Should You Get A Pet Rat Health Insurance?

Some people wonder if pet rat health insurance exists. Or even if it’s something to take into consideration when getting a pet rat. This goes not only for pet rats but for any kind of animal we might welcome into our family.

Pet health insurance does exist and it’s something that should be at least researched to know if it’s suitable for you or not.

Should You Get A Pet Rat Insurance? Generally, no. There’s not a lot of health insurance for exotic pets and that includes pet rats. This also means that if you do find insurance for your pet rats, it’s going to be much more expensive!

But let’s go into a bit more detail on this matter. There are some things to have into account when looking for pet health insurance. For you, it might be worth it, for others not.

So le’ts go through everything you need to know!

Reasons To Get A Pet Rat Insurance

It’s no secret that pet rats are prone to getting certain diseases. Their lifespan isn’t too long and at some point, their bodies start to show it. It’s very common for pet rats to have tumors when they grow older or to have breathing problems and urinary infections.

Sometimes it can be just lumps or something that is easily treatable and cured. Still, your pet rat will definitely need a veterinary check-up sooner or later.

Since pet rats are also a small animal and considered an exotic pet, these visits can be a bit more expensive.

Of course, it all depends on where you live. For example, our veterinary usually drops visit prices when treating smaller animals. The same goes for any exam the animal might need or any other treatment.

But just like us, our pets will need to go to the doctor. Unfortunately, pet rats (or other animals) don’t live forever and will become weaker as they get older.

So if you live in a place where veterinary visits are not as affordable as you wanted to or just want to play it safe, to get the best service for your pets, health insurance might be the way to go!

What To Look For In Pet Health Insurance

There are a few things to have in attention when looking for pet health insurance. Just like with ours, there’s a lot of providers and services to choose from.

The best way to go about it is to discuss this with your veterinary, so they can advise you better. Each place works with different providers and has experience with them.

adorable pet rat looking into camera
Should you ensure this lovely fella?

So the first thing you should do is look up which companies provide pet insurance and which of those can you use at your local veterinary. After, make a side-by-side comparison of the available providers.

Most of the time, they offer almost the same kind of packages, but there are always small changes that might fit better for you while others don’t.

Research what’s covered by the insurance! Some of these might have exclusions for example for conditions that are hereditary or pre-existing among others and these might give you some trouble with filing a claim.

Be sure you understand all the terms before choosing a pet health insurance.

Next in the list is to choose a coverage that works best for you! Do you want something that covers routine wellness like wellness exams and regular tests? Or something more towards chronic conditions, surgeries, hospitalization, prescriptions among others?

Pet rats don’t really need a lot of check-ups unless you suspect they’re sick. And again, things tend to get more expensive when they get some kind of serious illness that requires surgery, medication, and exams.

Of course, you can also get a complete package that includes all of these services and even cover hereditary conditions! It’s all up to you and your budget!

All in all, I feel that the best way to go about it is by speaking with your veterinary. They’ll be able to point you in the right direction or even it’s worth a pet health insurance in your case or not!

Is It Worth It To Get An Exotic Pet Rat Insurance?

In my honest opinion, it isn’t. It is very hard to find exotic pet health insurance. Rodents, in general, don’t live a long life and so companies won’t really offer a service for them.

Even if you manage to find them, it is really expensive. Again, pet rats tend to have serious health issues when they get to old age, so these insurances will ask for a lot of money.

The best option is to just put some money to the side each month so you can always count on it for emergencies or trips to the vet. 

Usually a check-up for your rodent friend at the veterinary costs around 40$. Of course, this number might change depending on where you live. A surgery, depending on its difficulty can cost between 40$ to 150$.

If you’re interested in neutering your pet rats you’ll need about 50$ to 100$, depending on the sex of the pet rat or where you live.

Remember that to figure out what problem your rodent friend might have, exams and tests will be made. So that’s another expense. It’s always very important to have some money on the side in case you need it.

It’s the same with us, if we need medical assistance, we’ll need to pay for that. Of course, how much you pay differs from country to country, but it’s always good to be as prepared as possible!

These are more or less the costs that you should expect, so it’s always good to have some money on the side if needed!

Getting A Pet Rat Insurance

If you’re still interested in getting a pet rat insurance and live in the USA, I recommend checking out the Bird And Exotic Pets Insurance at Nationwide. You can always contact them and ask for a quote! 

If you’re based in the UK, I’ve read good things about Exotic Direct.

These are just some contacts to help you get set up. It will make your search much easier and they’ll surely advise you in what it’s best for your rodent friends.

Again I still highly recommend talking with your veterinary to know whats the best course of action for you. This way you’ll know right away which insurance companies your veterinary works with and if they’re good or not.

If you live in any other point of the globe, it tends to be a bit harder to find information. But it’s best to ask around locally, your veterinary or even pet shops nearby you.

These kinds of places can always help you get more information about pet health insurance since they tend to work closely with it!

All in all, choose what feels best for you and your pet rats, their health is a priority and so it’s natural we want to provide for them the best we can

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Adorable pet rat in the floor looking at camera