A Guide to Pet Insurance Coverage for Sterilization Services

One of the responsibilities involved with having a pet cat or dog is sterilizing them. It prevents undesirable litters that might lead to more stray animals. Such animals without a home may face a high risk of injury and loss of life as a result of traffic accidents, exposure, and hunger. While strays are picked up by animal services, they are often euthanized to reduce the animal populace, and to prevent fights and the potential spread of illnesses.

While you spay or neuter a dog or cat, you are attempting to sterilize it. This procedure is irreversible. Female pets are spayed using a technique called ovariohysterectomy, which gets rid of the animal’s ovaries, uterus, and fallopian tubes. In male pets, neutering is a procedure called orchiectomy, which gets rid of the testes. Numerous alternatives are available that make sterilizing a pet more affordable. One of those alternatives is to search for pet insurance plans that cover spay and neuter expenses. So, before spraying or neutering your pet, you need to carry out research to find which pet insurance companies provide coverage for this service.

Does pet insurance usually cover spaying and neutering?
Pet health insurance plans provide assistance to the pet owners to manage the expenses involved in several vet procedures. Technically, insurance companies do not offer spaying or neutering services to pet owners who only have major medical or accident-only plans. 7 out of the top 12 pet insurance providers offer wellness plans that provide coverage for routine and preventive care. Depending on the insurance provider, the wellness plans might also provide coverage for the sterilization procedure. Moreover, pet insurance plans that provide coverage for spaying and neutering expenses also cover the expenses involved in the case of an accident or illness. All of these services are usually a part of pet wellness plans. The amount of coverage, as well as the reimbursement limits for the procedures, will depend on the insurer you choose.

Here are some of the pet insurance companies that include a spay or neuter clause:

• Figo Pet Insurance
• Trupanion

How will not spaying or neutering your pet affect their insurance coverage?

It is usually recommended to spay or neuter your pet as soon as possible. Many pet insurance providers might require your pet animal to be spayed or neutered prior to a particular age, and if you do not opt to spay or neuter your pet within that particular timeframe, the providers might include additional exclusions to your coverage plans. Not spaying or neutering your pet may give rise to certain issues, and insurance providers consider that as an avoidable condition. If you plan on breeding your pet, you may have to do so as per the stringent timeline set by pet insurance companies. However, if you choose to not sterilize your pet, you may have to deal with the expenses involved due to the extra exclusions and ailments that the insurance company will not cover.
Here are some medical conditions for which your pet insurance provider might not pay if you choose to not spay or neuter your pet from a young age:

• Prostate problems
• Hormonal skin conditions
• Perianal hernias
• Testicular tumors
• Perianal tumors
• Mammary tumors
• Uterine and ovarian conditions
• Birthing
• Injury due to fighting
• Collision with a motor vehicle
• Aggressive behavior

To get an idea about the extra expenses involved, here are the average vet payments for a number of these issues:

• Vehicular trauma: $998.21 approximately
• Prostate conditions: $753.71 approximately
• Testicular tumor: $628.59 approximately
• Ovarian issues: $752.93 approximately
• Dogfight wounds: $645.91 approximately

Thus, the conditions mentioned above may prove to be quite expensive and raise your veterinary expenses in the long run. Moreover, there will be other costs involved as well such as diagnostic tests, which the insurance provider may not cover.