Pet Insurance , Is it right for you

Pet Insurance , Is it right for you

Of the estimated $45.4 billion Americans spent on their pets in 2009, $12.2 billion - 27% of the total cost  was expected to be devoted to veterinary care, according to the American Pet Products Association. That would be a 10% increase from 2008

But pet owners with insurance are still a small minority. The American Veterinary Medical Association estimates that in 2007, 72 million dogs and nearly 82 million cats were kept as pets in the U.S. Yet there were only 850,000 pet insurance policies in effect that year, according to the National Commission on Veterinary Economic Issues

Insurers have teamed with the American Kennel Club and Petco Animal Supplies to offer the insurance, and more than 1,600 companies - including Office Depot and Google - provide the coverage as an optional employee benefit