized," she said.

Although she warns some insurance companies are better than others and you need to watch for annual or per incident limits, which could leave you with expensive bills. She also warns of certain companies with breed exclusions that won't cover problems known for specific breeds; For example, hip displaysia in Labrador Retrievers.

She says you'll want chronic illness coverage too.

"A lot of the stuff we see in veterinary medicine, it could be months or years of regular care," she said.

Although she warns pet insurance won't cover health issues your pet had prior to you signing up for a policy known as pre-existing conditions.

The North American Pet Health Insurance Association says the average monthly premium for Pet Insurance is $36 a month. She says the price is based on breed and age. You can control how much you pay by raising or lowering your deductible.

As her dogs get older, Joni is considering adding pet insurance.

"Our blood pressure is lower because of these dogs, because they're so much fun," she said.