But how do you know whether or not you should get pet insurance in the first place? What kind of pet do you want to get? Deciding which pet to get is the first step to deciding which pet insurance to get for it. All of the books say that you should research breeds before you make a lifetime commitment, and this is very true. If you are looking to get a purebred dog, cat, horse, rabbit or any other type of purebred animal, you may want to consider getting pet insurance before you even get your new pet.

Let's look at a generic scenario. A loving family is ready to get their first dog. They have a 4 bedroom house on 1 acre of land and it is near a state park that is huge and has a ton of paths. They have 3 very active children less than 10 years of age. After 6 months of "Mom, can we get a dog?" the parents finally give in. As they all browse through the many pages of dog breeds in a book, they fall in love with the German Shepherd. An excellent choice as this breed is particularly loyal to its "pack" and protective, surprisingly good around children, loves to play and needs lots of exercise which the children have all promised to help with.

Now, they hunt for breeders and come across a great person who is clearly a passionate animal lover and is crazy about her German Shepherds. She is extremely honest with the family and lists off a few potential genetic problems that all German Shepherds are prone to no matter how great the breeding. Hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia and gastric torsion are among the more costly of these health conditions. She then recommends that the family invest in pet insurance.

The reality then sets in and there will obviously be a great financial cost involved with this decision. After careful consideration, they have decided to get pet insurance and begin a search for the right policy for their pets' needs. First of all, they go to the local veterinary office and ask what they recommend. Some choices are included in the list below and with a bit of research you can find the best policy for your non human companions.

Asda Pet Insurance, Embrace, Pet Partners (AKC), Hartville, VPI, PetFirst, Purina Care, Pet Plan, Pet Care, and Pets Best are all pet insurance companies with policies that are worthy of looking into. Ultimately it is up to you to choose the pet insurance which is right for your budget and your pets' needs.