For a cat or dog owner, finding pet insurance is a piece of cake and there are plenty of options to choose from. For other pet owners, it’s not so easy. Despite the fact that many people own birds, rabbits, or ferrets, insurance companies consider these “exotic” pets. We’ll go over what you need to know about exotic pet insurance and what options you have for your exotic pet.
What Does Exotic Pet Insurance Cover
As you might assume, exotic pet insurance helps cover the costs of unexpected vet bills. Coverage can vary, but it generally covers most injuries and medical conditions that can affect your pet. Depending on the type of plan you get, you could have up to 100% of your costs covered.
Exotic pets is an umbrella term for common pets that aren’t a dog or a cat. These plans can cover all sorts of pets from birds, rats, reptiles, and even fish. Because exotic pets are such a wide category, not all pet insurance providers will cover exotic pets. Later, we’ll go over some available options for your exotic pet. Covered pets may include:
- Birds
- Ferrets
- Reptiles
- Rabbits
- Amphibians
- Hedgehogs
- Rats and mice
- Chinchillas
- Sugar Gliders
- Goats
- Horses
- Pigs
Although you might not consider a hedgehog an “exotic” pet, an insurance company certainly does. The easiest way to figure out if your pet is considered exotic is if it’s highly likely you’d find it in the wild. Although there are such things as feral cats and dogs, they’re more likely to be domesticated than, say, a bird or a turtle.
In some cases, you may have a truly exotic pet, such as a monkey or an ocelot. Speak to your insurance company to see if these animals are also covered under their exotic pet policy.
Costs of Coverage for Exotic Pets
Just like with regular pet insurance, if your pet has a pre-existing condition, your insurance will not cover and procedures to do with it. However other costs that insurance will cover include:
- Exam fees
- Lab tests
- X-rays
- Diagnostic testing
- Treatments
- Prescription drugs
- Hospitalizations
Depending on which plan you choose, you could have 25 to 100% of your costs covered by insurance. With some plans, you can also add on additional prevention coverage.
Having an exotic pet has a lot more expenses than people think. On top of that, your pet needs to be in peak physical health, otherwise, it could also affect your own health in some cases.
Also Read: Surgery Costs To Remove a Foreign Object From Your Pet